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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Helen Davidson in Taipei

China has renamed hundreds of Uyghur villages and towns, say human rights groups

Two women pass through a secure entrance to a bazaar in Xinjiang
Two women pass through a secure entrance to a bazaar in Xinjiang in 2019. Life for Uyghur Muslims in the region is strictly controlled, with increasing surveillance and militarisation. Photograph: Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of Uyghur villages and towns have been renamed by Chinese authorities to remove religious or cultural references, with many replaced by names reflecting Communist party ideology, a report has found.

Research published on Wednesday by Human Rights Watch and the Norway-based organisation Uyghur Hjelp documents about 630 communities that have been renamed in this way by the government, mostly during the height of a crackdown on Uyghurs that several governments and human rights bodies have called a genocide.

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