NEWS

WUC Delegation meets Allies in Brussels
From 9-11 May, the WUC participated in meetings with members of the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region and other allies. UK Director Rahima Mahmut, Program & Advocacy Manager Zumretay Arkin and EU Representative Koen Stoop held and attended different events, including a panel discussion titled Confronting Corporate Complicity. Assessing the Global Response to Uyghur Forced Labour.

Hosted by Members of European Parliament (MEPs) Engin Eroglu, Bernard Guetta, Barry Andrews and Salima Yenbou, panellists further included Uyghur human rights activist Jewher Ilham, Anti-Slavery’s Chloe Cranston, and Member of Belgian Parliament, Samuel Cogolati, and was moderated by WUC’s Koen Stoop. The WUC further took action in front of the ZARA store in Brussels, to call on the fashion brand to end its complicity in Uyghur forced labour.

WUC Delegation Visits Berlin
On May 9th, WUC’s President Dolkun Isa, Berlin Director, Gheyyur Kurban, and Project Officer, Eva Stocker, met with the German Federal Government Commissioner for Religious Freedom, Frank Schwabe. They also attended a meeting with MP Derya Türk-Nachbaur, elevating talks on the Uyghur crisis to the German federal level. 

UK’s Queen Speech includes Anti Slavery Bill
On May 10th, Princes Charles, in the Queen’s Speech to the British Parliament, outlined the government’s priorities for the year ahead. Although marked by Covid19 and rising inflation, on of the top priorities for the British government is a modern slavery bill, which will force companies with an annual turnover of more than £36m to publish a statement every year on the steps they are taking to prevent modern slavery among their suppliers. The WUC applauds this initiative, which is a result of the tireless advocacy of MPs Nus Ghani, Iain Duncan, and others. The World Uyghur Congress expresses its hope this will be one of the well-needed policy efforts of the UK to address Uyghur forced labour in East Turkistan. 

WUC To Convene Historic Protest in Geneva
On May 13th, Ahead of the upcoming visit of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to China, which will include a trip to East Turkistan, the World Uyghur Congress, together with over 20 Uyghur, Tibetan and international human rights organisations, will hold a joint protest in Geneva, Switzerland. The participants will call upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to release without further delay her report on the situation in East Turkistan and consult camps survivors, Uyghur groups, Tibetan and Hong Kong groups in the diaspora ahead of her planned visit. Participants will come all the way from France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Australia.