China is expanding its crackdown on mosques to regions outside Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch says

By SIMINA MISTREANU
Associated Press

A report by Human Rights Watch says the Chinese government has expanded its campaign of closing mosques to regions other than Xinjiang, where for years it has been blamed for persecuting Muslim minorities. The report says authorities have closed mosques in the northern Ningxia region as well as Gansu province, which both have large populations of Hui Muslims. It’s part of a process known officially as “consolidation.” The new report draws on public documents, satellite images and witness testimonies. China’s efforts are part of a campaign by the ruling Communist Party to tighten control over religion and reduce the risk of possible challenges to its rule.