Persecution of Uyghurs in China was a Social sciences and society good articles nominee, but did not meet the good article criteria at the time. There may be suggestions below for improving the article. Once these issues have been addressed, the article can be renominated. Editors may also seek a reassessment of the decision if they believe there was a mistake.
Article milestones Date Process Result February 1, 2020 Articles for deletion Kept February 11, 2021 Good article nominee Not listed
	A news item involving this article was featured on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "In the news" column on September 2, 2022.
Current status: Former good article nominee

This  level-5 vital article is rated C-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale. It is of interest to multiple WikiProjects.

Politics Mid‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Politics, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of politics on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.PoliticsWikipedia:WikiProject PoliticsTemplate:WikiProject Politicspolitics Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale. China: Politics High‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject China, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of China related articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.ChinaWikipedia:WikiProject ChinaTemplate:WikiProject ChinaChina-related High This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale. This article is supported by WikiProject Chinese politics (assessed as High-importance). Human rights Top‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Human rights, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Human rights on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Human rightsWikipedia:WikiProject Human rightsTemplate:WikiProject Human rightsHuman rights Top This article has been rated as Top-importance on the project's importance scale. Mass surveillance Mid‑importance Persecution of Uyghurs in China is within the scope of WikiProject Mass surveillance, which aims to improve Wikipedia's coverage of mass surveillance and mass surveillance-related topics. If you would like to participate, visit the project page, or contribute to the discussion.Mass surveillanceWikipedia:WikiProject Mass surveillanceTemplate:WikiProject Mass surveillanceMass surveillance Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale. Ethnic groups Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Ethnic groups, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of articles relating to ethnic groups, nationalities, and other cultural identities on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Ethnic groupsWikipedia:WikiProject Ethnic groupsTemplate:WikiProject Ethnic groupsEthnic groups Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. WikiProject Ethnic groups open tasks: Here are some open WikiProject Ethnic groups tasks: Meta-tasks: Place the {{Ethnic groups}} template on the talk page of articles within the scope of this project. Resolve the disparity in importance rankings among different ethnic groups Articles about ethnic groups that currently have issues needing resolution: Category:Unassessed Ethnic groups articles Category:Ethnic groups articles needing merge action Category:Ethnic groups articles needing infoboxes Category:Ethnic groups articles needing reassessment Category:Ethnic groups articles needing attention Iyer Peruvian people Start an article: Wikipedia:WikiProject Ethnic groups/Article requests Feel free to edit this list or discuss these tasks. Anthropology Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Anthropology, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Anthropology on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.AnthropologyWikipedia:WikiProject AnthropologyTemplate:WikiProject AnthropologyAnthropology Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the importance scale. History: Contemporary Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject History, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the subject of History on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.HistoryWikipedia:WikiProject HistoryTemplate:WikiProject Historyhistory Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. This article is supported by the Contemporary History Task Force (assessed as Mid-importance). Sociology Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Sociology, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of sociology on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.SociologyWikipedia:WikiProject SociologyTemplate:WikiProject Sociologysociology Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. Central Asia Low‑importance Persecution of Uyghurs in China is part of WikiProject Central Asia, a project to improve all Central Asia-related articles. This includes but is not limited to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Tibet, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang and Central Asian portions of Iran, Pakistan and Russia, region-specific topics, and anything else related to Central Asia. If you would like to help improve this and other Central Asia-related articles, please join the project. All interested editors are welcome.Central AsiaWikipedia:WikiProject Central AsiaTemplate:WikiProject Central AsiaCentral Asia Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. Philosophy: Ethics / Social and political Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Philosophy, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of content related to philosophy on Wikipedia. If you would like to support the project, please visit the project page, where you can get more details on how you can help, and where you can join the general discussion about philosophy content on Wikipedia.PhilosophyWikipedia:WikiProject PhilosophyTemplate:WikiProject PhilosophyPhilosophy Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. Associated task forces: /  Ethics Social and political philosophy Islam Mid‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Islam, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Islam-related articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.IslamWikipedia:WikiProject IslamTemplate:WikiProject IslamIslam-related Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the project's importance scale. Crime and Criminal Biography Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Crime and Criminal Biography, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Crime and Criminal Biography articles on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.Crime and Criminal BiographyWikipedia:WikiProject Crime and Criminal BiographyTemplate:WikiProject Crime and Criminal BiographyCrime-related Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. Death Low‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject Death, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of Death on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.DeathWikipedia:WikiProject DeathTemplate:WikiProject DeathDeath Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the project's importance scale. 2010s Mid‑importance This article is within the scope of WikiProject 2010s, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of 2010s on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.2010sWikipedia:WikiProject 2010sTemplate:WikiProject 2010s2010s Mid This article has been rated as Mid-importance on the importance scale.

The date for source #27 is from 1944-1946, not 1944-1949. the war ended before that. it was reabsorbed into China after 2600:8807:2882:4200:E1BC:1024:3B65:DCE7 (talk) 11:45, 14 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The source you may be talking about could be #52, since that one (and its related text) are the only mentions of 1944 I can see. "1944-1949" is part of the title of the work reffed, therefore not something we can change.

According to the linked article, Second East Turkestan Republic, the reabsorbtion took place in 1949/50, so I'm not sure what you think the error here is (though this is far from being my speciality). Pincrete (talk) 13:46, 14 January 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It is technically true that Xinjiang was reabsorbed into the People's Republic of China in 1949, but that is because Communist China was fighting a war with the Kuomintang which controlled Xinjiang at the time. However, the sentence is misleading since Second East Turkestan Republic was absorbed into Xinjiang Province by the Kuomintang in 1946.

