World Uyghur Congress, 8 March 2019

WUC Representatives Attends UN HRC Side Event in Geneva

On 6 March 2019, the World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa and Project Manager Peter Irwin attended an event focusing on “Repression In Xinjiang: A call for Human Right Council action” at the UN Human Rights Council.

WUC representatives spoke at this event along with Amnesty International (UN Office), Human Rights Watch, the International Service for Human Rights and United Nation Commission on the Status of Women to call the Human Rights Council (HRC) to take action on the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups in political internment camps.

This event aims to keep up the pressure for action from the HRC on the camps. President Isa talked about the lack of response from the UN on the camps in East Turkistan saying: “the UN must immediately pass a resolution to allow for a Fact-Finding mission to carry out an investigation in China.” WUC urges the international community and the general public to not remain silent in the face of atrocities and to stand up for Uyghurs.

WUC Representatives Attends European Parliament Conference on Beijing

On 7 March 2019, the World Uyghur Congress president Dolkun Isa and Project Assistant Shahrezad Ghayrat attended European Conference on Beijing’s Infiltration in Europe in Cultural Affairs at the European Parliament. During the conference, Mr. Isa raised the current Uyghur crisis as well as the self-censorship of some European governments and European universities who are not speaking out about the Uyghur human rights issue due to Chinese government’s strong influences. Mr. Isa urged the European Parliament to take strong action to weaken the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in Europe and stand strong on their European values.

United Nations Continues to Pressure China for Access to the Camps in East Turkistan

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday (6 March 2019), at the UN HRC 40th session that she has continued to pressure China for UN access to the political internment camps in East Turkistan.

“My office seeks to engage on this issue with the Government for full access to carry out an independent assessment of the continuing reports pointing to wide patterns of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions, particularly in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region,” Bachelet said.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed also said he has continued to request access to China to investigate abuses in East Turkistan against the Uyghur Muslims, saying:

“There is reason to be seriously concerned about reports coming out of the Xinjiang region.”

Mr Shaheed asked China to let him visit East Turkistan to investigate seriously concerning reports regarding the religious persecution of Uyghurs and other ethnic Turkic groups.

US Ambassador at Large Says China is “At War” with Faith

US Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback says the Chinese government is “at war” with faith and warned them that this could backfire and have major political risks.

On Friday, Ambassador Brownback spoke at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong stating that China had been increasing discrimination against Catholics, Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists in recent years.

Ambassador Brownback highlighted the detentions of Uyghurs were “arbitrary” and based on their religious practices. “We need to call these camps what they are — they’re internment camps, created to wipe out the cultural and religious identity of minority communities,” he said.

The WUC appreciates Ambassador Brownback for his acknowledgement of the current Uyghur crisis and urges other states to break their silence in the face of atrocities and to stand up for Uyghurs.

International Women’s Day 2019

On International Women’s Day, the World Uyghur Congress published a press release drawing attention to the very difficult situation faced by Uyghur women in East Turkistan. Uyghur women face multiple forms of discrimination simultaneously and are subjected to routine human rights abuses on the basis of ethnic identity and gender.

China currently holds up to two million Uyghurs in political indoctrination camps where Uyghur women are at particular risk of mistreatment and sexual and gender-based violence. Survivors of the camps who have spoken publicly about their experiences have reported that detainees have been subjected to torture and other cruel and inhuman treatment, which is reportedly aggravated for female detainees. Mihrigul Tursun, who had been previously held in the camps, reported that Uyghur women were regularly sexually assaulted and harassed by police and security, were forcibly given medication that stopped menstruation and was not provided adequate hygiene supplies.

The WUC also noted the excellent work done by Uyghur women activists around the world in raising Uyghur human rights issues. Many female activists have emerged as some of the strongest leading voices in the movement. The WUC particularly appreciated the One Voice, One Step Initiative which has done excellent work raising awareness of the issue of gender discrimination and the current situation in East Turkistan more broadly.