UCA letter to Paul Martin
September 01, 2005
The Right Honorable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A2
Dear Prime Minister,
I am writing on behalf of Uyghur Canadians to urge you that gross and systematic violation of human rights of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan (aka: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) be given highest priority during Chinese President Hu Jintao’s visit to Canada in coming weeks.
Last week, Wang Lequan, Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang has announced in Beijing that government had stepped up ongoing crackdown campaign on
ppro-independent and separatist activities? among the Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang region ahead of the 50th anniversary of its takeover of the restive area. He said in the press conference “we can not wait passively for these separatist activities to happen so we have actively strengthened pre-emptive measures and hit hard at those who have emerged”.Today Uyghurs are only people group in China that have been prosecuted with capital punishment for their peaceful religious belief and political views,Amnesty International documented.
Since September 11th terror attack to the United States of America, China’s government has hijacked the global war on terror to crackdown any public discontent among Uyghurs in East Turkistan against Chinese regime on the name of fighting terror. Arbitrary arrest, mass detention, unfair trail and torture are commonly and systematically used for Uyghur dissidents in East Turkistan in compare of any region inChina.
Well known political prisoner and human rights activist Mrs. Rebiya Kadeer, the Uyghur business woman and former prisoner of conscience, has been accused by the Chinese uthorities of planning terrorist attacks in Xinjiang last week for her worldwide campaign to advocate the human rights violation of Uyghur people in East Turkistan.
Recent intensification and renewal of ongoing strike-hard campaign aiming at Uyghur dissidents deeply concerns us since that policy gives China’s government much free hand to step up ongoing and harsh repression of the Uyghur population, using the ‘war on terror” as an excuse. President Hu, as a head of paramount political power in China has an ultimate responsibility for systematic denial of basic human rights of Uyghurs in China.
Uyghur Canadian Association urges you, our Prime Minister, to publicly express our government’s commitment to ensuring that fundamental Canadian Values such as basic Human Rights and freedom is a part of any trade and investment agreement between two countries.
Uyghur Canadian Association also raises its deep concerns over the disturbance, harassments and threats on to the Uyghur Canadians by the Chinese government in stretching its control and extensive surveillance to Canadian citizens.
Uyghur Canadian Association urges you to remind President Hu the expectations and concerns of Uyghur Canadian community and their hope to see the improvements on Human Rights situation of Uyghur people in East Turkistan .
Respectfully,
Mohamed Tohti
President of Uyghur Canadian Association