The WUC is saddened to learn of the passing of the Honourable David Kilgour, who was a fierce advocate for human rights – including for the Uyghur people – during his 27 years as a member of the Canadian Parliament and subsequent years. Mr. Kilgour was one of the first staunch supporters of the Uyghur cause in the Canadian parliament, laying the foundations for the broader support that would follow both in Canada and internationally.

“When I had the honour to meet Mr. Kilgour in his office back in 2005, when the plight of the Uyghur people was not well-known publicly, his sympathy for our suffering and determination to create a better world were heartening and inspiring”, WUC President, Dolkun Isa, said. “The gratitude and appreciation that the Uyghur community holds for Mr. Kilgour is enormous, and we will always remember his steadfast support and achievements”.

Over the past decades, Mr. Gilmour has been a great ally to the Uyghur people, most notably in Canada, but also internationally. He regularly attended protests and conferences organised by the WUC and its affiliate organisations, such as the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP) in Canada. He hosted the first ever event on the Uyghur crisis in the Canadian Parliament in 2005, and continued to be present at events even after his Parliamentary term, such as the Beijing 2022 Olympic protest in Ottawa last spring. He was a fantastic presence at the WUC’s international conference in Brussels, in 2019, where he also made the case for an international response to the Uyghur crisis.

The WUC expresses its sincere sympathy and condolences to Mr. Kilgour’s family and loved ones.