Austin RamzyVerified account

Not going to be able to explain it all in a thread. We put months of reporting, analysis and translation work into this story. I’ve disappeared from Hong Kong coverage a few times recently (including this past week) with only mumbled excuses for my absence (Sorry!)

There were many days of huge protests here while I was holed up contemplating internal party speeches. As much as I wanted to see the action on the streets, my editors realized the significance of this material and gave us the time to sort it all out

The material was brought to light by a member of the Chinese political establishment who requested anonymity and expressed hope that the disclosure would prevent party leaders, including Xi Jinping, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions

There are nearly 200 pages of speeches by Xi Jinping, XJ party secretary Chen Quanguo and security boss Zhu Hailun. There’s another 150+ pages of directives and orders on controlling the Muslim population. I’ve reported on China since 2003, and can’t recall a leak like this

It is stunning to hear party leaders in their own words ordering a drastic crackdown on extremism, including mass detentions, and the cold calculations with which they weigh the consequences

The speeches record Xi in 2014 ordering an all-out “struggle against terrorism, infiltration and separatism” using the “organs of dictatorship” and showing “absolutely no mercy”

Chen redistributes Xi’s speeches after he goes to Xinjiang in 2016, and calls for a “smashing, obliterating offensive” and issues a vague order to “round up everyone who should be rounded up”