On 10 December, the World Uyghur Congress, together with 7 Tibetan and other human rights organizations, sent a letter to the Swiss National Councillor and Foreign Minister, Ignazio Cassis. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the signatory organizations call on the Swiss government not to put trade interests before human rights:

The human rights situation in the PRC has deteriorated significantly in recent years. The government is becoming even more authoritarian from year to year. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in 2023 “after Syria (…) China will be the country with the most serious violations of civil and political rights”. Uyghurs and Tibetans are particularly affected by this. We call on the Federal Council to consistently stand up for the principles contained in the UDHR and to pay particular attention to the following recommendations:

1. protect human rights, demand self-determination and freedom of belief
2. counter Chinese propaganda, prevent the exertion of influence
3. hold human rights criminals accountable
4. reduce dependencies, strengthen corporate responsibility

The full version of the letter is available here: offene-brief-china-cassis-def