BEIJING – China on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to“disturb” its security policies after a US congressional report saidBeijing’s mass internment of Muslim minorities may constitute “crimesagainst humanity”.

The report by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China described thesituation of human rights in China as “dire” and worsening, a trendepitomised by the internment of as many as one million Uighurs and otherethnic minorities in the far west Xinjiang region.

In response, China’s foreign ministry characterised reports of its policiesin the region as “rumours and groundless accusations”.

Chinese policies “aim to safeguard the social stability and security ofXinjiang and are supported by the people,” foreign ministry spokesman LuKang told reporters during a regular press briefing.

“Relevant parties want to disturb such efforts. This is futile,” he said.

Beijing has a long history of accusing the US of fomenting anti-China“separatism” in Xinjiang, alleging Washington has sponsored groupsadvocating for the region’s independence in an attempt to weaken China.

The region — which comprises one-sixth of China’s land area — is a jumpingoff point for the country’s ambitious new “Belt and Road” project aimed atopening up new overland routes to increase access to markets across Asiaand Europe.

Maintaining stability there has become a priority for the country’sleadership, which seeks to prevent any disruptions to its economicambitions.

Beijing has long had a strained relationship with Xinjiang’s mostly Muslimminority groups, particularly the Turkic Uighurs, which make up about halfof the region’s population and bridle under the central government’sdraconian security policies.

The region experienced a brief increase in attacks following deadly riotsin the regional capital Urumqi in 2009.

Beijing says its policies towards the region have effectively eliminatedthe problem.

But critics say that the measures are unsustainable and will stokeresentment as China seeks to assimilate Xinjiang’s minority population andsuppress religious and cultural practises that conflict with Communistideology and the dominant Han culture.

China has sought to achieve that goal by detaining hundreds of thousands ina network of shadowy “re-education” centres where they are force-fedpropaganda and drilled on Chinese language skills, according to rightsgroups.

Beijing has denied the existence of the centres, while admitting that somepeople accused of minor crimes have been put in correctional programmeswhere they receive job training.

But on Tuesday, Xinjiang updated its counter-terrorism and anti-extremismregulations to codify such centres, saying that people accused of minorcrimes related to terrorism would be allowed to voluntarily enter thefacilities instead of being jailed.

But there may be little difference between the two.

In July, a former teacher at one of the centres told a court in Kazakhstanthat “in China they call it a political camp but really it was a prison inthe mountains.” – APP/AFP