The Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) has been developing its Virtual Reality (VR) project continuously for approximately five years. The project combines advanced 3D visualization with extensive human rights documentation to reconstruct the reality of Uyghur internment camps in East Turkistan.
The VR experience is based on hundreds of hours of interviews and testimonies from former camp survivors, leaked Chinese government documents, open-source intelligence, high-resolution satellite imagery, and additional witness accounts. The reconstruction has also been cross-checked and verified using testimonies from former Chinese police officers and other corroborating sources to ensure the highest possible level of accuracy.
The current 3D visualization of the camp’s exterior is based on one of the internment camps in Aqsu Prefecture, reconstructed from satellite imagery and geospatial analysis. The interior, where direct visual documentation is unavailable, has been recreated using detailed survivor testimonies together with other verified evidence, allowing visitors to understand the conditions and layout described by former detainees.
Alongside the VR experience, UTJD has produced a documentary-style video that presents survivor testimony while documenting the research and development process behind the project. The video demonstrates how the organization transformed multiple independent sources—including survivor accounts, leaked official documents, satellite imagery, and open-source data—into a detailed and evidence-based 3D model. This approach aims to make documented evidence more accessible and immersive while supporting education, research, advocacy, and accountability efforts related to human rights violations.
Interested in Hosting the UTJD Virtual Reality Experience?
If you are interested in featuring our Virtual Reality experience at your event, we would be happy to hear from you. Please contact us at secretary [at] utjd.org to discuss availability and arrangements.
Please note that the VR equipment must be transported and set up at your event location. As a result, we charge a service fee to cover transportation, operational costs, and the continued development of the project. Your support helps us improve the experience and make it available to more audiences.
If you would like to support this project without hosting an event, please consider making a donation by visiting [donation page].