In particular, critics have highlighted the concentration of Uyghurs in state-sponsored re-education camps,[3][4] suppression of Uyghur religious practices,[29][30] political indoctrination,[5][31] severe ill-treatment,[16][32] and testimonials of alleged human rights abuses including forced sterilization and contraception.[3][33][34] Chinese government statistics show that from 2015 to 2018, birth rates in the mostly Uyghur regions of Hotan and Kashgar plunged by more than 60%.[35] In the same period, the birth rate of the whole country decreased by 9.69%, from 12.07 to 10.9 per 1,000 people.[36] Chinese authorities acknowledged that birth rates dropped by almost a third in 2018 in Xinjiang, but denied reports of forced sterilization and genocide.[37] Birth rates have continued to plummet in Xinjiang, falling nearly 24% in 2019 alone when compared to just 4.2% nationwide.[35]