S based think tank claims authorities in China's northwest are forcing hundreds of thousands of ethnic minorities toe work in the region's cotton fields.

Xinjiang, in China's northwest, produces about 20% of the world's cotton cotton.

That is potentially making its way into the manufacturing chains off major world retailers.

Now you'll probably remember Xinjiang from the numerous times we have reported on Chinese re education camps, where experts believe some one million ethnic Uighur, Kazak and other Muslim minorities have been interned as a counterterrorism measure.

Inmates have been released, have complained off torture, beatings and indoctrination in Chinese Communist Party thought Here's more.

It's scenes of her family outing with zero ah well harm her husband, tour son John and their little daughter by on our in Turkey a safe location for now.

But for God's era, a normal life is still far away, she says.

She does not feel safe anywhere.

E still wake up from nightmares in which I see myself in a Chinese internment camp again, Theo images and memories of the interrogation of the beatings and the things they did to him in their haunt me, I then feel sick for a few days and I can't sleep.

I argue with my family.

I even think about hurting myself.

In 2017 goes era, Ilhan was arrested in Xinjiang, China's westernmost region.

She's an ethnic casa born in China and was living in Kazakhstan at the time.

On a trip back to China, she was detained by police and then held for a year in several reeducation camps.

They tortured us.

They had cameras everywhere.

You were not allowed to pause, scratch your head or cry.

If they saw that they would force you onto a metal chair, they would make you sit there for 12 hours, 24 hours.

You were tied to the chair and if you tried to move, it would get tighter.

Then they make you repeat Chinese words that you didn't know if you forgot them.

They used on electroshock device on your head.

Back in Kazakhstan, her family did not know where she waas.

At the same time, authorities in China suddenly started to detain large numbers off the region's Muslim minorities.

The local government sought to portray the camps as vocational training centers, being the training centers, air not at all.

Like some media have described them, students are not mistreated, and their personal freedoms are not limited.

Thes air schools that help improve people's personal qualities.

It's a good cheese food.

I traveled to the region to look for myself.

One of the camps go zero was taken to was middle school number four off Buja County.

Satellite imagery shows how in 2018, a high wall was built around the school and huts were built in the courtyard.

Today, the school is back to what it waas.

China has declared that all trainees had graduated a claim that is hard to verify.

Another facility where she was held sits just around the corner.

It is officially called a vocational technical school.

It was built in 2017.

A high wall was later taken down and replaced with a fence.

It's name is not found on educational websites.

Official reports highlight that all trainees were farmers and herdsmen from surrounding villages.

In this area that means mostly ethnic minorities.

It is impossible to know under what circumstances they attend the school, and while this does not look like a high security prison, the gates are closed.

The young men were quietly in lines before entering the building.

They undergo a quick body check.

I am stopped by my minders.

You can't stick a food for this.

Go Zero also told us that many off a former inmates were later transferred to regular prisons on the outskirts.

Off culture are two more facilities.

There are now five policemen following me.

A prison with watchtowers and another camp were both built in 2017 when the campaign against ethnic minorities took off.

Well, stuff, stuff.

If you film here, we will have to take measures against you things.

Place is a state secret goes era stayed more than a year in the camp, But even after she was officially released, her ordeal continued.

On our way back, we pass an industrial complex.

Go zero was sent toe work here after her release.

State TV showcases the factory as a model off successful poverty eradication.

Sure, I'm getting free food and accommodation.

It is very good.

Thes videos air a show off to the outside world.

Their messages.

Our nation is good.

People are being helped to make a living, but no one works there voluntarily.

Many women inside cried a lot.

There is no freedom.

There are cameras everywhere they threaten you.

If you refused to work here, you will go learning.

We were working there because of fear.

Thio go learning means being sent back to the camp.

Zero was told she was detained because she had been to Kazakhstan.

That was seen as a sign of being disloyal to China.

More and more observers are now calling what is happening in the region a genocide after reports of forced birth control, sterilization and abortions in the camp go zero recalls.

The inmates were administered injections of an unknown substance.

After the injection, some woman stopped having their periods.

Those who still had it were given one pad.

They had to use it for two or three days.

If they're period would come, it would come If not not we stopped being ashamed about it.

At some point we even stopped thinking of home.

Most of us had stopped crying by then, goes Era is one of the lucky ones.

She was finally allowed to leave after her husband had campaigned for her in Kazakhstan.

She has no news from her relatives in the region and for more.

I'm joined by Dalkon Esa, his president of the World Wigger Congress.

Mr.

Issa, China's actions in these re education camps have been reported on and well documented for many years now.

Do you think the world has acted sufficiently against this?

Well, a zoo said evidence.

