Statement – For immediate release
24 April 2023
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]

The World Uyghur Congress applauds the election of Arfiya Eri (Alfiya Hidetoshi) to the Japanese Lower House in Chiba’s 5th district, on April 23rd. She became the first Uyghur female to be elected to any Parliament, with 50.578 votes (30,58%), and the first Uyghur-Japanese politician to hold a seat in the Japanese parliament. 

Arfiya was selected as a new member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). Born in Japan in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, she pursued her higher education at Georgetown University in the United States from the Faculty of Foreign Policy. She worked at the Bank of Japan before working at the United Nations Secretariat Headquarters in New York. 

This historic victory is significant for the Uyghur Japanese community, as well as the global Uyghur diaspora community. The WUC firmly believes that she will serve the interests of the Japanese citizens, and the country, at the same time raising the Uyghur issue in the Japanese Parliament and other high-level forums. 

The WUC once again congratulates the multilingual young candidate for her successful political campaign.