Exiled Uighurs fear spread of coronavirus in China camps

Members of China's Uighur mirity living in exile are sounding alarm over risk of coronavirus spreing in camps inside country, where NGOs say hundreds of thousands of people have been rounded up by Beijing.

So far, official figures released by Chinese state media give major cause for concern over COVID-19 outbreak in rastern region of Xinjiang that is home to Uighurs, a Muslim mirity who speak a Turkic langu.

It is far from epicentre of outbreak and just 55 cases have been reported in region so far. first patients to fully recover in region have alrey left hospital, according to official media.

Over 1,100 people have died in China due to coronavirus epidemic although most of deaths and infections have been in central Hubei province, whose capital, Wuhan, is epicentre of outbreak.

But representatives of Uighur diaspora warn re is real reason to fear a rapid spre of coronavirus in controversial Chinese camps.

virus spres from person to person through droplets disseminated by sneezing or coughing, and confining large groups of people toger, possibly without equate access to germ-killing soap and water, will increase likelihood of an outbreak.

China has rounded up an estimated one million Uighurs and or mostly Muslim ethnic mirities in internment camps, NGOs and experts say, and little is kwn about conditions inside m.

Beijing insists camps re "vocational training centres" necessary to combat terrorism.

"People are starting to panic. Our families are re, dealing with camps and virus, and we do t kw if y have eugh to eat or if y have masks," said Dilnur Reyhan, a French sociologist of Uighur origin.

A petition posted on Change.org signed by over 3,000 people urges closure of camps to reduce threat.

(Photo: AP/representation)