Xinjiang residents must turn in passports

AFP, BEIJING: All residents in China’s restive region of Xinjiang must hand in their passports to local police stations for “examination and management”, the Global Times newspaper said Thursday.
“Anyone who needs the passport must apply to the police station,” an anonymous police officer in Aksu prefecture told the paper, adding that the policy had been implemented throughout Xinjiang.
Many members of the more than 10 million-strong Muslim Uighur minority in the region complain of discrimination—including denials of passport applications—as well as controls on their culture and religion.
The Global Times article followed numerous reports from cities across the region of tightened passport controls.

Xinjiang residents must turn in passports

AFP, BEIJING: All residents in Chinas restive region of Xinjiang must hand in their passports to local police stations for examination and management, the Global Times newspaper said Thursday. Anyone who needs the passport must apply to the police station, an anonymous police officer in Aksu prefecture told the paper, adding that the policy had been implemented throughout Xinjiang. Many members of the more than 10 million-strong Muslim Uighur minority in the region complain of discriminationincluding denials of passport applicationsas well as controls on their culture and religion. The Global Times article followed numerous reports from cities across the region of tightened passport controls.