UPDATED at 3:16 P.M. ET on 02-14-2025
China dismissed a report alleging that it pressures Tibetans and Uyghurs in Switzerland to spy on their communities, calling it “misleading information.”
The Swiss government released a report on Wednesday suggesting that China is pressuring Tibetans and Uyghurs in the European country to spy on each other while systematically monitoring politically active people.
“Transnational repression against people of Tibetan and Uyghur ethnicity is taking place in Switzerland,” the report published in German says. “They are allegedly being put under pressure by actors from the People’s Republic of China and are in some cases being prevented from exercising their fundamental rights.”
China rejected the report, which was based on a study conducted by the University of Basel, saying that Tibet and Xinjiang affairs were “purely China’s internal matters.”
“Political manipulation on issues related to Xizang [Tibet] and Xinjiang and vilification and smears against China that are inconsistent with facts violate the fundamental principle of mutual respect in China-Switzerland relations, and contravene the robust development of bilateral ties,” he said.
The report, based on a study sponsored by Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice and the State Secretariat for Migration, found that Tibetan and Uyghur dissidents in Switzerland are often subjected to cyberattacks and surveillance of communications. Individuals were often followed, photographed and filmed by fellow members of their communities, the researchers said in the report.
“Such activities may also potentially affect Swiss citizens who are politically engaged in this area,” they added.
Gene Bunin, founder of the Xinjiang Victims Database, told Radio Free Asia that there have been documented cases of Uyghurs working with Chinese security officials in exchange for favors or the safety of their relatives.
“Distrust in the Uyghur diaspora is very common,” he said.
China’s tactics
Separately, Shane Yi, a researcher with the nongovernmental organization Chinese Human Rights Defenders, said when it comes to transnational repression, China has deployed a range of tactics.
“They often intersect with other forms of repression, including enforced disappearances and collective punishment, creating a climate of fear, even for those who have sought refuge abroad,” she told RFA.
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Andili Karahan, former president of the Swiss Uyghur Association and a victim of China’s transnational repression who contributed to the report, told Radio Free Asia that the Swiss government’s recognition of the threats Uyghurs face under China’s transnational repression revealed Beijing’s “true colors.”
The Chinese government has threated Uyghurs when they hold events at U.N. offices in Geneva, intimidating them via phone, photographing them during protests, and trying to deter them from advocating for Uyghur rights, he said.
“These incidents are far too common,” Karahan said. “We have reported these threats to the relevant authorities in the Swiss government and shared our concerns, along with recommendations on how to prevent such intimidation in the future.”
Politically sensitive regions
Tibet and Xinjiang are politically sensitive regions under Chinese control, with long-running disputes over human rights and autonomy.
China says it has modernized and stabilized these areas, while critics accuse it of suppressing Tibetan culture and committing human rights abuses against members of the mostly Muslim Uyghur community in Xinjiang.
Allegations of forced labor, religious repression, and mass detentions have led to international condemnation, but Beijing denies wrongdoing, framing its actions as efforts to combat extremism and promote development.
Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, a representative of the Tibet Office in Taiwan, welcomed the report, saying that it was a positive thing that China’s transnational repression of pro-democracy activists abroad has drawn attention from democratic nations worldwide.
“Transnational repression has deeply infiltrated Tibetan organizations, as many still have family members in Tibet,” he said. “These families face arrests, detention, and even harassment by Chinese authorities, which discourages participation in activism.”
“As a result, the number of attendees at such events has dwindled, with some now resorting to wearing hats to conceal their identities.”
Issue is now ‘on the table’
Anna Leiseng, director of the Swiss branch of the Society for Threatened Peoples, said her human rights organization was pleased that the issue of transnational repression was “ finally on the table,” but disappointed with the Swiss government’s handling of it so far.
“All in all, the reaction of the Federal Council to the report gives the impression that Switzerland tries to keep the problem as technical and harmless as possible in order not to upset the Chinese government.”
The Swiss report also pointed out that China was not the only country monitoring overseas diaspora communities. According to its findings, Russia, Iran and Turkey were also among the perpetrators.
The report’s authors stressed the need to clarify responsibilities, enhance communication and assess the effectiveness of tools and resources for addressing transnational repression.
“All federal, cantonal and municipal offices that may encounter transnational repression should be made aware of these activities so they can identify and respond to them appropriately,” they said.
Edited by Taejun Kang and Roseanne Gerin.
The article was updated to include comments from Andili Karahan and Anna Leisung.