World Uyghur Congress, 11 January 2019

WUC Holds Advocacy Meetings at the European Parliament To Raise Uyghur Plight

The President of the World Uyghur Congress, Dolkun Isa, WUC Policy Coordinator Ryan Barry, the Ilham Tohti Initiative Director Enver Can and the Unrepresented Nations of Peoples Organisation representative Lucia Parruci met with Members of the European Parliament to discuss the latest developments in the human rights crisis in East Turkistan and what further actions the European Union can take to address the mass arbitrary detention of over one million Uyghurs in internment camps.

During their visit, they met with a number of Members of the European Parliament including Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Ramon Tremosa i Balcells, Tomas Zdechovsky, Nathalie Griesbeck, Wajid Khan and Jozo Rados. They discussed a number of initiatives of actions in the European Parliament to bring awareness to the uyghur plight and and garnered further support in for Uyghur human rights issues.

WUC Issues Press Release in Response to Chinese Propaganda Tours

Last week, the Chinese government organized a visit to three internment camps in East Turkistan, which they called as “vocational education training centers”, for a small group of foreign reporters, including Reuters. A similar visit was arranged for diplomats from 12 non-Western countries, including Russia, Indonesia, India, Thailand, Kazakhstan, according to Chinese officials and foreign diplomats.

Faced with international condemnation, the Chinese government is trying to hide its crimes against humanity through staged propaganda tours. The Chinese government is feeling the pressure from the growing criticism from many states and international organisations, so it is now trying to change the narrative. China cannot hide a human rights crisis of this magnitude and the WUC and other organisations will continue to reveal the truth about what is happening in East Turkistan.

In response, the World Uyghur Congress issued a press release this week urging the international community to press the Chinese government for unfettered access to East Turkistan as well as the internment camps to investigate openly.

China has a long record of refusing visits from international experts or preventing them from conducting a meaningful investigation. According to the OHCHR, China now has twenty open requests and reminders from Rapporteurs and Working Groups for country access to review thematic human rights issues.

WUC stated that if the UN is allowed to visit the region, observers must take into consideration that from the outset, Uyghurs with a history of even the mildest criticism of the government have already been imprisoned.

Ahead of a possible visit to East Turkistan, the WUC calls for several strict criteria to be met:

1. Observers must be granted full access to prisons and other detention facilities, including what are labelled as ‘vocational training centers’.
2. Observers must be allowed private access to individual victims with guarantees against reprisals for family members and legal representatives.
3. Observers must be granted follow-up access to ensure compliance with recommendations.

The Human Rights Watch China Director, a critical voice of China’s human rights abuse Sophie Richardson published an article this week titled “China’s Xinjiang Tour Should Have Fooled No One”. The article points out that although Beijing have stated that the UN experts are welcome to visit the Uyghur region but it is critical to point out the ground rules. Mrs Richardson stated that the Chinese authorities would need to allow diplomats and independent experts free and unfettered access, especially to whichever camps or other facilities they wanted to inspect – not simply the “vocational training” facilities Beijing insists it’s running for willing and enthusiastic participants.

Chinese Government Launches Five Year Plan to Sinicize Islam

According to Chinese state run media the Global Times, China passed a five-year plan to sinicize Islam at a meeting with representatives from China’s eight Islamic associations. However,the Chinese authorities have failed mention the names of these 8 organisation and didn’t provide further details of what the agreements are.

This policy of ‘sinicization’ of Islam is not new, as the Chinese government has severely cracked down on any form of meaningful religious expression in recent years. The Chinese government tolerates no authority above its own and has been implementing policies to erode, undermine and control religion, especially in recent years. This has been applied to all religions in China.

Freedom of religion in East Turkistan is virtually non-existent and practising Islam has been made forbidden in parts of China, with individuals caught praying, fasting, growing a beard or wearing a hijab facing the threat of arrest.

The ‘sinicization’ of Islam is a euphemism for China’s religious persecution and large scale crackdown on Muslims in China. The announcement of the five year plan merely formalises a repressive policy which has been in place in East Turkistan for years as the Chinese government seeks to cover up its horrific human rights violations and to prevent the Muslim world from finally speaking up for Uyghurs.

Two-Year-Old Uyghur Child Freezes to Death While Parents Detained in Camp

According to Radio Free Asia recent report, a 2 year old toddler who is parents are detainees in internment camps in Hoten prefecture in East Turkistan accidentally drowned after falling through ice into an irrigation ditch.

RFA’s Uyghur Service source revels that Rahmutullah Shirbaqi disappeared from his home in Qaraqash county’s Zawa township on Dec. 21, while in the care of his grandfather, 78-year-old Matnury Mahsut, and grandmother, 68-year-old Mahtumhan Tursunniyaz.

The grandparents have been asking for access to visit the toddler’s detained parents but despite gaining permission from the local Chinese authorities, the prison guard did not allow the aged grandparents to take their grandkid to visit his parents in internment camps. Children and the most vulnerable elements of Uyghur societies are frequently becoming victims of China’s repressive policies in East Turkistan

Another Uyghur Footballer Believed To Be Detained In Internment Camps

According to Radio Free Asia Uyghur Service report, another Uyghur footballer Erpat Ablekrem, was detained in March 2018.  This came after the detention of Erfan Hezim, a top soccer forward in the Chinese Super League.

Erpat Ablekrem’s cousin who is living in Turkey disclosed the information about his missing news to RFA fearing that Erpat is detained because of contacting his relatives abroad. One of the reason for arbitrary detention in internment camps is for having any foreign ties or visited foreign countries.

Pakistani PM Imran Khan Claims No Knowledge of Internment Camps

In a recent interview with Turkey’s state broadcaster TRT World, Pakistani PM Imran Khan was asked, “You’re doing business with China does it mea

n you cannot criticise them when it comes to what they are doing with Uyghurs.”

PM Imran Khan responded saying he doesn’t know much about Uyghurs or the situation in East Turkistan. This answer is incredibly disappointing, as the Pakistani government once again refused to stand up for the Uyghur people. The Pakistani government is well aware of the internment camps and the human rights in East Turkistan, but have repeatedly chosen to prioritise Chinese investments over the lives of millions of innocent people.

Chinese Contemporary Artist Ai Weiwei Speaks About The Internment Camps

During a interview with CNN International, the Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei spoke out against China’s crime against humanity, the arbitrarily detention over one million Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups in internment camps in East Turkistan.

Ai Weiwei and his family were refugees in East Turkistan when he was young as his parents were exiled to the region. He grew up knowing what is like to be detained in internment camps and highlighted the plight of the Uyghur people during his interview. He emphasised how the internment camps will not work in terms of educating detainees to be Chinese citizens and fostering loyalty to the Chinese government.