>> china has enforced lock downs in 14 more provinces and cities... b >> narrator:ore china was at the center of the coronavirupandemic... >> beijing tries to show it's in >> narrator: ...a very different human tragedy. >> the number of people that ca be hel unprecedented. >> narrator: the crackdown on chinese muslims. >> (disguised voice 1): s narrator: frontline goe undercover... >> (disguised voice 2): >> narrator: to expose a next-generation surveillance state. now, "china undercover". >> frontline is made possible bn contributo your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for

public broadcasting. major support is provided by the john d. and catherine t. carthur foundation, committed to building a more just, verda and peaceful world. more information at macfound.org. the ford foundation: working with visionaries on the worldwide. of social change at fordfoundation.org. additional support is proved by the abrams foundation, committed to excellence in journalism. the park foundation, dedicated to heightening public awareness of critical issues. the john and helen glessner family trust. supporting trustworthy journalism that informs and inspires. and by the frontline journalism fund,up with majorrtrom jon and jo ann hagler.

♪ >> (muyeser): >> narrator: a message-- from a woman to her husband-- secretly sent from somewhere over these mountains. >> (muyeser): >> (sadyrzhan): r: >> narrahis is sadyrzhan.ye

two s ago, his wife, muyeser, went to visit her. parents in chi she never returned. >> (sadyrzhan): >> narrator: she left behind three children. >> (muyeser): >> narrator: soon after shees disappeared, m managed to what looks like a ionideo from camp. ♪ over the past three years, an estimated two million chinese muslims have been held in campst lis, which the chinese government has described as "vocational education and traing centers." muyeser's message ends with a farewell to her family. >> (muyeser):

♪ ra >> narr: march 2019. sadyrzhan is on his way from his homekazakhstan to the chinese border. he's ayghur, a largely muslim ethnic minority in china, that has been targeted by the communist regime. he's now looking fnformation about his wife and when she might be released. filming is discouraged on the border, so we're shooting direetly on a phone. >> (sadyrzhan):

>> (man): >> (sadyrzhan): >> narrator: sadyrzhan wants to call a contact inside china who knows his wife. but the chinese authoritiesca monitor s made from foreign numbers, so he needs to use a phone with a chinese sim card. >> (sadyrzhan): (music playing on phone speaker) >> (man on phone and sadyrzhan): >> (sadyrzhan): >> tarrator: he gets through his contact. >> (sadyrzn): >> narrator: chinese technology is advanced enough to be alerten by cerords, so they speak in code. >> (sadyrzhan): >>man on phone): >> (sadyrzhan): (dial tone humming)

>> narrator: "studying" means she is being detained. >> (sadyrzhan): a vocal advocate fhurn's become rights. (horse neighing) >> (sadyrzhan) (people cheering and whistling) >> narrator: xinjiang is thein region of a just beyond this border. it means "new territory." >> (speaking local language) >> narrar: uyghur muslims-- with their own culture and language-- have been living there for over 1,000 years.te

but thrritory was invaded by china's qing dynastyund 250 years ago and brought under chinese control. ♪ the regime tightly guards access to xinjiang, and joualists are not able to work freely there. ♪ we decide to go undercover. we've been warned that uyghurs are under regular surveillance and foreigners would be followed. here in northern thailand, we are introduced to someone willing to help-- a businessman who often works with journalists. he's part of china's han ethnic majoty, which will give him more freedom to travel and film. but it's still dangerous. we're disguising his voice and calling him li.

