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> That's what I was thinking too. Westerners visit Xinjiang province with cameras. If 1m people disappeared, I'm sure someone would come up to a Westerner to te

by 394549 8y ago

> That's what I was thinking too. Westerners visit Xinjiang province with cameras. If 1m people disappeared, I'm sure someone would come up to a Westerner to tell their story. China isn't a western country, and I don't think you can count on being granted western-levels of freedom of movement there, especially in "sensitive" areas. For instance, I understand you need a special permit to visit Tibet, which is another province with similar ethnic tensions. The level of surveillance in Xinjiang is so intense that the locals will often get questioned by the police about contacts with foreigners (e.g. getting a phone or skype call from abroad). The locals probably aren't eager to talk to foreigners about sensitive topics because they fear reprisal. China also has special visas for journalists, and something tells me that that they'll deny the application if your itinerary includes areas where they don't want people poking around. If you're applying for a tourist visa, in some cases (like if you work for a newspaper) it's advised that you promise that you'll not engage in journalism during your trip. I'm guessing the Chinese will interpret a bunch of foreigners poking around sensitive areas with cameras as people practicing unauthorized journalism, put a stop to it, and maybe even deport those people for visa violations.

oh_sigh 8y ago
I was in Tibet in 2007 and a lot of locals came up and talked to me, asking America to do something about the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Our hired driver had no problem showing us his picture of the Dalai Lama(which was(still is?) illegal to possess).
- 394549 8y ago
  > I was in Tibet in 2007 and a lot of locals came up and talked to me, asking America to do something about the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Our hired driver had no problem showing us his picture of the Dalai Lama(which was(still is?) illegal to possess). 2007 was a different era, a lot has changed politically in the meantime. I posted this elsewhere in the thread, but maybe you didn't see it: China’s mass indoctrination camps evoke Cultural Revolution (https://apnews.com/6e151296fb194f85ba69a8babd972e4b https://apnews.com/6e151296fb194f85ba69a8babd972e4b): > At first, Bekali did not want the AP to publish his account for fear that his sister and mother in China would be detained and sent to re-education. > But on March 10, back in China, the police took his sister, Adila Bekali. A week later, on March 19, they took his mother, Amina Sadik. And on April 24, his father, Ebrayem. > Bekali changed his mind and said he wanted to tell his story, no matter the consequences. > “Things have already come this far,” he said. “I have nothing left to lose.”
anoncoward111 8y ago
Go on youtube and instagram and check out all of the normal white dudes posting content from Xinjiang.
- 394549 8y ago
  > Go on youtube and instagram and check out all of the normal white dudes posting content from Xinjiang. Are they poking around, looking for evidence of mass detentions? Or are they complaining about how they "spent more time being frustrated, bored, and whinging about lost funds than actually enjoying ourselves" (https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/why-we-didnt-like-traveling-in-xinjiang-china/ https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/why-we-didnt-like-traveling-...)?
  - darpa_escapee 8y ago
    For all of his dismay at the population for being distrustful towards foreigners, it's probably for a good reason. People disappear if they talk to foreign journalists and nosy travellers with cameras and western ideals.

by 394549 8y ago

oh_sigh 8y ago

I was in Tibet in 2007 and a lot of locals came up and talked to me, asking America to do something about the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Our hired driver had no problem showing us his picture of the Dalai Lama(which was(still is?) illegal to possess).

394549 8y ago
> I was in Tibet in 2007 and a lot of locals came up and talked to me, asking America to do something about the Chinese occupation of Tibet. Our hired driver had no problem showing us his picture of the Dalai Lama(which was(still is?) illegal to possess). 2007 was a different era, a lot has changed politically in the meantime. I posted this elsewhere in the thread, but maybe you didn't see it: China’s mass indoctrination camps evoke Cultural Revolution (https://apnews.com/6e151296fb194f85ba69a8babd972e4b https://apnews.com/6e151296fb194f85ba69a8babd972e4b): > At first, Bekali did not want the AP to publish his account for fear that his sister and mother in China would be detained and sent to re-education. > But on March 10, back in China, the police took his sister, Adila Bekali. A week later, on March 19, they took his mother, Amina Sadik. And on April 24, his father, Ebrayem. > Bekali changed his mind and said he wanted to tell his story, no matter the consequences. > “Things have already come this far,” he said. “I have nothing left to lose.”

anoncoward111 8y ago

Go on youtube and instagram and check out all of the normal white dudes posting content from Xinjiang.

394549 8y ago
> Go on youtube and instagram and check out all of the normal white dudes posting content from Xinjiang. Are they poking around, looking for evidence of mass detentions? Or are they complaining about how they "spent more time being frustrated, bored, and whinging about lost funds than actually enjoying ourselves" (https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/why-we-didnt-like-traveling-in-xinjiang-china/ https://www.lostwithpurpose.com/why-we-didnt-like-traveling-...)?
- darpa_escapee 8y ago
  For all of his dismay at the population for being distrustful towards foreigners, it's probably for a good reason. People disappear if they talk to foreign journalists and nosy travellers with cameras and western ideals.