Xinjiang vocation education centers prove effective in eliminating extremism: Shohrat Zakir

BEIJING, March 13 (APP):Vocational education centers in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have proved effective in eliminating religious extremism in the region, Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the regional government said.

These centers are not concentration or re-education camps as portrayed in some media reports. They are like boarding schools where trainees enjoy free food and accommodations, learn languages, study laws and acquire skills, he said during a panel discussion of the annual session of the National People’s Congress here.

He also rejected the claims that there are more than one million people detained in these centers and added, the centers are actually boarding schools, and the trainees can ask for leave if they need to see their loved ones.

Xinjiang has launched a vocational education and training programme according to laws and regulations. Its purpose is to get rid of the environment that breeds terrorism and religious extremism and prevents violent terrorist activities from happening, according to the regional government.

The trainees have been influenced by terrorism and extremism and are suspected of minor criminal offenses.