Washington – The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) calls on the Kyrgyz authorities to respect the human rights of the Uyghur Diaspora in Kyrgyzstan in spite of Chinese pressure to ban their legitimate activities in this newly independent democratic country.

“We request the government of Kyrgyzstan to respect the democratic rights of its own citizens,” said Erkin Alptekin, President of WUC, “Although Ittipak is an Uyghur organization but it was established by citizens of Kyrgyzstan.”

According to the Kyrgyz Committee for Human Rights, on December 14th the Kyrgyz Secretary of State Osmonakun Ibraimov forbade giving the Kyrgyz National Academic Drama Theater for “Ittipak”, the main Uyghur organization in Bishkek, due to its chairman’s view on China. The committee said Ibraimov accused Rozmuhamet Abdulbakiev, chairman of Ittipak, that his interview with a local paper “had complicated the relations between China and Kyrgyzstan” because he said, “every Uyghur believes that in the future Uyghurstan [East Turkestan] will gain independence.”

This human rights watchdog said, Secretary Ibraimov told Abdulbakiev that Ittipak could hold its anniversary at the national theater only if he withdraws his statement given during an interview with Agym paper on mass media. It said after Chairman Abdulbakiev refused to withdraw his statement on mass media, the Kyrgyz authorities forbade Ittipak to hold its anniversary celebration in the theater.

“It is sad to see that Kyrgyzstan, once championed as an island of democracy, can no longer protect its own citizens’ freedom of speech and thought,” said Alim Seytoff, Chairman of the Executive Committee for WUC, “These are the basic human rights of citizens that any democracy ought to uphold against any foreign pressure.”

According to Stephen Blank, professor of Strategic Studies Institute at U.S. Army War College, at present there is little doubt that doing everything possible to consolidate Beijing’s hold over Xinjiang is one of the drivers of Chinese policy in all dimensions in Central Asia. Thus increasing amounts of bilateral military assistance are going to these states and the signs of coordination in intelligence on terrorism are multiplying as they crack down on Uyghur movements in their homelands to retain China’s friendship.

Ittipak is an Uyghur cultural organization established in 1989. It is aimed at preserving the Uyghur language and culture in Kyrgyzstan. This organization was originally planning to celebrate its 15th anniversary at the Kyrgyz National Academic Drama Theater on December 17th by inviting prominent Uyghurs from other Central Asian countries. However, it had no choice but to cancel its anniversary celebration after the Kyrgyz authorities forbade it using the theater for a cultural gathering.