July this year, ethnic riots in Xinjiang between Uighurs and Han Chinese were the worst China has seen in decades.

However, Human Rights Watch says instead of properly investigating the incident, the Chinese regime carried out large-scale unlawful arrests of Uighur men and boys.

Citing witnesses, the rights group says Chinese security forces sealed off entire neighborhoods to search for young Uighur males. They were pushed to the ground and questioned, and some were beaten.

Human Rights Watch says at least 43 males, including 2 boys, remain unaccounted for. Family members say local authorities have denied knowing about the arrests.

Brad Adams, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, criticizes the communist regime over its handling of the Uighur males. He said in the report that, “disappearing people is not the behavior of countries aspiring to global leadership.”

Adams says the regime should examine its role in the ethnic unrests.

[Brad Adams, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch]:

“In Urumqi, there’s been major migration of Han Chinese. This has been a government program to move Han Chinese in to Xinjiang and other minority areas of the country. And it has caused a very serious divide in the community in Urumqi. Uighurs are now a minority in Urumqi, and it is going to take a very, very long time to heal these wounds, if it’s possible at all. The Chinese government should be looking inward and asking themselves why is this happening? And what are we doing that’s causing this?"

Human Rights Watch is calling on the communist regime to release those Uighurs who have not been charged with crimes. It also wants every person who was arrested to be accounted for.