>> (li): >> narrator: if caught secretly filming, he could be impsoned. >> (li): ♪ largest reon.e njiang is china's whghurs and other muslims are the majority, for over 60 g years, ternment has encouraged han chinese to settle here. they make up around 40% of the population. ♪

in early 2019, li touches down in the regional capital, ürümqi♪ ♪ >> (li): >> (speaking local lan >> narrator: li is posing as a businessman, looking for new opportunities while on vacation. some things can be filmed open here. but photography in many places

is forbidden. the police are everywhere- shots of thehave to be taken quickly. ♪ traveling with a uyghur taxi driver, li is told there's one rule for han chinese like him at checkpoints and another for uyghurs. >> (taxi driver): ♪ >> narrator: li secretly filmsms elf going through several checoints on the streets. >> (li):

(metal detector beeping) ♪ >> nartor: in another taxi-- this time with a han chinese driver-- the conversation turns to relations between han chinese and uyghurs. >> (taxi driver): >> (taxi driver): ♪ >> narrator: in 2009, thousands of uyghurs rioted after police suppressed pceful protests against the killing of two

uyghurs in another part of china. (tear gas gun fires) g according to ternment, almost 200 people-- mainlyan- chineswere killed. during the violence and police crackdown at followed, an unknown number of uyghurs were killed and thousandsmprisoned. >> this was a watershed moment in the recent history of xinjiang. the view of uyghurs ong han chinese changed dramatically. >> narrator: then, three years later, china got a new leader. >> xi jinping comes to power in 2012, and he's invested a loof energy in establishing greater controls ovespeech. there's a lot less room for dissent in, in xi's china. (fanfare continues) now, what is china? it's a place that is defined by

han chinese traditions, the han chinese official language of mandarin. and the is increasingly little space for uyghurs ingi this ition of, of what china is. (fanfare ends) (explosions roar) >> narrator: after xi jinping became president, a series of sgh-profile, violent atta took place across china. ♪ some were carrd out by uyghur separatists and islamist militants. ♪ one was here in the heart of beijing, in tiananmere. in total, more than 100, mainly han chinese, were killed in the

attacks. >> from xi's perspective, what being fought in china is a new version of the war on terror, and that the uyghurs are a problem that are not going to gh away, an need to be dealt with. >> narrator: according to chinese government fes leaked to the new york times, s president xi told offici unless the tools of "dictatorship" to erad radical islam in xinjiang. chinese officials have dismissed this as "total nonsense and a pack of lies." following the militants' attacks, the chinese authorities cracked down on the entire uyghur population and launched a systematic assessment of every muslim in xinjiang. >>ou start out with 100 points, and you're a safe person, and then for eachha categoryapplies to you, you're deducted ten points.

some of the categories are, for instance: are you a uyghur? are you between the ages of 15 and 55? do you have islamic knowledge? do you pray regularly? ♪ do you have relatives living abroad? do you have a passport? ♪ the government quickly realized that they were finas quitepeople large.be so, the statn to build out camps on a large scale. >> narrator: the chinese government initially denied these camps even existed. but over the course of a year, tellite imagery revealed enormous, prison-like structes being built.fr

drone footage xinjiang appears to show lae numbers of shackled prisoners. ♪ and thousands of uyghurs living abroad suddenly lost contact with relatives in china. this is gulzire, a uyghur over two years agoe received a chilling voice message from her sister. >> (gulgine): >> (gulzire): r:

>> narraulzire's sister, but had decided to go back toia, xinjiang when their parents stopped replying to messages. >> (gulzire): ♪ (people talking in background) >> narrator: a month later, gulzire was told by a friend in xinjiang that her sister was studying-- the code word for being detained.

no one knew when gulgine would be released. >> (gulze): >> (gulgine): >> (gulzire): t narrator: during this time, china was believhave built around 1,200 detention camps

that helan estimated two million uyghurs and other muslims-- what experts have described as the largest mass incarceration of an ethnic group since the holocaust. ♪ >> (gulzire): >> narrar: back in xinjiang, our undercover colleague, li, is trying to find people willg to talk about the camps. a week into his trip, he has a chance meeting with a uyghur who speaks english.fr but he'sd to speak openly.

>> nartor: li discovers that this uyghur man's parents have been sent to a camp.

