CHINA-INTERNAL: XINJIANG
The official Global Times reported on November 24, 2016, that a “passport-management policy” is being implemented across the entire Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region, which requires all citizens to turn in the documents and apply for permission if they wish to leave the country. Officials quoted by Global Times, on condition of anonymity, insisted the move is meant to maintain public order amid a rising threat of terrorism in the region. that borders Central Asia. Xinjiang is home to some 10 million Uighur Muslims, many of whom have agitated against what they say is decades of discrimination such as controls on their religion and culture. It said the new passport policy “will not affect ordinary people’s travel plans,” and would only serve to keep criminals or people with “suspicious records” from going abroad. (Comment: The Human Rights Watch observed that the policy had been in place since at least late October and is similar to the “two-tier travel” system implemented in Tibet.)
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