Also, genocide is increasingly recognized by the widely public and several of the report.

But unfortunately yes, there is a some international reaction, just speaking, talking.

But we haven't seen any really action to stop the squiggle genocide.

It is the problem.

So that's why we column toes internationally.

Particularly Western governments toe establish investigation toe, ensuring that appropriate legal determination regarding the Metro on our legal exists electricity.

But yes, you have seen only the U.

S.

Government did some concrete actions.

Some sanctions against the Chinese government high level official, Chinese Communist Party high level official who has directly for the this week genocide, forced labor or this concentration camp, but a so so far we haven't seen any concrete action from the particular European countries or some other country.

It is the problem.

That's why Chinese government continue continually and implemented this, uh, actress city and the genocide against Uber's now earlier on You said that the genocide against weaker people has been internationally recognized.

Yet despite that, the International Criminal Court has said it can't pursue a case against China for the internment of leakers and other ethnic minorities.

Do do you think that legitimizes China's claims that these camps are just vocational training centers?

Well, I see t International Criminal Code.

Yes, this is a very disappointed decision.

Very pity.

This is decision, but this is a process on the international code legal process.

China is not a member of the international code.

This is the reason, so so we can understand this.

But other international body international organizations should take action politically and legal action.

So that's why there is a one.

There is the only option.

This public independent People's tribunal will be accountable with China.

So no, and the September begin on September this year, we will Tribunal was established in London international lawyer Geoffrey Nice.

He set up the Independent People's Tribunal, so we hope this is the only way they know that independent tribunal can take accountable off Chinese atrocity against lawyers.

Meanwhile, there are also now new revelations that ethnic minorities in changing are being forced into picking cotton in the region and cotton that is making its way into global supply chains.

Is this something that requires action from the international community?

Yeah, sure, this is this'll is the link bit even modern day slavery and the genocide?

Some cannot be separately.

This is the one of the evidence also what is the Chinese government during genocide today?

And 100,000 The Wiggles used to forced labor in so many Western company continue used quivers on the way We were detainer to use the forced labor and the chief labor modern slavery.

So that's why we call the whole government and the particular distant government and the company should not be.

Support should not be so forth.

Chinese this'll crime against humanity genocide, genocide So but so far so many investing company continue make business.

It is not correct timeto business as usual.

So that's why is the company should be stopped The business with China on the should to stop the use The first level off river eso uh it is only way to stop China dark Anissa We'll leave it there.

Thank you so much for joining us.

I thank you.

So having me and joining me now is Matias Bollinger, who you heard from in that report.

In fact, Matias, you've just returned from the region.

What were your impressions?

It's very difficult to work in that region.

You are trailed all the time by playing called police.

In some cities they would just follow you at a distance and interfere, as we have seen.

Also in this report, when you approach a site that they don't want to see you in other places, they will really follow you like very closely, like standing right next to you, watching your phone all the time preventing you from even filming innocents, scenes on the street.

Eso It's very difficult when you talk to somebody.

They will also talk to these people.

At one point, I a man on the street saw me filming and he waved at me and Andi show the Chinese flag and said that he was a patriot and then asked me inside his shop, a small restaurant.

And when I left this shop, the police immediately went in and asked him what he had Bean telling me so very much signs that the message is being controlled.

Also, the movement is being controlled.

We saw a family in your piece who is now in Turkey.

How unusual is that for people to be able to leave?

There are about 12 million ethnic minorities, Muslim ethnic minorities in the region, mostly weed Eggers and Kazakhs.

Andi.

Very few of them have been able to leave the region, especially in the past three years.

Since the campaign started, their passports have been confiscated.

There are about a few dozen people who have bean to the camps who are now abroad.

Very few of them talkto Western media because they have relatives abroad on.

They fear that their relatives might, uh, endure repercussions if they talk to the media.

Eso Most of those who have been able to leave the country are people like Goes Era, who had family in Kazakhstan, on whose family had campaigned for her.

Meantime, we've heard the International Criminal Court will not take up the case over the treatment of Uighurs because China is not a signatory, Um, but the pressure is growing on Beijing.

How is it affecting policy in the country?

It's very hard to say how it's affecting policy it is affecting, Let's say public relations work off Beijing.

In the beginning, they denied that the camp existed at all than they call them vocational training centers.

They have also closed some hors d securitized others, so they look mawr like schools.

Like what they're saying they are.

But it's very hard.

Thio conclude from that, or we cannot conclude from that that the oppression against the minorities is over.

We still hear a lot off reports about repression.

We see while while some of the camps have been closed, we see prisons have bean expanded.

Matias Bollinger, reporting from China Thank you so much for bringing us that report.