In 1944, the Ili Rebellion led to the establishment of the Second East Turkestan Republic, which was dependent on the Soviet Union. In 1946, it was legally absorbed into Xinjiang Province by the Kuomintang, although the Ili National Army continued to operate autonomously until being absorbed into the PLA in 1949. 155.246.151.38 (talk) 19:42, 14 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The estimated number of victims detained in this Wikipedia article currently reads: "est. ≥1 million detained". I am proposing that we remove this estimate, and replace it with the actual number of Uyghurs which we know are detained.

The methodology for coming to this "1 million detained" number is extremely faulty, and I do not believe it lives up to Wikipedia's standards to warrant it being used as the official Wikipedia estimate.

This "1 million detained" calculation from the BBC had the following methodology, from their original article here: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037

"Analysis of data contained in the latest police documents, called the Xinjiang Police Files, showed that almost 23,000 residents - or more than 12% of the adult population of one county - were in a camp or prison in the years 2017 and 2018. If applied to Xinjiang as a whole, the figures would mean the detention of more than 1.2 million Uyghur and other Turkic minority adults."

To illustrate how faulty this methodology is, let's apply this methodology to the United States, I could say, "well 10% of the black population in one county (i.e.: the south side of Chicago, Compton, etc.) is currently imprisoned. If applied to the United States as a whole, the figures would mean the imprisonment of more than 4.2 million black Americans."

This estimate would be off by a factor of 10x. You cannot simply take one county, which likely has a much higher black incarceration rate in this example, and state that the entire United States has this incarceration rate.

Similarly, we do not know if that one particular county that the BBC cited has a much higher Uyghur incarceration rate than the rest of Xinjiang.

I am proposing that we remove this "est. ≥1 million detained" figure, and replace it with the actual number of Uyghurs which we know to be imprisoned, such as "almost 23,000".

Thank you for reading this edit request. Classicace (talk) 12:31, 17 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You have a point. The source says, "if applied to Xinjiang as a whole, the figures would mean the detention of more than 1.2 million Uyghur and other Turkic minority adults." It doesn't actually claim this is an estimate. I suggest we remove the field. TFD (talk) 18:38, 19 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I could support the removal of the field and covering the 'numbers' issue in text as the source does ("if applied to Xinjiang as a whole, the figures would mean …). I think Classicace's suggestion of using the 'known' figure (almost 23,000), would be wholly the wrong approach. To use his own analogy, this would be like presenting the 'South Side' black Americans as being the only US blacks incarcerated. Pincrete (talk) 05:20, 20 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done for now: please establish a consensus for this alteration before using the {{Edit extended-protected}} template. Requested edits are for uncontroversial changes. Also, Classicace, you may find it helpful to read Wikipedia's guidance on original thought. We base article content on what is said in reliable sources, not our own analysis of those sources. Jr8825 • Talk 14:55, 17 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Why doesn’t this article refer to the Uyghur Genocide as a Genocide? Seems pretty sus to me. 173.67.182.46 (talk) 18:25, 19 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Because, per policy, articles cannot make statements of fact unless there is consensus in reliable sources. We had the same discussion for Gaza. TFD (talk) 18:31, 19 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

So you’re saying that the Uyghur Genocide isn’t happening? Are you Chinese? 173.67.182.46 (talk) 18:33, 19 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The Uyghur genocide isn't real. Anyone can just walk around Xinjiang and see that there's Uyghurs everywhere and they're just fine. No one who goes to Xinjiang comes back thinking that there's a Uyghur genocide. It's entirely a western propaganda invention for the low-IQ diabetic fox news watchers.

The Gaza genocide, on the other hand, is real (albeit incomplete). If you walk around Gaza (note you'll need to be an aid worker to get in), you'll see dead bodies and starving children everywhere. You'll see lots of destroyed buildings and people with horrible injuries from the mass bombing campaign. 2600:4041:4234:C600:CC48:17F9:254E:527D (talk) 02:15, 9 March 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah they claim that tere isn't a consensus on the subject, but checking all the other language Wikipedia pages on the subject shows that most them call it a genocide. Languages that seem to not describe it as a genocide such as Hebrew, Korean and German are clearly in the minority here.

Also many sources on this very article descibe it as such. As you said there is clearly something suspicious going on in here. Chelk (talk) 12:45, 21 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Whether or not it is a conventional genocide is a debate that is ongoing, but that is a separate matter from the article title. We document the genocide terminology in the body, and the subject is the persecution of Uyghurs in any case, culminating in what some have described as a genocide. The article is more than just the terminology. Butterdiplomat (talk) 13:02, 21 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

See the discussion that resulted in this article's title being changed to the current title. JasonMacker (talk) 19:02, 23 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The closer of that discussion summarises the title issue well: "if there is no common name for the event and no generally accepted descriptive word, use a descriptive name that does not carry POV implications". It was demonstrated with evidence that although some independent reliable sources use the term genocide, many others describe the matter … without ever using that word. As such, the use of genocide here isn't yet generally accepted, and the alternative of persecution, which I think all agree has fewer POV implications, is what the guideline instructs us to do. That Uyghurs have been/are being persecuted is fairly universally agreed, whether that persecution is properly characterised as a 'genocide' is not. Nothing in the article itself diminishes what is/has been happening to the Uyghurs but it isn't part of our task to adopt condemnatory language before most of the world has done so.Pincrete (talk) 05:04, 24 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Part of the issue here is that the persecution of Uyghurs does meet some definitions of genocide (notably the Raphael Lemkin definition) but many international bodies do not prefer those definitions as they are quite broad and would likely lead to the actions of many other major states (like Canada) being described as genocide too. This has led to an unclear situation in the literature. Simonm223 (talk) 14:38, 26 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]