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Silenced Crimes Against Humanity: Enforced Disappearances, Arbitrary Arrests, and Extra-Judicial Killings of Uyghurs in China

WUC, 10 March 2014

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Brussels – The World Uyghur Congress (WUC), in cooperation with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and Society for Threatened Peoples, and with the financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy, will be convening a conference entitled ‘The Silenced Crimes against Humanity: Enforced Disappearances, Arbitrary Arrests, and Extra-Judicial Killings of Uyghurs in China’ in Munich, Germany, from 14 to 16 April, 2014.

The conference will serve as a platform for dialogue on one of the most alarming developments in China; the odious crimes against humanity specifically targeting the Uyghur community with the aim of silencing peaceful dissent. The conference will serve as a discussion to raise the issues of enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, extra-judicial killings and organ harvesting, in light of new Chinese leadership and increased international attention to China’s deteriorating human rights record.

Many questions remain unanswered; is China complying with international standards regarding detention, fair trial, torture, and the right to life? How will China guarantee the dignity and human rights of detainees?  What measures will the Chinese authorities adopt to ensure the compliance of authorities on the national, regional and local levels? How will the amended Criminal Law Procedure impact the practice of enforced disappearances?

To answer these questions and share their insights, the conference will bring together a diverse group of international experts, academics and high-level politicians. By addressing the issue of systemic and institutionalized human rights violations in China towards minorities, and in particular towards the Uyghurs in East Turkestan, the conference aims to promote dialogue, motivate political commitment, inspire peaceful, democratic and non-violent action, and to find long-term and sustainable solutions.

All information on the event is available on www.unpo.org and www.uyghurcongress.org

For media inquiries, please contact WUC Executive Chairman Mr Dolkun Isa at [email protected].

You can find the PDF version of the press release here.