World Uyghur Congress, 15 May 2020

News

Human rights Lawyer Amal Clooney Calls on Sanctions for Human Rights Abusers
In a hearing with the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, high-profile human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has urged Australia to adopt Magnitsky-style laws to go after companies complicit in human rights abuses including against Uyghurs in East Turkistan. “We have other tools that signal condemnation, but this is one of the few tools that raise the cost,” Ms. Clooney said. Like in the US, the Australian government has initiated a legislation process, which would give it the right to seize the assets of human rights abusers and ban them from entering the country. 

WUC Applauds the Passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act in the U.S. Senate
In its press release, the World Uyghur Congress applauded the passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 by unanimous decision in the U.S. Senate. The WUC is grateful to all the Senators who passed this important act, which stands as a strong statement of intent by the U.S. government to hold the Chinese government accountable for crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and provides the mandate to take meaningful, concrete action to pressure the Chinese government to end the crisis in East Turkistan. We urge the House of Representatives to quickly send the act to the desk of the President of the U.S., to sign this bill into law as an urgent matter of priority.

WUC Urges Germany to include Human Rights in EU-China Summit Agenda
As Germany prepares to host the EU-China Summit in Leipzig in September 2020, the WUC calls on the German government and Angela Merkel to use its influence to put the current crisis in East Turkistan and the serious human rights violations against Uyghurs at the top of the agenda. The EU and Germany must send a strong message to the Chinese government that respect for human rights is non-negotiable for the EU and that business as usual cannot continue with a government actively committing atrocities and cultural genocide.

The WUC would like to thank political groups and German parliamentarians who have recently taken a series of steps to demand that the Uyghur crisis and human rights in China be made a priority in the Leipzig Summit. In March 2020, the German Green Party (Bündnis 90/di Grünen) sent a list of important parliamentary questions to the German government on their response and handling of the Uyghur crisis. The German Liberal Party FDP included fourteen points calling for the German government to take concrete action to address serious human rights violations in East Turkistan, especially at the EU-China 2020 summit in Leipzig.

Mother’s day: Message from Uyghurs Who Have Lost Their Mother
On May 10, People around the world celebrated Mother’s Day. Many Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups have lost their mothers in one of the thousands of internment camps, where 1.8-3 million Uyghurs are arbitrarily detained by the Chinese government. To shine a light on this crime and to call on the Chinese government to release them, Uyghurs shared their mothers’ stories and the pain of losing them in a video. 

China Threatening and Spying on Uyghurs in the Diaspora
On May 15, Vice issued an article on how China is spying on Uyghurs living in the UK  spreading distrust and paranoia among the Uyghur community. Uyghurs in the diaspora do not only have to face the trauma of losing their family but also are subjected to threats by the Chinese government. Vice interviewed 12 British Uyghurs on how the Chinese government systematically harasses them to work for them as a spy. “People are breaking down because they are so mentally exhausted. Many won’t talk to us. We can understand why – families are being targeted because their relatives abroad are criticizing the Communist government.” said Peter Irwin, former WUC spokesperson. 

Boarding school for Uyghur children
On May 6, RFA reported that according to an official notice by the government education authority in East Turkistan, all preschools in Hotan will be converted into boarding schools. This new policy forces parents to send their children to school on Monday and to pick them up only on Saturday.  

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Uyghur Businessman Imprisoned After Attending a US Leadership Program
On May 9, the New York Times reported that businessman Ekpar Asat, brother of a Harvard Law student Rayhan Asat, was detained after attending the prestigious State Department leadership training program. Rayhan Asat heard that he had been sentenced to 15 years in prison on “suspicion of inciting ethnic hatred”. Take action here! 

Amnesty International letter for Iminjan Seydin
Please take action for prominent Uyghur historian and publisher Iminjan Seydin to ensure he is not under close surveillance! Help Amnesty International to request Information on Iminjan Seydin’s case by sending a letter to Tao Hongjun!  Please join here!

Call MUJI campaign
On May 19 at 2 pm (UK time, UTC+1), the Uyghur Solidarity Campaign UK will start a social media campaign and call-protest to demand from Muji to stop its involvement with forced labour in East Turkistan. Muji is one of the 83 international companies with supply chains strongly suggesting ties to mass transfer of 80.000 Uyghurs and other Turkic groups to forced labour facilities. 

Amnesty International’s Annual Get on the Bus for Human Rights
On May 15, Amnesty International’s annual Get on the Bus for Human Rights virtual speakers panel and discussion is taking place at 12 noon Eastern Time. The speakers panel will feature front line human rights defenders and activists from around the world , and a musical performance by Amnesty activist Nazia Shaheed. WUC representative Zumretay Arkin will talk on the ongoing human rights violations in East Turkistan and Ilham Tohti. Please join here!

Uyghur human Rights week
Don’t miss out on the Uyghur Human Rights Week: a series of panels on the current Uyghur human rights crisis. WUC President Dolkun Isa and other guest speakers will be addressing the issue of Social Control in East Turkistan. Please register here!