NEWS

Leaked Documents Link Top Chinese Leaders to the Uyghur Genocide
On November 27th, the Uyghur Tribunal held a third, virtual hearing, to present new evidence of the atrocities against the Uyghur people in East Turkistan. Among the witnesses was Dr. Adrian Zenz, who presented his analysis of documents that were leaked to the Uyghur Tribunal during its September hearing. The documents, which were found to be part of the “Xinjiang Papers”, contained hundreds of pages of speeches by top Chinese officials, including Xi Jinping and Chen Quanggo, some of which were not published by the New York Times in 2019. The leaked documents, some of which were classified top secret, provide evidence of how top Chinese officials mandated genocidal policies against the Uyghurs, including mass-internment, forced labour, surveillance, and the diminishing of Uyghur birthrates. Taking this new evidence into account, the Uyghur Tribunal will publish its judgement on December 9th. 

WUC Honours Former NED President Carl Gershman, Meets Congresspeople in Washington D.C.
On December 1st, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) hosted a retirement reception honouring Carl Gershman, former president of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), for his immense contribution to the Uyghur cause and democracy. Furthermore, during the week, WUC President Dolkun Isa and Program Manager Zumretay Arkin met with various Congresspeople and their staff who sponsored Uyghur related bills and legislations, as well civil society representatives, including the U.S. Holocaust Museum and Human Rights Watch’ China Director, Sophie Richardson.

European Union To Renew China Sanctions, Announces Global Gateway to Counter China’s BRI
On November 24th, Reuters reported that European officials have agreed to renew the European Union’s (EU) sanctions against four Chinese individuals and one entity, who were placed on the sanctions list in March over their involvement and complicity in the human rights atrocities against the Uyghur people in East Turkistan. Moreover, on December 2nd, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the EU’s Global Gateway scheme, aiming to mobilize up to €300 billion in public and private funds by 2027 to finance EU infrastructure projects abroad. This was announced to rival China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which has received criticism for being a tool to expand China’s repressive influence abroad.

Criminal Complaint Against Companies in the Netherlands over Uyghur Forced Labour 
On December 2nd, The European Center for Constitutional Rights (ECCHR), with the support of Prakken d’Oliveira Human Rights Lawyers, submitted a criminal complaint against several Dutch and US textile and fashion brands who have their European headquarters in the Netherlands. They argue that Patagonia, Nike, C&A and State of Art “may have been directly or indirectly complicit in the forced labor of members of the Uyghur population” in East Turkistan. The organizations ask the Dutch Public Prosecutor to investigate the corporations’ alleged complicity in human rights violations that could amount to crimes against humanity. The complaint in the Netherlands follows similar actions that are ongoing in France and Germany. 

Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour Implores Companies to Sign the Company Commitment to Exit the Uyghur Region
On November 17th, the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region – of which the World Uyghur Congress is a founding member – published a press release in which it demanded corporations and governments take immediate action to ensure supply chains are free of cotton from the Uyghur Region, following publication the groundbreaking Laundering Cotton report, detailing global apparel brands’ risk of ties to cotton produced with Uyghur forced labour. “This report details, link by link, how some of the world’s most well-known fashion brands are very likely selling products produced with Uyghur forced labour to unwitting consumers,” said Louisa Greve, Director of Global Advocacy at Uyghur Human Rights Project. “This pioneering research makes it clear that only through a firm commitment to exclude Uyghur Region cotton can brands provide any meaningful assurance to consumers and regulators that they are taking all the steps they can to remove the risk from their supply chains. This report leaves leading apparel brands, from Anthropologie to Uniqlo, with nowhere to hide.”

PARTICIPATE

Uyghur Tribunal Delivery of Judgement
After having completed three hearings, the Uyghur Tribunal will deliver its judgement on December 9th, from 08:30 – 12:00 GMT. The event will also be live streamed online, and tickets for in-person attendance are available here.