China forces Uyghurs to prove they are not fasting during Ramadan

MNTV Monitoring Desk

Chinese authorities in occupied Eastern Turkestan, which is officially known in China as Xinjiang, have reportedly ordered Uyghurs to submit daily video proof that they are not fasting during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. 

The measure is part of Beijing’s broader crackdown on religious practices under the pretext of combating extremism, according to reports from police sources and social media posts by Uyghurs.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports that in Peyziwat county, Kashgar prefecture, residents have been instructed to film themselves eating lunch daily and send the videos to local officials until the end of Ramadan on March 29. 

A Uyghur resident shared on the Chinese social media platform Douyin that he must record his meals wherever he is—whether at home, in the market, or at the hospital—stating that compliance is necessary to “stay out of trouble.”

Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, observed freely by Muslims worldwide. However, China has long banned the practice among Uyghurs as part of a sweeping campaign to suppress religious identity in Eastern Turkestan. 

Uyghurs are also prohibited from gathering at mosques for Friday prayers and observing Islamic holidays. This crackdown extends to mass detentions, forced labor, and policies aimed at erasing Uyghur language and culture.

A police officer in Peyziwat confirmed to RFA that authorities have implemented a system requiring residents—including Uyghur police officers—to submit video proof that they are not fasting.

The measure is being enforced in several townships across the county, including Gulbagh, Bayawat, and Terim.

A local government employee, speaking anonymously, added that while higher officials did not issue direct orders for video monitoring, lower-level cadres decided it was the most effective way to ensure compliance. Some officials have even resorted to making phone calls demanding immediate video evidence of residents eating.

Enforced public feasts

Beyond individual monitoring, authorities in some areas are organizing communal meals to disrupt private fasting. A government staffer in Misha township confirmed plans for public feasts, saying, “To prevent secret fasting, we are arranging collective eating activities.”

In Kucha County, even elderly Uyghurs above the age of 65 are forbidden from fasting. A local security official said a printed directive explicitly bans fasting for all age groups.

Previous years have seen authorities holding public meetings warning Uyghurs against fasting, conducting home inspections, and enforcing restaurant openings to ensure food is readily available during daylight hours.

Rushan Abbas, executive director of the Washington-based Campaign for Uyghurs, condemned the policy, stating: “As Muslims around the world observe Ramadan in prayer and reflection, Uyghur Muslims are imprisoned, enslaved in forced labor, and suffocated under relentless surveillance.

Stripped of their religious freedom, they are banned from fasting, praying, or even identifying as Muslim—while the Chinese regime brazenly continues its crimes against them.”

The systematic repression of Uyghurs in Eastern Turkestan has been widely condemned by human rights organizations, with mounting evidence of severe restrictions on religious and cultural practices.

As Ramadan continues, Uyghurs remain under intense surveillance, forced to prove their compliance with Beijing’s sweeping anti-Islam policies.