Press release – For immediate release
8 July 2011
Contact:  World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
Tel. 0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or e-mail [email protected]

On 5 July 2009, Uyghurs in Urumqi, the capital of East Turkestan, staged a peaceful protest which was brutally suppressed by Chinese security forces and subsequently led to ethnic unrest in the city that left hundreds of people dead. The July 2009 protest began with a peaceful demonstration by Uyghurs in Urumqi that was brutally and lethally suppressed by Chinese security forces. The Uyghurs were protesting against a lack of government action in regard to a deadly attack on Uyghur factory workers in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province in the south of China. The violent and illegal reaction of the Chinese security forces to the peaceful protest led then to ethnic violence and riots between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, during which hundreds of Uyghur and Han Chinese civilians were killed.

On July 5, 2011 and in the days surrounding July 5th, the WUC called the Uyghurs in exile and their supporters around the globe to stage demonstrations and other actions to commemorate the second anniversary of one of the saddest and most tragic days in the history of the Uyghur people and of East Turkestan and to ensure that the world does not forget about the devastating plight of the Uyghur people.

Responding the call of the WUC, the affiliate organizations of the WUC around the world have staged series of activities to commemorate the brutal crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protest on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi:

Australia

Canberra
Organized by the Australian Uyghur Association (AUA), more than 60 Uyghurs living in and around the Australian capital Canberra led by President and former president of the AUA Mr. Memtimin Ela and Mr. Husseyin Hessen demonstrated in front of the Australian Parliament on 5 July. By protesting the brutal crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protest on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi, the demonstrators appealed the Australian parliament to raise awareness to the worsening human rights situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan and to pressure the chinese authorities to change their repressive politics in the region.

Melbourne
The East Turkistan Australian Association (ETAA) organized a commemoration event on 5 July in participation of the Uyghur community in Adelaide. During he event, Mr. Nurmemet Türkistani, the General Secretary of the ETAA, made a review on brutal crackdown on the peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi, along with a Qur’an Recitation for those innocently killed during the massacre.

Belgium

Brussels
With a participation of more than 100 people including, Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongols, Iraqis and Lebanese living in and around Brussels a joint protest led by the Belgium Uyghur Association was staged in front of the Chinese consulate on 5 July. More than 500 leaflets in English and French languages describing the brutal crackdown on Uyghurs by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi were hand out to the people around during the demonstration.

Canada

Toronto
The Uyghur Canadian Society (UCS) organized a protest in front of the Chinese consulate in Toronto on 5 July.  The president of the UCS Ms. Rukiye Turdush held a speech to condemn the brutal crackdown on Uyghurs by the Chinese authorities in Urumqi on 5 July 2009. On the evening of 5 July, the One Free World International and UCS jointly convened an interfaith event in support of the Muslim Uyghur community. The main goal of this event was to bring awareness of the situation in East Turkestan and the plight of the Uyghurs living under Chinese colonial rule and well as promote and bring attention to the urgent needs of the Uyghur refugees.

Vancouver
Uyghurs in Vancouver staged a demonstration in front of the Chinese general consulate on 5 July to protest the brutal crackdown of the peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi.

France

Paris
The France Uyghur Committee (FUC) organized a demonstration on one of the famous tourist attraction in Paris the Place Saint Michael on 5 July. The president of the FUC held a speech on the brutal crackdown on Uyghur people by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi during the demonstration, which were joint by Uyghurs, Turks and French symphasizers of the Uyghur cause.

Finnland

Helsinki
On 5 July, the Finland East Turkestan Association and the Amnesty International Finland jointly staged a protest march from Helsinki Central Station to the Finish Parliament to commemorate the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre. During the demonstration which were attended by scores of Uyghurs, Turks and Finish friends, the Policy Officer at the Amnesty International Finland Ms. Anu Tuukkanen and the president of the Finland Diyanet Association Mr. Semi Yildirim held speeches respectively on the brutal crackdown on the peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi and the worsening human rights situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan.

Germany

Munich
The East Turkestan Union in Europe (ETUE) organized a commemoration event on 3 July in the One World House in Munich in close cooperation with the Munich Uyghur Elder’s Meshrep on 5 July. The Uyghur community in Germany made joint prayers for the innocent people who been killed during the brutal massacre by the chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi, following the Qur’an Recitation by the Mr. Turghun Hajim, the director of the WUC Committee for Religious Affairs. WUC General Secretary Mr. Dolkun Isa, former Uyghur politician Mr. Anwerjan, and respected religious figure Mr. Jilil Kari made speeches respectively on the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre.

On 5 July, the ETUE organized a demonstration on one of the famous tourist attraction of Munich, the Karlsplatz Stchus. During the demonstration which was attended by scours of Uyghurs, German, Turkish, Tibetan and Vietnamese friends, the WUC vice president Mr. Asgar Can, General Secretary Mr. Dolkun Isa as well as the leader of the Green Party Fraction at the Bavarian Parliament Ms. Margarete Bause and the Director of the Africa-Asia Devision of the Society for threatened People (GfbV) Mr. Ulrich Delius have made speeches respectively on the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre and the worsening human rights situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan. Photos about the brutal crackdown on Uyghurs on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi were exhibited during the demonstration and more than 500 leaflets about the worsening situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan were also hand out to the people.

