World Uyghur Congress, 10 July 2020

NEWS

UK Banned Huawei from its 5G Network
This week the British government decided that telecom networks are not allowed to buy new Huawei 5G equipment and all Huawei gear should be stripped out of the mobile networks by 2027. Moreover, BT’s Openreach and other broadband infrastructure providers should stop the use of Huawei products. 

The U.S. Government Imposes Visa Restrictions on Employees of Chinese Tech Companies
On July 16, the U.S. government imposed visa restrictions on certain employees of Chinese tech companies, including Huawei for their complicity in facilitating gross human rights violations, especially the implementation of the camp system and their role in Uyghur forced labour. This decision comes after the U.S. government has imposed sanctions on five high Chinese officials last week.  

Similarly, in Canada sixty-eight MPs, four senators and various community leaders called in a letter to the prime minister to sanction top Chinese officials in response to the gross human rights violations taking place in East Turkistan, as CBC reported on July 14.

China Considers Lawsuit against Researcher on Uyghurs
On July 14, VOA reported that the Chinese government is considering taking legal actions against The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) and the U.S.-based researcher Adrian Zenz for publishing reports on human rights violations against Uyghurs committed by the Chinese government. 

An important report on the mass transfer of Uyghurs and others to forced labour facilities was issued by the ASPI at the beginning of this year. It revealed that more than 80.000 Uyghurs and others are transferred to labour facilities to other provinces in China. The ASPI report has identified 83 major Western companies who are responsible for using Uyghur forced labour in their production, including Nike, Apple and Volkswagen. 

Two weeks ago, Adrian Zenz provided new evidence on forced sterilization and birth rate control measurements in East Turkistan. This reports reveals a genocidal element of the CCP’s policies towards the Uyghur people as it tries to stop the continued existence of the Uyghur people.

ASPI as well as Mr. Zenz stated that they stand by their work on the human rights violations against Uyghurs in East Turkistan. 

China Imposes Sanctions Against US Officials
In retaliation for the passing of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act and the imposition of targeted sanctions against four Chinese officials and one entity responsible for human rights atrocities against Uyghurs, the Chinese government has announced that it is imposing sanctions on US officials. They targeted U.S. officials Senators Rubio and Cruz, US Representative Chris Smith, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, all individuals and entities who have consistently raised the human rights crisis in East Turkistan and pushed for concrete action. 

WUC President Writes  in The New Arab
On July 14, The New Arab published an Op-Ed by WUC President, Dolkun Isa entitled “Who will stop the Uyghur genocide?”. Mr. Isa explains how the situation in East Turkistan has shifted from assimilation and oppression to genocidal policies against Uyghurs and others. “Uyghurs have been forced to endure one atrocity after another, but so far little meaningful action has been taken to stop this. The Uyghur people feel let down by the international community.”- Mr. Isa  expressed how the international community replied to the increasing human rights violations committed by the Chinese government in East Turkistan, and the lack of support from the Muslim-majority countries.

PARTICIPATE

Take Action for 70-Year-Old Uyghur Editor Qurban Mamut
Amnesty International is calling to take action for 70-Year-Old Uyghur Editor Qurban Mamut who has been missing since 2017. Please take action here!