Media Reports: Xinjiang Residents Must Present DNA To Obtain Passports

Xinjiang, a border district containing most of China’s Muslims now has a rule that residents applying for passports must provide DNA samples, according to official local media.

The official Yili Daily reported that from the first of June, residents of the Yili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in China’s far northwest must present the police with DNA samples, fingerprints, voice prints and a “three-dimensional image” when applying for travel documents.

Members of the majorly Muslim Uighur community in Xinjiang complain of discrimination, especially facing denials of passport applications including limits placed on their culture and religion.

Based on the paper, the new policy that came into effect before the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan which started on Monday, refers to applications for and renewals of passports, entry permits to Taiwan and two-way permits to Hong Kong and Macau.

It added that failure to fulfill requirements will mean refusal of documents.

Yili prefecture shares a border with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan. It is a part of Xinjiang, a home to more than 10 million-strong Uighur minority.

The regular commotion between Uighurs and state security forces have led to the death of hundreds. Beijing considers the conflicts to be as a result of Islamic extremism and foreign influence. On the other hand, activists blame draconian restrictions on religion and culture.

China has strict control of religious groups while claiming that its citizens have freedom of belief.

A few local governments have placed notices on their websites in the previous week restricting fasting during Ramadan, while others order restaurants to stay open.

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Posted by modousarr on Jun 8 2016. Filed under Latest News, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.