World Uyghur Congress, 3 January 2020

Petition to Adopt Global Magnitsky Legislation in Germany Reaches Quorum

On 30 Dec 2019, the petition for a German Global Magnitsky Act reached the necessary amount of signatures to be heard by the Bundestag’s petition committee.

This petition aims to implement and ratify legislation similar to theGlobal Magnitsky Act, as it was implemented by the United States in 2016. This legislation would give the German government the ability to apply targeted sanctions, asset freezes and visa restrictions on individuals or entities responsible for grave human rights violations. With the implementation of this law, perpetrators of human rights violations can be punished, and held accountable for their crimes. 

The New York Times Obtains a Rare Footage inside Chinese Labor Program

On December 30, the New York Times published a piece on the Chinese Labor Program, after obtaining a rare footage inside one of the dormitories. China is relocating Uyghurs, as well as other Muslim ethnic groups to urban areas as part of a labor program. Villagers from Muslim minorities, including Uyghurs, are being forced to take jobs. Quotas are fixed, and families are being punished if they refuse the jobs.

These labor programs are part of China’s plan to control over the Uyghur region and indoctrinate the Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups, alongside the indoctrination camps. 

Channel News Asia Covers on the Uyghur Refugee Children in Istanbul

On the last day of the year, Channel News Asia published a story on the case of Uyghur refugee children in Istanbul. The schools in the outskirts of the city are a place where children can learn about their uyghur language and culture. These schools have also become an orphanage for some. Many of the Uyghur students have lost parents to the internment camps in East Turkistan and haven’t heard from them since 2017. The teachers at these schools take their responsibility seriously: 

Dozens of Jordanians Protests in Amman in Support of Uyghurs

On December 31, dozens of Jordanians protested in front of the Chinese embassy in Amman on Tuesday against China’s treatment of Uyghurs in EastTurkistan. This protest follows the wave of support from Muslim communities around the world.