There is a crisis in Xinjiang. The details are murky. The Communist Party of China has little incentive to reveal the inner workings of the vast system of surveillance and terror it has built to control the 12 million Uighur and Kazakh citizens of China’s westernmost region. From the party’s perspective, the further away the global spotlight is from its activities the better.

Red Flags for Detainment in Xinjiang

Owning a tent

Telling others not to swear    

Speaking with someone who has traveled abroad

Owning welding equipment    

Telling others not to sin    

Having traveled abroad yourself

Owning extra food    

Eating breakfast before the sun comes up    

Merely knowing someone who has traveled abroad

Owning a compass    

Arguing with an official    

Publicly stating that China is inferior to some other country

Owning multiple knives    

Sending a petition that complains about local officials    

Having too many children

Abstaining from alcohol    

Not allowing officials to sleep in your bed, eat your food, and live in your house    

Having a VPN

Abstaining from cigarettes    

Not having your government ID on your person    

Having WhatsApp

Wailing, publicly grieving, or otherwise acting sad when your parents die    

Not letting officials take your DNA    

Watching a video filmed abroad

Wearing a scarf in the presence of the Chinese flag    

Wearing a hijab (if you are under 45)    

Going to a mosque

Praying    

Fasting    

Listening to a religious lecture

Not letting officials scan your irises    

Not letting officials download everything you have on your phone    

Not making voice recordings to give to officials

Speaking your native language in school    

Speaking your native language in government work groups    

Speaking with someone abroad (via Skype, WeChat, etc.)

Wearing a shirt with Arabic lettered writing on it    

Having a full beard    

Wearing any clothes with religious iconography

Not attending mandatory propaganda classes    

Not attending mandatory flag-raising ceremonies    

Not attending public struggle sessions

Refusing to denounce your family members or yourself in these public struggle sessions    

Trying to kill yourself when detained by the police    

Trying to kill yourself when in the education camps

Performing a traditional funeral    

Inviting multiple families to your house without registering with the police department    

Being related to anyone who has done any of the above