Instances of Harassment towards Uyghur Individuals reported to the Met

The request was refused by Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).

Dear Metropolitan Police Service (MPS),

I am requesting this FOI on behalf of Index on Censorship*(1) - a non-profit that protects and defends freedom of expression globally. We are requesting access to the following information for research we are currently conducting into the extent to which Chinese authorities might be intimidating or harassing Uyghur people in Europe in an effort to silence their dissent.

To be included in your response to our FOI request.
- How many instances of harassment*(2) by the Chinese authorities towards Uyghur individuals have been reported to the Metropolitan police since Jan 2017? This includes but is not limited to phone calls, text messages and incidents of stalking and verbal abuse etc
- If possible, we would like a breakdown of this total number. Via transcripts (i.e. of texts/phone calls) or details from the instances of harassment can you detail how many cases included intent to:
a) intimidation aimed to silence turkic-muslim minorities b) aiming to convince them to travel back to China c) aiming to co-opt the individual to provide information on other Uyghurs.

We are aware of the need to keep those involved in these cases protected. This is why we only ask for general statistics and the different themes regarding the content of the harassment.

Releasing this information is in the interest of British society. As a democratic country who has officially recognised a genocide is being committed against Turkic-Muslim people in North West China, there is a moral and legal imperative to ensure the Uyghur diaspora is being protected by the UK Government.

We are interested in this information as it will allow us to gain a greater understanding of the extent to which individuals belonging to the Uyghur minority who are UK residents might be targets of efforts by the Chinese authorities to silence dissent.

Many thanks for dealing with our request.

Yours Faithfully,
Index on Censorship

*(1)
https://www.indexoncensorship.org/
*(2) Harassment is unwanted behaviour which you find offensive or which makes you feel intimidated or humiliated. It can happen on its own or alongside other forms of discrimination. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-an...

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1 Attachment

Good morning Ms Marks,

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/21/021127

Thank you for your e-mail and please see the attached acknowledgement in respect of your request.

With kind regards,

Data Office Triage Team
Data Governance
Data Office
Metropolitan Police Service
Email: [email address]
Core location: P.O. Box 313, Sidcup, DA15 0HH

show quoted sections

Cyclops on behalf of Paul Mayger, Metropolitan Police Service (MPS)

2 Attachments

 

      Official Sensitive

 

Information Rights Unit
PO Box 313
Sidcup
DA15 0HH

 

Email: [1][the Met request email]

 

[2]www.met.police.uk

 

Your ref:
Our ref: 01/FOI/21/021127

 

22/09/2021

 

 

 
 

 

Dear Ms Marks

 

Freedom of Information Request Reference No: 01/FOI/21/021127

 

Please see the attached in respect of your Freedom of Information request
referenced above.

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Paul Mayger

 

 

      Official Sensitive

References

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1. mailto:[the Met request email]
2. http://www.met.police.uk/