Leaked files expose workings of Xinjiang detentions

More than 400 pages of internal Chinese government documents obtained by The Times show in officials’ words how China divided families and forced as many as a million ethnic Uighurs, Kazakhs and others into internment camps and prisons over the past three years.

The documents, which include internal speeches by President Xi Jinping and directives on surveillance, reveal how the demands of top officials led to the creation of the camps in Xinjiang where inmates sometimes undergo years of indoctrination and interrogation.

The papers were brought to light by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that their disclosure would prevent party leaders, including Mr. Xi, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions.

Takeaways: Chen Quanguo, the Communist Party boss in Xinjiang, played a major role in expanding the internment camps rapidly. He purged officials who resisted the campaign. Here are the main insights from the files. And you can read the article in Chinese.