Istanbul, Nov 30 (AP) The Chinese government has launched a program in its far west which analysts say effectively puts informants inside living rooms, dining areas and prayer spaces, not to mention at funerals, weddings and other occasions once considered intimate and private.

The ruling Communist Party's official newspaper said last month that 1.1 million civil servants are participating in an initiative which the government says will alleviate poverty and foster ethnic unity between the majority Han Chinese and Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.

The Associated Press spoke to five Uighurs living in exile in Istanbul who shared the experience of family members who have had to host Han Chinese civil servants in Xinjiang.

Interviewees said their loved ones saw the homestay program as a chilling intrusion into their personal lives.(AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)