World Uyghur Congress, 12 November 2018

Over One Thousand Uyghur March In Geneva To Protest Internment Camps In China

On November 6 in Geneva Switzerland, over one thousand Uyghurs, Tibetans, Southern Mongolians, Chinese Christians and Vietnamese  gathered together to protest against China’s abhorrent human rights record and to call for the release of all those arbitrary detained in internment camps at the start of the Universal Periodic Review of China’s human rights record by the UN Human Rights Council.

While the review of China was taking place inside the UN, demonstrators chanted slogans and gave speeches demanding the basic human rights for all people in China and calling on the UN and the international community to take action.

Guest speakers from around the world representing many communities in China that are also facing persecution and denial of basic rights by the Chinese government spoke during the protest and voiced their concerns.

Western Governments to Urge China to Close Internment Camps at UN Rights Review

According to an assessment by Human Rights in China, 24 governments raised their concerns over issues relating to Uyghurs and Tibetans during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which includs at least 14 states to particularly raising the internment camps in East Turkistan.

A number of largely Western governments made strong recommendations calling on China to halt its repressive measures against Uyghurs, to close the internment camps holding over one million, or allow UN independent experts into the region to investigate.

The UPR stands as an interstate review mechanism within the UN system tasked with comprehensively reviewing the human rights record of all member states. Since China’s last review in 2013, human rights conditions for Uyghurs have considerably worsened, namely restrictions on religious freedom and the mass arbitrary detention of over one million Uyghurs in internment camps.

The United States and France spoke in strong terms in their statements, referring to the “mass internment” of Uyghurs and other Muslim groups in China and calling for their immediate release, which accords with a growing body of evidence uncovered by rights groups and journalists.

WUC Hosts East Turkistan National Conference In Munich

From November 8-10, the World Uyghur Congress hosted the first East Turkistan National Conference in Munich Germany.

An estimated 250 Uyghurs from around the world came to Munich to participate in the conference. The main goal of the event was to provide a constructive forum for the Uyghur leaders, intellectuals, and activists from around the world to discuss the ongoing repression of Uyghur people in East Turkistan by Chinese authorities, specifically the urgent situation of the more than one million Ugyhurs being held in internment camps.

Participants discussed how to develop peaceful solutions to prevent the total assimilation of the Uyghur people and ensure the continued existence of the unique Uyghur ethnic identity and culture. This was considered as an urgent matter and the participation of all groups in the Uyghur exile community is essential in order to reach a consensus on specific policies and plans to be implemented. Several hundred delegates from all over the world gathered together to decide on common strategies and political platforms, as well as future steps.

WUC Hosts International Uyghur Youth Conference in Munich

Parallel to the East Turkistan National Conference, the World Uyghur Congress also hosted the International Uyghur Youth Conference in Munich from November 8-10.

During the three days of event young Uyghur activist from across the globe had roundtable discussions, advocacy training, simulation exercises and networking activities with a mission to empower each other to become leading advocates in their communities.

The worsening situation for Uyghurs in East Turkistan has compelled the Uyghur diaspora to explore ways to work together towards common goals and young Uyghur activists were eager to bring new changes and development to the Uyghur human rights advocacy.

During the conference, the young Uyghur activists openly discussed a variety of issues Uyghurs face in East Turkistan and the Uyghur diaspora. The participants were paired in groups during the conference to develop and present reactive and proactive advocacy strategies in response to assigned simulation prompts.

The conference gave a platform for the young activists, who came from diverse backgrounds, an opportunity to discuss and appreciate the diversity of their diaspora communities and explored ways to work together in the future.

German Government Calls Out China Over its Detention of Uyghurs in Internment camps

The German Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas, raised the repression of Uyghurs and the mass arbitrary detention of more than 1 million Uyghurs in internment camps, with his Chinese counterparts during his official visit to China.

The German Foreign Minister said that Germany would “not tolerate reeducation camps”after a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He in Beijing and called for more transparency from the Chinese government.

Also last week, German MP Margarete Bause and the German Green Party tabled a motion, calling on the German government to demand that Beijing grant independent observers and journalists access to East Turkistan.

The WUC is grateful to Ms. Bause, the German Green Party and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas for publicly raising the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and calling for action to be taken. We hope that MPs and government officials in other countries follow their example and raise the camps issue on any state visits to China and in their national parliaments.

Now more than ever, the Uyghur people need public officials to publicly call for action. China must know the world is watching what is happening to the Uyghur people and will not sit idly by while an entire people and culture is at risk. The Uyghur people are looking to international community for support and to hold China accountable for these massive human rights violation.