Full Text: Slanderer Adrian Zenz's Xinjiang-related Fallacies Versus the Truth
Fallacy Five: The aiding and education measures for deradicalization is a kind of political re-education movement in Xinjiang
Adrian Zenz stated in the report that the aiding and education measures for deradicalization is a kind of political re-education movement in Xinjiang. He said in the report that the vocational education and training center is to brainwash trainees and he listed so-called "evidence": the training includes military drills, singing patriotic songs, learning criminal law, marriage law, watching patriotic videos; all trainees felt encouraged greatly in the end. He claimed all these activities are designed for political education, and they easily make people associate it with the period of Chairman Mao.
In fact, the vocational education and training centers established in Xinjiang in accordance with the law are schools, which are not essentially different from the Desistence and Disengagement Programme set up in the UK and the de-radicalization centers in France. They are both preventive efforts against terrorism and extremism, aiming to eliminate terrorism and religious extremism from the source. The vocational education and training center follows the concept of providing education and economic opportunities for violent extremist group members and encouraging them to break away from the groups, which is fully in line with the principles and spirit of the UN global counter terrorism strategy, and is also an important measure for deradicalization.
Adrian Zenz regarded singing patriotic songs, learning criminal law, marriage law and watching patriotic videos in the education and training center as the brainwashing and political transformation. People may want to ask him that which country's citizens do not love their motherland, do not learn about their own laws, and do not learn their own national language? For example, the United States, since the end of the 19th century, has required students to read or recite the Pledge of Allegiance, which has become a tradition in American primary and secondary schools. According to relevant media reports, an 11-year-old American boy, in February 2019, was arrested for refusing to pledge allegiance to the national flag. According to Adrian Zenz's logic, is the United States a country that implements political education transformation?
The effectiveness of deradicalization is confirmed by the personal experience and feelings of the trainees who have graduated from the vocational education and training centers, including Mettursun Memet from Hotan vocational education and training center, Almire Ablet from the vocational education and training center of Wensu County, Aksu Prefecture. At a press conference on October 29, 2020, they explained how they studied the Constitution, criminal law, anti-terrorism law, religious affairs regulations and other laws and regulations, and learned what is legal, what is illegal, what can be done and what cannot be done, so as to avoid breaking the law. Alimjan Yuwup, a graduate of the vocational education and training center of Akto County, Kizilsu Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture, said that he had learned husbandry, mechanical maintenance, computer and other skills in the vocational education and training center. Because of his good proficiency of mandarin and good command of knowledge and skills, he was elected the deputy director of a villagers' committee after graduation.
A large number of people from abroad have expressed the same views after on-the-spot visits to the vocational education and training centers. Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian ambassador to China, said that the vocational education and training centers gave him a very good impression. Students can not only learn laws and vocational skills, but also learn their ethnic culture. They are in good condition, said Kabaziyev Manarbek, counselor of the Kazakhstan Embassy in China. He saw some people learning sewing skills and hoped they will try their best to learn all kinds of new knowledge and skills. He visited several vocational education and training centers in Kashgar and Hotan, and saw that the Chinese government and the regional government have created excellent learning conditions for these students. There are various food choices and opportunities for students to engage in various sports. Students acquire employment skills through training and they will make a living on these skills after returning to society. The Chinese government really cares about these students, he said.
