Lesson 2: Xinjiang and the Question of Crimes Against Humanity

How do we determine whether repression becomes a crime against humanity?

Xinjiang
Uyghurs
Crimes against humanity
Forced assimilation
Mass detention
Cultural repression
State surveillance

D2.His.5.9-12: Analyze how historical contexts shape and continue to shape people’s perspectives

D2.Civ.11.9-12: Evaluate the effectiveness of international agreements in addressing global issues

D2.Civ.14.9-12: Analyze historical, contemporary, and emerging means of changing societies and promoting the common good

Students evaluate evidence, distinguish claims from counterclaims, and apply definitions to real-world cases, mirroring evidence-based reading and analytical reasoning tasks.

This lesson introduces the situation in Xinjiang as a case study. Students examine documented practices including mass detention, surveillance, cultural restrictions, and coerced labor without yet assigning definitive legal labels.
The purpose is to train students to apply legal criteria before moral judgment.
DOK: 3

Students connect global consumer goods, technology, and clothing supply chains to labor practices and regional policies, recognizing how distant violations intersect with everyday life.

Belief that crimes against humanity require mass killing

Assumption that lack of international prosecution means actions are legal

Confusion between cultural security policies and cultural eradication

Annotated excerpts for students needing reading support

Small-group evidence sorting before whole-class synthesis

Extension task comparing Xinjiang evidence to earlier genocide warning signs

Short written response applying the legal definition of crimes against humanity to one specific practice discussed in class.

• Reading and question worksheet

• UN definition of crimes against humanity (excerpted)

• Map of western China and ethnic regions

• Selected excerpts from human rights reporting and satellite analysis summaries