NEWS

WUC Participates in Fourth Geneva Forum on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
On November 2nd, the fourth Geneva Forum was jointly organized by Tibet Bureau Geneva and the Central Tibetan Administration’s Department of Information and International Relations. This year’s edition focused on China’s economic, social and cultural rights violations and brought together a diverse group of human rights experts,  practitioners, academics, activists, governments, diplomats, think tanks, civil society groups and affected groups to monitor and evaluate the human rights situation in regions under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and concurrently counter China’s propaganda and challenge China to improve it’s worsening human rights record. Among the participants was also WUC’s President Dolkun Isa, who highlighted how the economic, social and cultural rights of the Uyghur people in East Turkistan have been systematically violated by the Chinese government.

Investigation Finds Tomato Products Worldwide Tainted by Uyghur Forced Labor
An investigation by CBC Marketplace, in collaboration with Investigative Reporting Project Italy and The Guardian, found that tomato products sold worldwide are at high risk of being tainted by Uyghur forced labour. After tracing the supply chains of several leading companies selling tomato products, the investigation found the tomatoes in these products were supplied by companies from East Turkistan. It also found that nowhere on the labels did it mention the use of tomatoes from China or the Uyghur Region.

NBA Player Enes Kanter Leads Rally to Stop Uyghur Forced labor
Surrounded by a few hundred Uyghur, Tibetan, and Hong Kong activists, NBA player Enes Kanter led a rally in front of Capitol Hill on November 2nd, calling on China to stop Uyghur forced labor and urging the U.S. Congress to pass “The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.” The Boston Celtics center also called on U.S. officials to take “tangible” steps to end the forced labor of Uyghurs in China. “We need action. Not just words. We have to make human rights a priority in both U.S. and foreign policies,” he said. “Only then can we help stop the Uyghur genocide.”

Uyghurs Desperate for Food and Essential Products during Lockdowns in East Turkistan
On November 3rd, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that renewed lockdowns in East Turkistan, sometimes lasting more than a month, have left citizens desperate for food and other essential products. These lockdowns have exacerbated the already dire environment of repression in the region. Especially Uyghur families whose breadwinners have been detained in one of the internment camps have been hard hit. Many residents of Ghulja say they are no longer able to buy food or fuel.

Uyghur Brothers Arrested for Contacting their Brother in the Netherlands
On November 3, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Uyghur brothers Ehtem and Shakir Ebey have been arrested by Chinese authorities in East Turkistan for contacting their brother in the Netherlands. Since 2017, millions of Uyghurs have been detained for reasons such as talking to or having family abroad. Their brother, Ghopur Ebey, told RFA that his two brothers, Ehtem and Shakir Ebey, were taken away after they talked to him using a phone provided by local authorities who gave them permission to call Ghopur abroad.

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WUC’s Rahima Mahmut Nominated for HOPE Hero Award
WUC’s UK Director Rahima Mahmut  has been shortlisted for the HOPE not hate’s HOPE Hero Award. Rahima Mahmut has built a strong cross-community campaign in the UK to promote the Uyghur cause. It’s great that her work is being recognized. You can vote for her here.

Protests against Uyghur Genocide in London and Manchester
Over 50 national Muslim organizations in the UK will come together in London and Manchester to to protest against the Uyghur genocide on November 13th, 12:30 PM. The demonstration in London will be organized in front of the Chinese Embassy and in Manchester at 71 Denison Road. More information here.