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kimuchi's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
gheath's review against another edition
5.0
Invaluable first-hand testimony from inside one of China’s fascist concentration camps
The Chief Witness was actually written in German by Alexandra Cavelius based on interviews with Sauytbay done in Sweden that was subsequently translated into English by Caroline Waight. I think it’s worth mentioning this because a lot go can go wrong in such a process, and indeed Cavelius did have a problem with the first-pick interpreter who turned out to be less than loyal to the project. It is therefore remarkable that the end result is so well done and readable. The first third of the book, an account of a normal and interesting childhood in essence, is quite delightful, but this only multiplies the affect of horror that we feel as the story progresses. I was quite familiar with what is going on in Xinjiang before picking up this title, and have some expert knowledge of the CCP, but even for me it was really horrible to hear an account of how the noose tightened around Sauytbay, her family, and her people. It was in 2017 when the hammer fell and the long-prepared camps went into operation. Despite doing everything required of her and trying to play it safe, it wasn’t long before Sauytbay, along with many thousands of others, ended up in one of these camps. She worked as a teacher there and so had it slightly easier than most, although she also ended up being tortured. It was on a brief release that she made a run for it, crossed over into Kazakhstan where her husband and children had been living, and after many difficulties finally found asylum in Sweden. Needless to say, this book is a gripping read, and absolutely essential rare testimony. A few details were of particular interest to me. Firstly, the camps were run very secretly and in a highly cruel and carefully thought out way. Prisoners were allowed to be aware of torture and torture was routine, but they did not witness death; evidence of death was concealed. It’s impossible to know how many have died in the camps, therefore, but many thousands is likely given the regimen, so in a sense the camps are exactly death camps. Almost no one survives because they are scarred for life on release, if they are released at all. Others, strong and healthy people, are murdered in military hospitals for their body organs; some are taken to be used as forced labour somewhere in Xinjiang or inner China — their files were marked with an X. Sauytbye has done the world a singular service by speaking up and recounting her experience in such detail. Although it is not easy to read parts of this book, everyone should read it to find out what the Chinese Communist Party is really like, and why we should not be cooperating with the government of China at all. For many innocent people in Xinjiang, it is already too late.
The Chief Witness was actually written in German by Alexandra Cavelius based on interviews with Sauytbay done in Sweden that was subsequently translated into English by Caroline Waight. I think it’s worth mentioning this because a lot go can go wrong in such a process, and indeed Cavelius did have a problem with the first-pick interpreter who turned out to be less than loyal to the project. It is therefore remarkable that the end result is so well done and readable. The first third of the book, an account of a normal and interesting childhood in essence, is quite delightful, but this only multiplies the affect of horror that we feel as the story progresses. I was quite familiar with what is going on in Xinjiang before picking up this title, and have some expert knowledge of the CCP, but even for me it was really horrible to hear an account of how the noose tightened around Sauytbay, her family, and her people. It was in 2017 when the hammer fell and the long-prepared camps went into operation. Despite doing everything required of her and trying to play it safe, it wasn’t long before Sauytbay, along with many thousands of others, ended up in one of these camps. She worked as a teacher there and so had it slightly easier than most, although she also ended up being tortured. It was on a brief release that she made a run for it, crossed over into Kazakhstan where her husband and children had been living, and after many difficulties finally found asylum in Sweden. Needless to say, this book is a gripping read, and absolutely essential rare testimony. A few details were of particular interest to me. Firstly, the camps were run very secretly and in a highly cruel and carefully thought out way. Prisoners were allowed to be aware of torture and torture was routine, but they did not witness death; evidence of death was concealed. It’s impossible to know how many have died in the camps, therefore, but many thousands is likely given the regimen, so in a sense the camps are exactly death camps. Almost no one survives because they are scarred for life on release, if they are released at all. Others, strong and healthy people, are murdered in military hospitals for their body organs; some are taken to be used as forced labour somewhere in Xinjiang or inner China — their files were marked with an X. Sauytbye has done the world a singular service by speaking up and recounting her experience in such detail. Although it is not easy to read parts of this book, everyone should read it to find out what the Chinese Communist Party is really like, and why we should not be cooperating with the government of China at all. For many innocent people in Xinjiang, it is already too late.
thejennybee's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
What an important and terrifying account from an articulate survivor of some of the worst atrocities on the planet. The Chinese government is every bit as evil as Nazi Germany was, and committing human rights horrors on millions of people. Today, now. As we speak. The book also describes China’s stated plans for literal world domination, with the United States as their public enemy #1. It’s unsettling to say the least how pernicious their actions to eradicate whole peoples and cultures are, and how the persecuted citizenry talks itself into accepting one dehumanization after another to avoid violence upon themselves and their loved ones. We say there’s nothing we could do to intervene. We say their abuses and forced imprisonment in concentration camps and torture and genocide couldn’t happen here. Neither of those things feels true after reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Deportation
lottie1803's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
voldemin's review against another edition
5.0
Ich bin nicht mehr dieselbe Person nach diesem Buch und ich glaube, auch jeder andere Person, die dieses Buch liest, wird eine komplett andere Weltanschauung haben. Das war einer der schockierensten politischen Berichte, die ich je gelesen habe.
baasanka's review against another edition
3.0
Great story, mediocre book.
Considering that many of the readers will be westerners with no in-depth knowledge of the subject, I wish she had really driven in how much they as individuals are supporting genocide and torture by purchasing cheap Chinese crap and buying from companies with questionable practices in their supply chain. This was only mentioned briefly at the end of the book – it should have been a bigger talking point.
Since it's a biography, I normally wouldn't complain about the story being too focused on the individual, but it seems that the author Alexandra Cavelius has written other books on the subject of Chinese oppression/internment camps and should be an expert (-ish). Hence, I think she could have done a better with the structure.
It's a heavy and highly important subject matter; there could have been more context and history provided. I found myself thinking back on other books and interviews I've read to fill in the gaps where the text provided no further details.
The book paints very vivid imagery, though, and will no doubt elicit emotional responses, which is its primary goal. I wish it were a bit more informative.
Considering that many of the readers will be westerners with no in-depth knowledge of the subject, I wish she had really driven in how much they as individuals are supporting genocide and torture by purchasing cheap Chinese crap and buying from companies with questionable practices in their supply chain. This was only mentioned briefly at the end of the book – it should have been a bigger talking point.
Since it's a biography, I normally wouldn't complain about the story being too focused on the individual, but it seems that the author Alexandra Cavelius has written other books on the subject of Chinese oppression/internment camps and should be an expert (-ish). Hence, I think she could have done a better with the structure.
It's a heavy and highly important subject matter; there could have been more context and history provided. I found myself thinking back on other books and interviews I've read to fill in the gaps where the text provided no further details.
The book paints very vivid imagery, though, and will no doubt elicit emotional responses, which is its primary goal. I wish it were a bit more informative.
ninscha's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
amyborch's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Spoiler. The unbelievable story of an Kazakh woman who tells about the concentration camp reconditioning centers for ethnic minorities in
China.
China.