>> (reporter): >> narrator: china has tried to rtray the camps in a positive light. >> (woman): >> (announcer): >> (group): >> (woman : >> (announcer): >> (woman 3): >> (all): >> (woman):

>> narrator: but classified chinese governme documents obtained by the international consortium of investigatives journalistveal a muche different pict life inside the camps.me the dos depict the camps as involuntary indoctrination centers with high watchtowers,am constanta surveillance, harsh punishments, and dedicated police bases to prevent escapes. ♪ it's difficult to find former tainees inside xinjiang willing to talk about the camps. but back in kazakhstan, some muslims who fled here after being released are more open about what they experienced. >> (rahima):

>> (gulzira): ♪ >> (rahima):

>> (gulzira): >> (rahima): >> narrator: chinese officials would not agree to speak to us on camerabout xinjiang and the camps. but in written responses, a spokesman said, "ruirements on respecting and safeguarding human rights are stricy followed, the dignity of the trainees are fully respected, and insults and cruelts of any form are strictly prohibited." ♪

across xinjiang, there are growing concerns thae uyghur way of life is under threat. our colleague li heads to kashgar, the uyghurs' cultural capital. >> (speaking local language) >> narrator: children here are no longer allowed to learn the uyghur language or culture at school. li visits a local mosque. >> (li):

>> narrator: li hears the same story from han chinese he meets during his travels. >> (woman): ♪ >> narrator: there has been mounting evidence coming out of xinjiangf a systematic attack satellite imagery shows the partial or complete demolition d of more than ten islamic religious sites, including mosqs. the chinese government told us that only one mosque has been demolished for safety reons, and the rest are being repaired, and that people of all ethnic groups enjoy full freedom of religious belief.

♪ >> (gulzire): >> (boy): >> nartor: in germany, as sister, she is teaher sonr to speak uyghur. (bh speaking uyghur) >> (gulzire): (both speaking uyghur) >> (gulzire):

(both speaking uyghur) >> narrator: in xinjiang, the chinese regime closely watches the uyurs. li films sophisticated surveiance cameras on almost every street. it's part of a technogy revolution since presi xi came to wer. >> (xi jinping): >> narrator: there are an estimated 1,400 tech companies, stly chinese, working in xinjiang. many are involved in the surveillance systems being used there. ♪

it's rare for anyone from thesee companto speak openly about their work, but one insider agreed to talk to us about the surveillance technology he helped develop. he has since left china and conceal his identity and not disclose where he currently lives. ♪ >> (engineer): >> narrator: he says his work in xinjiang revealed to him the ways the government gathers data on the uyghur popula >> (engineer):

♪ >> narrator: it's not just the uyghurs who are subject to this intense surveillance. in kazakhstan, we interviewed a chinese kazakho muslims, who say they experienced the lisame monitoring when thed in xinjiang. >> (sholpan):

>> in 2017, the chinese state began a data collection process, which is really what supports the technology in general. a they askll people in the police station and submit data, which ranged from dna collection, blood, and fierprints, to speaking into aicrophone to get a unique voice signature for each person. and to have a facial scan. >> (speaking local language) >> narrator: the chineseor auies also use more direct methods through two programs called homestay and becoming family. han chese are sent into the homes of muslims likthis one. (

n): to >> nar visitors are described by the authorities as "relatives." reality, they're working for the government. >> the relatives are inputting data that they're gathering that presents a bgraphical profile for each person that, thatmo they'rtoring. >> (sholpan): g)

>> (sing >> narrator: the chinese government did not respond to our questions about the programs. publicly, th say they're promoting national unity and productivity. many uyghurs' houses are also individually marked with digital barcodes. li films them. ♪ >> police officers come on a regular basis scan that code, and then the code would pull up your file on their smartphone. and then they would make sure that only the people that are registered for that house are in that house. >> narrator: uhurs and other

muslims are also required to install an app on their phones to monitor for content the government deems suspicious. there's an emerging ecosystem of apps being developed by the police ixinjiang, all of which lead to a vel of intrusiveness into everyday life that, that is unprecedented. ♪ w >> narratole in xinjiang, li is introduced to a security official in the government. he secretly films the conversation.ea we're concling the official's identity. he's surprisingly candid. fi >> (al):

