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Chinese national granted US asylum over Xinjiang footage
A 38-year-old Chinese citizen who secretly documented detention facilities in Xinjiang has been granted asylum in the United States after an immigration judge ruled he faced credible persecution risks if returned to China.
Background of the case
Guan Heng filmed conditions inside what human rights groups describe as internment camps in China's northwestern Xinjiang region in 2020. The footage, later published on YouTube, showed facilities where over a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities are alleged to have been detained against their will.
Guan entered the US illegally in 2021 and applied for asylum but was detained in August of that year as part of a mass deportation effort under the Trump administration. Plans to deport him to Uganda were later abandoned in December following public outcry.
Testimony and legal proceedings
During a hearing on Wednesday, Guan testified via video link from a US correctional facility. When asked whether his decision to film the camps was motivated by a desire to strengthen his asylum claim, he denied it.
"I sympathized with the Uyghurs who were persecuted."
Guan Heng
Guan's lawyer, Chen Chuangchuang, called the case a "textbook example of why asylum exists," emphasizing the US's "moral and legal responsibility" to protect his client.
The immigration judge ruled that Guan had a "well-founded fear" of persecution if returned to China, citing interrogations of his family by Chinese authorities as evidence of retaliation risks.
International allegations and China's response
The US, UK, Canada, and the Netherlands are among countries that have accused China of committing crimes against humanity-potentially including genocide-against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. A 2018 UN report described credible evidence of up to a million people being held in "counter-extremism centers."
China denies all allegations, characterizing the facilities as "re-education camps" aimed at countering terrorism and extremism. The region remains largely inaccessible to independent journalists and observers.
Accounts of abuse and ongoing risks
Uyghurs in exile have reported widespread abuses, including forced disappearances, torture, and sexual violence. A 2022 BBC investigation into leaked police files revealed armed guards, a shoot-to-kill policy for escapees, and systematic brutality within the camps.
Guan's asylum approval does not guarantee final protection; the US Department of Homeland Security has 30 days to appeal the decision.
