The World from PRX

Illustration of a large hand holding a pencil and erasing part of a drawing depicting a crowd of people protesting.

The disappearance of Ekpar Asat

Dina Temple-Raston, the host of the “Click Here” podcast, reports on the erasure of Ekpar Asat, who wanted to build a digital space for his Uyghur community.

Cybersecurity
DTRDina Temple-Raston
17:50

Illustration by Megan J. Goff

Courtesy of "Click Here" podcast

Ekpar Asat dreamed of building a digital home for his people — a place where Uyghurs could share music, stories and a sense of belonging.

Beijing saw that dream as a threat. It erased the network, and then it erased him.

But what happened in Xinjiang wasn’t only about one man or one community. It has become a blueprint for how repression spreads — far beyond China’s borders.

Click on the blue player to hear the story.

An earlier version of this story appeared on the “CLICK HERE” podcast from Recorded Future News and PRX. Additional reporting by Sean Powers.