Cultural Genocide in Xinjiang: Systematic Erasure of Uyghur Identity Through State-Run Boarding Schools

The Chinese government’s systematic campaign against the Uyghur population has intensified over the past decade, with state-run boarding schools in Xinjiang (East Turkistan) serving as tools of cultural genocide.

According to an article published by Bitter Winter on September 5, more than half a million Uyghur children are reportedly enrolled in state-run boarding schools in Xinjiang, where they are forcibly assimilated into Han Chinese culture, stripped of their language, religion, and identity.

The ongoing repression of Uyghurs has roots in a long history of cultural marginalization. Since 2014, under the guise of combating “religious extremism,” the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has escalated its crackdown, resulting in over one million Uyghurs detained in re-education camps. The campaign extends beyond adults, targeting children left behind. These children, often classified as “special needs,” are placed in state-run boarding schools designed to sever their cultural ties.

Reports indicate that these schools enforce a strict Mandarin-only policy, with the Uyghur language prohibited. Children endure physical and emotional abuse, including beatings and isolation, while being indoctrinated with pro-Chinese state ideology. The separation from their families exacerbates their trauma, leading to a loss of cultural identity and fluency in their native language.

Expert analysis highlights this approach as a “systematic campaign of social re-engineering and cultural genocide.” The United Nations has expressed concern over the discriminatory nature of these policies, emphasizing the violation of children’s rights to education, family life, and cultural identity. With the number of boarding schools rapidly increasing, critics argue that these institutions are part of a broader strategy to mold minority children into conforming to Han cultural norms.

China claims it is expanding the number of boarding schools allegedly to improve educational access, especially in remote rural communities. But Uyghur families say such schools are also institutions where children with both parents detained or imprisoned are sent, against family wishes.