World Uyghur Congress, 8 May 2020

News

Campaign for Uyghurs Call GAP Protest
On May 5, the Uyghur Solidarity Campaign organized a social media campaign and call-protest to demand from GAP to stop its involvement with forced labour in East Turkistan.

Gap is one of the 83 international companies with supply chains strongly suggesting ties to mass transfer of 80.000 Uyghurs and other Turkic groups to forced labour facilities. 

Chinese government turned Sultanin Cemetery in Hotan Into a Parking Lot
On May 1, RFA reported that the Chinese government turned the Sultanin cemetery in Hotan into a parking lot. Last year, the Chinese authorities razed the sacred Uyghur Sultanin cemetery and sacred shrine. Satellite images from Google Earth evidenced the elimination of Uyghur culture and religious heritage. The destruction of the Sultanin cemetery is one of many cases of ruthless destruction of holy sites in East Turkistan. 

WUC Celebrates Doppa Day
On May 5, WUC celebrated Doppa Day together with the Uyghur community around the world as an important part of Uyghur culture. In East Turkistan, celebrating Uyghur culture is forbidden and the doppa is forbidden  in schools and other public areas.  Doppa day stands as an important symbol to celebrate Uyghur cultural identity and to highlight the fact that simple cultural expression has been so drastically curtailed for Uyghurs.

CBP Bans Imports from Hertian Haolin Company
The US Customs and Border Patrol CBP  issued a Withholding Release order to ban goods imported from the Hetian Haolin company, which has been accused of using Uyghur forced labour. The WUC applauds concrete action being taken to stop the use of Uyghur forced labour. “It’s modern-day slavery” , said WUC President Dolkun Isa in an interview with Washington Examiner on forced labour,“the main purpose is that they eradicate, that they remove the national identity of the Uighur people. But besides this, use the people as cheap laborers.”

Interview with Han Chinese on Assimilation of Uyghurs
On May 5, Bitter Winter issued an interview with an Han Chinese, who happens to physically look like a Uyghur, on the assimilation and discrimination of Uyghurs. Sharing his personal experience he reveals the common racism and xenophobia Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups have to face in their daily lives. He also talks about why most of the Han Chinese people stay silent on the persecution of millions of Uyghurs: “The long-term indoctrination of Chinese people, starting from the time they are children is really scary and evil. It makes people unable to form their own thoughts and opinions”.

Chinese state media broadcast An Apparently Forced Confession by Yiminjan Sedul
This  week Chinese state media broadcast what looks like a  forced confession video by Yiminjan Sedul on TV. The writer  and intellectual Yiminjan Sedul was sentenced to 15 years in prison after 2 years of extralegal internment by the Chinese authorities. The video showed that his body shape changed noticeably. He lost weight, his head is shaved like a prisoner and his facial features have changed significantly. The CCP has broadcasted videos of detained Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups as part of their ‘’hostage diplomacy’’, to stop their family members abroad from speaking out about one of the biggest human rights violations of the 21 century.  

Gulgine Tashmemet Phone Call After Three Years Disappearance
On May 5, Gulzira Taschmemet told radio RFA that she received a phone call via an unknown WeChat telephone number from her sister, Gulgine Tashmemet, and her parents. This was the first contact she had with her family in two-and-a-half years. In December 2017, Gulzira Taschmemet’s sister, Gulgine Tashmemet, disappeared after she had returned home  to East Turkistan, because she was concerned about her parents well-being. The following months Gulzira Taschmemet came to learn that her sister got detained in an internment camp. “My sister might have gotten out, but I can’t say that she’s living 100 percent free. She might be out, but she’s under surveillance”, said Gulzira Taschmemet. 

WUC President Interviewed By Faces of Democracy
This week the initiative Faces of Democracy published an article entitled “Uyghurs – The forgotten people” on the “China-Cables”. Seven Lilienström, founder of the Faces of Democracy Initiative, interviewed WUC President, Dolkun Isa, ICIJ journalist for the “China Cables” project, Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian and whistleblower Asiye Abdukaheb for this article. The Faces of Democracy Initiative was founded to strengthen democratic values. The platform  issues interviews with influential public figures like German foreign Minister Heiko Maas or Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg.

Participate!

Amnesty International’s Annual Get on the Bus for Human Rights
On May 15, Amnesty International’s annual Get on the Bus for Human Rights virtual speakers panel and discussion is taking place at 12 noon Eastern Time. The speakers panel will feature front line human rights defenders and activists from around the world , and a musical performance by Amnesty activist Nazia Shaheed. WUC representative Zumretay Arkin will talk on the ongoing human rights violations in East Turkistan and Ilham Tohti. Please join here!

Second Session of Hummus and Human Rights
On 20 May at 6:30pm (GMT+1), the second session of Humus and Human rights organized by René Cassin is taking place. Rahima Mahmut, human rights activist and head of the WUC office in London,  will be discussing the repression of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region in China. For further information, please have a look here!