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WEEKLY BRIEF, 10 NOVEMBER

WEEKLY BRIEF, 10 NOVEMBER

NEWS

International Uyghur Forum

From November 9-10, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), HASENE International, International Union of East Turkistan Organizations, with the co-sponsorship of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV), CCJO René Cassin, FAIR International, and the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) organised a high-level International Uyghur Forum in Brussels, Belgium. The Forum brought together over 200 participants from all over the world, including prominent experts in policy, ecomics, civil society, media, academia and the legal field, as well as Uyghur and civil society representatives.

The Forum commenced with an opening session at the European Parliament, hosted by Member of European Parliament (MEP) Ismail Ertug, and was also attended by MEPs Raphael Glucksmann and Miriam Lexmann. The opening session ended with the testimonies of 5 camp survivors. After that, a panel was held in the European Parliament, hosted by MEPs Engin Eroglu and David Lega, which also saw the participation of USCIRF Chair Nury Turkel, Uyghur Tribunal Vice-Chair Nick Vetch, and Ambassador Kelley Currie. 

During the remainder of the Forum, key discussions were held about what avenues for justice and accountability exist, what the UN and its member States can do against these atrocities, and what role civil society and the media plays in the response to the Uyghur genocide. In seeking answers to these questions and identifying best practices, the organisers adopted a resolution with the Forum’s outcomes which outline the way towards international justice and accountability measures.

Thailand Mistreats Refugees from China
On November 7th, Bitter Winter reported about the case of Uyghur asylum seekers remaining in horrific conditions in Thailand. Following a recent exposé in the Bangkok Post about the plight of Uyghur refugees held captive in Thai detention centres, Lord David Alton, speaking to Bitter Winter, denounced the “heartbreaking” incarceration, where people are “caged like animals.” He has appealed to the British government to expedite their transfer to Britain, and to the UNHCR to examine their cases as a matter of urgency.

The captivated Uyghurs have complained about unsanitary and crowded conditions in the facilities. Three of them including a three-year-old boy have died, the latest, 27-year-old Bilal, passed away from cancer on August 1, 2018. “One tragic death is too many. If the Thai government doesn’t take any immediate actions to resolve the Uyghur cases, we will likely see more results like this”, said WUC President Dolkun Isa.

China’s Ambassador Warns ‘Relations will Suffer’ if Swiss Adopt Sanctions

On November 6th, Swissinfo reported that in an interview with NZZ am Sonntag, China’s ambassador to Switzerland, Wang Shihting, warned that if Switzerland follows the EU sanctions against selected Chinese Community Party officials and organisations over the human rights abuses of Uyghurs and other ethnic peoples in East Turkistan, this would have consequences. “Anyone who really cares about the friendly relations between the two countries and who makes responsible polities will not agree to the sanctions,” said Shihting. “If Switzerland takes over the sanctions and the situation develops in an uncontrolled direction, Sino-Swiss relations will suffer.” The WUC has denounced these threats, and called upon the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs to impose accountability measures.

Olaf Scholz Broaches Human Rights in China, but not Further Enough

On November 4th, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz briefly addressed human rights in his visit to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese leaders. Scholz called on China to respect human rights, saying Beijing could not escape the international ramifications of its treatment of the Uyghurs in East Turkistan by calling it an internal matter. “Human rights are interference in international affairs,” he said, according to Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung.

WUC President Dolkun Isa expressed his disappointment that Scholz touched only briefly on the topic of human rights, and that his accompanying delegation included only business representatives and no human rights experts. “It is extremely disappointing to state that the genocide of the Uyghurs is due to a different understanding of human rights,” Isa said in the statement. “Germany must now act together with its international partners to hold the Chinese government accountable.”  

PARTICIPATE

Support Uyghurs’ Genocide & Crimes Against Humanity Case in Argentina

The World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project have launched a criminal case in the courts of Argentina in relation to the international crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity being committed against the Uyghur people. Please donate and be a part of this historical case.

Ask Volkswagen to Close its Plant in East Turkistan

Despite growing evidence of the ongoing genocide against the Uyghurs, Volkswagen continues to operate in East Turkistan. The World Uyghur Congress is collecting signatures to demand Volkswagen to close down its plant in Urumqi. Please sign here.