Press Release – For Immediate Release
01 February, 2022
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) applauds the passing of a resolution in the Japanese Parliament expressing concern over the “human rights situation in China”, citing the mass internment and violation of religious freedom of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan.

It is highly significant that Japan, China’s neighbour and a leading nation in Asia, is speaking out in support of the Uyghur people”, WUC President, Dolkun Isa, said. “Even though the language of the resolution is not as strong as the situation of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan demands, it sets a firm example to build on and for other countries in Asia to follow.”

Next to highlighting the serious human rights situation, the resolution further called upon the Japanese government to work together with international partners to monitor the situation, and “implement comprehensive relieving measures.” Moreover, it said that “human rights issues cannot just be domestic issues, because human rights hold universal values and are a rightful matter of concern for the international community.”

The Japanese Parliament becomes the latest to adopt a resolution on the human rights situation in China, in particular with regards to the atrocity crimes against the Uyghur people. So far, 8 national Parliaments worldwide (U.S., U.K, Canada, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Belgium, Czech Republic, France) adopted resolutions in which they recognized crimes against humanity and genocide to be committed against the Uyghur people. Similar to the Japanese Parliament, lawmakers in countries such as Germany, Australia, and Italy have only gone as far as expressing their deep concern over the situation or recognizing crimes against humanity.

The WUC expresses its gratitude to the Japan-Uyghur Parliamentary Union, a caucus in support of the Uyghur people, for its crucial efforts in this regard and for speaking out in defense of Uyghur human rights.

While the WUC commends the Japanese Parliament for its resolution, it encourages its lawmakers to now debate the question of the Uyghur genocide. Furthermore, the WUC urges the Japanese government to endorse the position of its Parliament, and to make concerted efforts bilaterally and with the like-minded partners to end the Uyghur genocide. Finally, the government should also act in support of other Asian countries to follow suit and speak out against China’s human rights atrocities.