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China is reportedly pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners by using tactics that involve threats to their families back home.
Researchers have identified a strategy of controlling access to family members in China through monitored video calls in exchange for compliance overseas. The Chinese government has allegedly used this method to gather intelligence from Uyghurs in foreign countries, coercing them into attending meetings of Uyghur human rights activists and gathering information for the Chinese state.
These tactics tear apart Uyghur communities and exploit the fear that their family members may face harm if they refuse to cooperate.
Transnational repression has been observed particularly among Uyghurs living in the UK and Turkey, where individuals have reported being pressured to spy on their communities or cease advocacy work. These efforts by the Chinese government are straining Uyghur diaspora groups and causing divisions within their ranks.
Efforts to counter this strategy include proposed legislation in the US that would address transnational repression and sanction perpetrators.
The Chinese Embassy in London denies the allegations, stating that they protect Uyghurs and their communication with overseas relatives within the bounds of the law.
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