The Uyghur Transitional Justice Database has developed Could You Be Detained?, an interactive educational application designed to raise awareness about the arbitrary nature of detention and mass internment in East Turkistan.
Created through the collaborative work of researchers, developers, educators, and interns, the application invites participants to answer questions based on ordinary daily activities. Through this process, users discover whether their actions could place them “at risk” of detention under policies imposed in East Turkistan.
Since late 2016, millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples have reportedly been subjected to arbitrary detention, internment, and imprisonment for actions that do not constitute crimes under international law or basic human rights standards. Investigations by journalists, researchers, and human rights organizations have documented cases where individuals were detained for praying, wearing religious clothing, growing a beard, traveling abroad, communicating with people overseas, or simply having relatives living in another country.
The application aims to demonstrate the arbitrariness of these detentions while encouraging reflection on the importance of rule of law, democratic institutions, and the protection of fundamental human rights.
While Could You Be Detained? has a strong educational focus, its use is not limited to classroom environments. The application can also support workshops, public events, awareness campaigns, training sessions, exhibitions, and facilitated discussions across a wide range of professional and community settings.
Designed to be accessible and easy to use, the app requires only a short amount of time to complete, making it suitable for both small and large groups of participants. At the same time, it offers opportunities for deeper engagement by encouraging participants to explore the issues further, reflect on what they have learned, and engage in discussion-based and collaborative activities.
This flexibility allows the application to function as a quick introduction to the topic, a structured educational exercise, or the starting point for more in-depth human rights and advocacy discussions.
Could You Be Detained? can be used by human rights organizations, universities, high schools, event organizers, and similar institutions seeking meaningful and accessible ways to engage audiences on human rights issues. The format allows facilitators to adapt the experience to different audience sizes, timeframes, and educational goals.
At this stage, access to the application is available by registration only. Accounts for creating and managing sessions are currently provided to human rights organizations, universities, high schools, event organizers, and related institutions.
Click here to learn how to request registration.