>> (official): >> narrator: in its responses to us, the chinese government said, "the security situation in njiang has been greatly improved," and, "there is more effective protection o freedom of religious belief and human rights of uyghur muslims." ♪ (radio running in background) one of the chinese gernment's key ntracts in xinjiang is with the technology company leon. >> in xinjiang aonomous

region, leon assists communication operators to jointly build information society bases on fifth ti gene. >> narrator: leon has helped the authorities build what many experts consider the most inmplete surveillance stat history. >> ...local government with providinborder security. in xinjiang production and construction corps, on helps shihezi's project of tranquil cit in kashgar, leon support local public security bureau in constructing and operang security and protection system. (phone camera rustling) >> narrator: our colleague, li, manages to get a meeting with leon executives, saying he's interested in possible business with them. >> (leon executive): >> (leon executive 2):

>> narrator: the executives tell li that the cameras are provided by hikvision, the world's largest surveillance-camera manufacturer. it's one of eight tech companies blacklisted by the u.s. government over ncerns about human-rights violations in xinjiang. >> (leon executive 2): >> (leon executive 2): >> narrator: the engineer who helped develop xinjiang' mass-surveillance system explained how these companies' technology works.

>> (engineer): >> narrator: his account matches

reports by other tech experts and human-rights researchers. the leon executives tell li about even more sophisticated technology their company has helped the government implement. >> (leon executive 2): >> (leon executive 2): >> leon participates in makers of cloud data room in order to ensure the information enabled. >>larrator: a leon promotio video gives some hints about is revolutionary new system. >> ...committed to informatization to help the government establish more

system and provide perfect services for operation and maintenance. >> narrator: the former engineer from xinjiang said the system is calledhe integrated joint operations platform. >> (engineer): >> narrator: powered by artificial intelligence, or a.i., the system tries to identify behavior the government considers threatening. >> (engineer):

♪ >> it's an environment where cutting-edge chinese tech companies can demonstrate the capacities of their a.i.-driven systems to control a population. >> we should strengthen communication with relevant countries and attract more countries and regions... >> narrator: the chinese government would not answer questions about the integrated joint operations platform; neither would anyone from leon. as for hikvision, it told us it's not involved in the operation ofts equipment, but "takes its responsibility to protect human rights seriously" and has hired an exper ensure human-rights compliance. >> to participate in...

>> narrator: there's an expanding market for this type of a.i. surveillance technologyo t just in china, but around the world. in li's meeting with leon executes, it's clear they're looking to take advantage of this. le >> ( executive 2): >> (leon executive 1): >> (engineer):

>> (li): >> narrator: already, chinese companies-- many working in xinjiang-- are supplying technology to more than 60 countries. >> xinjiang has global implications, because wh we're seeing is the early stages of a new form ofro governance: col through advanced, predictive, algorithmic rveillance. those systems will be exported, and that wld be a massive setback to the cause of hun freedom, if you like-- to, to liberal democracy around the world. we are coming. no distance. no disharmony. you and me. ♪

>> narrator: leon is just one of many tech companies in xinjiang working with the state to enforce surveillance. another one of the chinese companies connected to surveillance work in xinjiang is huawei, the world's largest telecommunications firm, which the u.s. has classified as a threat to national security. (annouer speaking mandarin) huawei insists that its work in xinjiang is only "general purpose and based on global standards," and "complies with all applicable laws." >> huawei's activities in xinjiang are actually quite d extensive,pite some of the company's claims. they're involved in public-security proj they're involved in s oud-computing projects. huawei's activite directly connected to the human-rights violations that 're seeing unfold in xinjiang. we're talking about a police

state whermany people are confined in camps, but en the people who aren't are ♪ rtually in a, in a prison. >> narrator: ourndercover colleague, li, is now safely out of xinjiang and china. >> (li): ♪

