The Chinese government is allegedly taking drastic measures to suppress birth rates among Uighurs and other minorities as part of a campaign to curb its Muslim population. A new AP investigation based on government statistics, state documents, and communication with ex-detainees and a former detention camp instructor show that in the past four years, China has been committing what experts call a “demographic genocide.”
The investigation found that minority women are subject to pregnancy checks, sterilization, and even forced abortion. The use of IUDs and sterilization has fallen across China as a whole, but risen sharply in Xinjiang, an area heavily populated by China’s Mulsim minority group. The invasive population control measures are backed by the threat of mass detention, as having too many children is a major reason why people are sent to detention camps. The AP found that the parents of three or more children are subject to huge fines, and face detention if they cannot meet demands.
Read More: China forces birth control on Uighurs to suppress population