Organized by the Germany Uyghur Women’s Committee (GUWC), the Uyghur women and children made another special demonstration to commemorate the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre and the peaceful protest of Uyghur women in Urumqi on 7 July 2009, who came to protest for their relatives arbitrarily arrested by the Chinese security forces in relation with the peaceful Uyghur protest. The president of the GUWC Ms. Gulnar Ablet made a speech during the demonstration about the Uyghur women’s protest on 7 July 2009. The photos taken from this protest in Urumqi in 2009 were exhibited and more than 600 leaflets were also disseminated during the demonstration.

Japan

Tokyo
The Japan Uyghur Association (JUA) organized a demonstration on 3 July in Japanese capital Tokyo. The JUA president Mr. Ilham Mahmut held a speech during the demonstration, which was attended by scores of Uyghurs and Japanese friends, about the repressive politics of the Chinese authorities on Uyghur in East Turkestan and warned Japan about the possible threat came from China in the future.

Holland

The Hague
Organized by the Netherlands East Turkestan Uyghur Association (NETUA) and the Netherlands East Turkestan Education Association (NETEA), more than 100 Uyghurs in Netherlands staged a joint demonstration on 5 July in front of the Chinese embassy in the Hague. During the demonstration, the president of the NETUA Mr. Sadiqjan Seley and the NETEA Mr. Obulkasim Kari held speeches respectively on the brutal crackdown of peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi.

Norway

Oslo
The Norway Uyghur Committee (NUC) organized a protest march from the Oslo Central Station to the Chinese embassy in Oslo on 5 July. The vice president of the WUC Mr. Semet Abla, the president of the NUC Mr. Parhat Yakup, General Secretary Mr. Tursun Shemsidin made speeches respectively on the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre during demonstration. Hundreds of leaflets about the Urumqi Massacre and the Uyghur human rights situation in East Turkestan were hand out to the people.

Sweden

Stockholm
Sweden Uyghur Committee (SUC) and Sweden Uyghur Education Association (SUEA) jointly staged a protest march from the Swedish Parliament to the Chinese embassy in Stockholm on 5 July. Member of the Swedish Parliament Mr. Mehmet Kaplan made a speech during the protest about the Uyghur human rights situation and expressed his support to the rightful Uyghur cause. Ms. Mahinur Hasanove, the president of the SUEA also made a speech about the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre.

Turkey

Ankara
The Ankara branch of the East Turkestan Culture and Solidarity Association (ETCSA) organized a photo exhibition at the Kiziay Square in Ankara about the brutal crackdown of the peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi and the human rights situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan.

East Turkestan organizations in Turkey staged joint protest march in Ankara from the Kugulu Park to the Chinese embassy in Ankara on 5 July. More than a hundred people including Uyghurs and Turkish friends in Ankara joined the protest march where they went through Ankara’s busiest commercials streets, the Argentina Street and Palestine Street. The WUC vice president Mr. Seyit Tumturk held a speech in front of the Chinese embassy in Ankara about worsening human rights situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan and condemn the brutal crackdown of the peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009. During the protest which was also attended by representatives of several Turkish civil societies and Turkish media, representatives of the East Turkestan organizations laid a symbolic black wreath in front of the chinese embassy to express condemnation against the brutal repression on the Uyghur people by Chinese authorities.

Istanbul
The East Turkestan Culture and Solidarity Association (ETCSA) organized in Istanbul another protest in front of the Chinese general consulate on 5 July. The demonstrators also laid a black wreath in front of the Chinese consulate. The protest activity has attracted many Turkish media agencies.

Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek
Organized by the Kyrgyzstan Uyghur Union (KUU), more than 300 Uyghurs from Bishkek and neighboring regions made a commemoration event in the Kyrgyz capital. President of the KUU Mr. Artuq Haji held a speech during the event about the brutal crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi.

United Kingdom

London
The Uyghur UK Association (UUKA) organized a protest in front of the Chinese embassy in London on 5 July. UUKA president Mr. Nizamdin made a speech about the brutal crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi during the event, which was attendee by a number of Uyghurs and English friends in London.

United States of America

Washington, DC
The Uyghur American Association (UAA) and the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation (IUHRDF) jointly staged a protest march from the Dupont Circle to the Chinese Embassy in the Washington, DC. The WUC president Ms. Rebiya Kadeer held a speech during the event out the brutal crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi and called the U.S. to do more for the change of repressive politics of China in East Turkestan.

San Francisco
Uyghurs living in California staged a demonstration in front of the Chinese consulate in San Francisco on 5 July to protest the brutal crackdown of peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi.

India

Mumbai
In Mumbai, Friends of Tibet, a people’s movement that focuses on political issues of Tibet commemorated the second year of the brutal crackdown of the peaceful Uyghur protest by the Chinese authorities on 5 July 2009 in Urumqi, as the Tibet support groups across the globe celebrated the World Tibet Day as spiritual leader Dalai Lama celebrates his 76th birthday on July 6. In a hope to create awareness by exposing China’s bad record against human rights, the Tibetan friends have observed a candle-light vigil and showcasing a documentary about the struggle of the Uyghur people for freedom, human rights and democracy in East Turkestan.

Switzerland

Zurich
Switzerland East Turkestan Association (SETA) organized a meeting about East Turkestan and Uyghur people in the Center for Asian Culture in Zurich on 25 June. During the meeting, the SETA president Mr. Andeli presented a comprehensive report about East Turkestan and the human rights situation of the Uyghur people and answered questions about the Uyghur issue. A documentary film about Uyghurs and the 5 July 2009 Urumqi Massacre were presented to the participants during the meeting.

Geneva
Uyghurs in Switzerland organized a commemoration event on 3 July in Geneva.