>> narrator: after li left xinjng, there was dramatic news. in december 2019, amid increasing international scrutiny, the chinese government in the camps had bleased.ryone >> (shohrat zakir): ♪ >> narrator: there has n bn any independent verification of china's announcement, and then' government wougive us any additional information about the releases. (bell tolling)

(boy shouting happily) >> narrator: manuyghurs ling abroad are skeptical of the chinese government claims.zi (gul and boy talking) >> (gulzire): >> narrator: gulzire has heard through a contact in china that her sister gulgine might have been one of those released from detention. >> (gulzire):

♪ ♪ to >> nar back in kazakhstan,

muslims who have left xinjiang say that when detainee released from the camps, they emerge transformed. >> (sholpan): ♪ >> narrato we last met sadyrzhan on the chinese-kazakhstan border a year ago. t he's stiing to find out exactly what's happened to his wife in xinjiang. (sadyrzhan):

♪ >> narrator: he believes she was released from detention, but the only thing he'heard isw. this message she sent to a mutual contact. >> (muyeser): >> (sadyrzhan): >> (talking, laughing)

>> (sadyrzhan): >> narrator: he's also seen photos of his wife, which were posted on chinese social media. >> (whining) >> (sadyrzhan): ♪

>> (speang local language) >> (sadyrzhan): (children singing in russian): (all talking in background) (fatima singing in russian):

>> go to pbs.org/frontline for an interview with the filmmakers of this program. and find out abouthe response to china's treatment of the uyghurs.en lio new episodes of our podcast "the frontline dispatch". >> "covering coravirus" is a series of conversations with .r journalists in the fie >> when you hear the orders to stay at home the reality f many of these people is h they don'te a home. >> connect to the frontline community on facebook and twitter, and watch anytime on e pbs video app, ore. pbs.org/frontl >> narrator: coming to frontline... >> today the world health officially calling it a pandemic...>> arrator: from washington state... >> washington state is reporting more deaths from the virus... >> narrator: to washington d.c. >> anybody that needs a test t getst, they're there.

>> narrator: correspondent miles o'brien investigates... >> patient number one arrived here in this. >> he did. >> narrator: when politics and science collide. a frontline special report, "coronavirus pandemic".ng con two weeks to frontline. >> frontne is made possible by contributions to your pbs station om viewers like you. thank you. and by the corporation for public broadcasting. major support is provided by the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation, committedb lding a more just, verdant and peaceful world. more information at acfound.org. the ford fouation: working with visionaries on th frontlines of social change worldwide. at fordfoundation.org. additional support is provided committed to excellence in journalism. the park foundation, lidicated to heightening p awareness of critical issues. the john and helen glessner family trust. suppting trustworthy journalism thainforms and

inspires. and by the frontline journalism fund, with major support from jon and jo ann hagler. captioned by mea access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org "frontline" prograsit our her website at pbs.org/frontline. ♪ frontline's, "china undercover" is available on amazon prime video. ♪

♪ you're watching pbs. ♪ ♪

[bell rings] newscaster: theyey were the gangsters, the taggers, the chronically apathetic. and they weren't very good at english, either. d who was the first-year teacher assigned to handle these kids? it's "stand had deliver" meets girl." erin gruwell: no! newscaster: a dynamo of a teacher dressed in a pearl necklace and nordstrom separates. intony: i didn't expect er to try to teach us anything. i knewhat she was nothing more than a babysitter. erin: i think i gravitate towards the kids who are the toughest initially. it's a very competitive edge. i, it's like, "can can i crack that kid?" but it was very evident that they didn't want to be there. ♪ [siren] the rodney king verdict had just been nounced, d i was in my early twenties. at that time, i was living in newport beach, thid safe, idyllic secommunity. up until that point, i had planned to actually be a lawyer.