Xinjiang training center grads refute rumors from West

Question 6: It is known that many graduates of the vocational education and training centers found stable jobs. Could I ask the graduates to talk about their present work and life?

Answer: My name is Shatar Zunon, I am a graduate of Gaochang District, Turpan City Vocational Education and Training Center. Influenced by religious extremists, I stopped going to school when I was still in junior middle school and later hung out with them every day. I watched videos of violent terrorism and started to feel hostility toward kafirs. I thought the kafirs were unclean and non-Muslim, so I refused to sell things to them. My business got worse and worse, and my family began to have financial difficulties. After I went to the vocational education and training center, I realized the harm of religious extremism, and how stupid I was in the past.

I chose the cooking course at the training center according to my own interest. I wanted to open a restaurant after graduation. But I didn't have the money to start with. I tried to tell my thoughts to the village officials, and they supported me. They helped me to get loans, choose the place and decorate the restaurant. Very soon, my restaurant opened. I was good at cooking, so more and more people came to my restaurant. They also helped promote my restaurant among their friends, and my business got better and better. This year, due to the influence of the COVID-19, less people came to my restaurant. So the village officials tried hard to help me find a way out. They told me that I could sell takeout food by allowing the customers to order online and having me send the ordered food to them. I also set up WeChat groups and sent food to the neighboring residents. These measures guaranteed my stable income even during the epidemic.

At present, I have not only paid off all the loans and redecorated my house, but also bought new furniture and home appliances, such as a sofa, air conditioner and TV set. Now we live the same comfortable life as the urban residents.

Turpan is a famous tourist city. Lots of tourists from home and abroad come here. I plan to open a family restaurant near a tourist scenic spot. I will employ a few people and lead them to make the business prosper, and to let more tourists from home and abroad taste authentic Xinjiang food. I believe through my hard work, my business will get better day by day, and my life will get better day by day.

Question 7: According to a foreign media outlet, graduates of the vocational education and training centers were forced to work under monitoring against their will with very little wages. Can I ask a graduate to talk about what the reality is like?

Answer: My name is Alim Memetmin, a graduate of the Vocational Education and Training Center of Pishan County. As I myself have attended the training and witnessed everything, I am very astonished and furious at the accusation that "graduates of vocational education and training centers were forced to work under monitoring against their will with very little wages". We know the best about what our work, life and wages are like. Nobody has ever forced us to do anything. We are all using the skills that we learned at the centers to make our life better. If there is someone who is monitoring, I believe that's those ill-intentioned guys who keep making up lies and slandering Xinjiang every day. They are just so bad.

After graduation, like many of my classmates, I found a suitable job with the vocational skills I learned. After passing the job interview, I signed a three-year contract with a rabbitry thanks to the breeding technology that I learned at the vocational education and training center, and I joined the social security program. I used to farm at home and do some odd jobs, and earned very little. Now I make 3,000 yuan per month, that is nearly 40,000 per year, which I had never expected before. We work five days a week, eight hours a day and take days off at weekends and in holidays. We can also ask for leave at any time if necessary. My colleagues are very helpful, and we get along with each other very well, just like a family. After work, I often go shopping and out to dine and have fun with my family.

Now I am very optimistic about life. I plan to open a breeding farm of my own and earn more money, so as to live an even better life.