A phone call from a stranger changed Rezia Rahman’s life as well as the lives of dozens of others in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

As Rahman told reporters in a documentary on counter-terrorism produced and aired by state broadcaster China Central Television, she was instructed by her brother’s “friend,” a person she had never met or seen, to take part in a terror attack that killed 10 people and wounded dozens more in Luntai, a county in Xinjiang, on September 21, 2014.

She came to realize the enormity of her action when she saw a photograph of one of the victims: A young girl who loved dancing was struggling for her life in a hospital, having lost a leg in the attack.

“It’s impossible to go to heaven by killing people,” a weeping Rahman said in the documentary.

White Paper on Xinjiang

Between 1990 and 2016, separatists, religious extremists and terrorists carried out a spate of terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, from bombings and assassinations to riots, killing hundreds of civilians as well as police officers, who died in the line of duty, according to a white paper, Vocational Education and Training in Xinjiang, issued by the State Council Information Office on August 16.

The southern part of Xinjiang was gravely impacted by protracted religious extremism. One reason was its geography. Close to the Taklimakan Desert, the largest desert in China and the world’s second largest shifting sand desert, it is an extremely arid and remote area gripped by poverty. About 90 percent of the Uygur community living there had limited means of communication and employment opportunities, since they could not read and write in the standard spoken and written Chinese language due to low educational levels. Farming and animal husbandry were the major means of livelihood, but the incomes they generated were inadequate as the farmers were mostly illiterate in modern science and used outdated equipment.

Imbalanced development is one of the main problems in China and the authorities are now focused on addressing it. From 2014 to 2018, more than 580,000 households were lifted out of poverty in Xinjiang, according to official data.

Because of the environment in the region in the past, residents were easily incited to violence. “[Religious extremists] deny the concepts and achievements of modern secular civilization, inciting followers to ‘engage in a holy war and die for their beliefs in order to enter heaven’,” the white paper says.

Worldwide Efforts

Early intervention is regarded as an effective way to address the root causes of people’s radicalization. Countries around the world that have known turmoil are focusing on early intervention.

In Australia, the state approach is to offer streams of activity, including an early intervention program, to help people move away from violent ideologies and reconnect with their communities, according to the Australian Government’s website.

In Denmark, the De-Radicalization—Back on Track project was launched in 2011 with the aim of helping people reintegrate into society after serving a prison sentence.

Internationally, de-radicalization is done in three ways: through legislation, intervention programs and community-based mechanisms, said Li Wei, an expert on anti-terrorism with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.

People referred to intervention programs are chosen based on their actual radical behavior that tends to develop into terrorism, Li added.

“De-radicalization is done differently in different countries according to their national demographics, history and culture as well as values,” Han Na, a lecturer at the School of National Security and Counter-Terrorism, People’s Public Security University of China, told Beijing Review.

“There are some common efforts, such as strengthening public awareness and positively affecting radicalized individuals with education and helping them re-integrate into society,” Han added.

Realization and Return

Abdu Semet is undergoing training at a vocational education and training center in Yutian, a county in Xinjiang. He was running a restaurant six years ago when he became a target of so-called “religious scholars” and became radicalized.

“I put a notice on the door of my restaurant saying, ‘non-Muslims are not allowed’,” the 29-year-old said. “I drove non-Muslims away or beat them if they didn’t see the notice and came in.”

Xinjiang is a frontline in the fight against terrorism and extremism in China. To address the root causes of radicalization and implement preventative and integrational measures, it has initiated vocational education and training programs in accordance with the law.

The vocational training centers run a curriculum that includes the standard spoken and written Chinese, basic knowledge of the law and occupational skills, which is designed to facilitate de-radicalization. The vocational classes are tailored to local needs. In Hotan Prefecture in south Xinjiang, for example, trainees can choose among garment making, food processing, hairdressing and beauty services, or interior design.

This has created better living conditions and curbed frequent terrorist incidents.

“Vocational training is one of the highlights of China’s early intervention solution,” Han said. “If people have the skills to work and know what is against the law, they will change and live a normal life.”

People referred to the training program are assessed after the training and then managed accordingly, in accordance with the law.

Semet, who now regrets his past behavior, attributes his change to a better understanding of its consequences. “If I continued my disoriented way, my children could be in jeopardy and my hometown embroiled in turmoil,” he said.

Different Reactions

Recently, a group of journalists from 24 countries including the United States, Russia, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iran, visited some vocational education and training centers and inquired about the people undergoing training in great detail.

“This is a school, not a ‘concentration camp’,” said Paolo Salom, Deputy Director of the International Department of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “It’s a place where people learn not only laws and regulations but also how to find a job and cope in modern society. To overcome extremism through education, no doubt, is the right way.”

Abdulaziz Raddad A. Alrabie, Director of the Mecca office of Okaz, a Saudi Arabian newspaper, said the vocational education and training center is in no way a “concentration camp,” but a school where people with extremist thoughts were transformed.

“I saw genuine smiles on the faces of the trainees I interviewed, and I can tell they are satisfied with their life and study at the center,” Alrabie said.

But, there is a perception gap on the de-radicalization efforts in Xinjiang.

In a BBC interview, a Xinjiang official said, “It’s better to stop terrorist activities in advance and not wait for their crimes [but] take action.” However, the remarks were misinterpreted by the reporter as suggesting that China believes it can determine the guilt of people assessed as extremists in advance.

However, in the UK, about 50 people are reportedly referred to de-radicalization programs every week, raising the question of how their guilt is determined in advance.

“The counter-terrorism law is a preventive law. It’s too late to take action after terrorists have perpetrated a crime against the public. It shows irresponsibility toward public lives and property,” Li told Beijing Review.

According to him, the different stands on China’s way of intervention are due to the different ideologies between the East and West. “The current terrorism threat to developing countries is more severe than to developed ones in the West, which results in a perception gap when it comes to addressing the issue,” Li said.