World Uyghur Congress, 28 June 2019

WUC Protests Visit of CCP Vice Governor for East Turksitan at United Nations in Geneva

On Monday, 24 June 2019, the World Uyghur Congress led a protest in front of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Demonstrators protested the fact that the CCP Vice Governor of the Uyghur region, Erkin Tuniyazi (Aierken Tuniyazi) was due to give address the 41st regular session of the Human Rights Council, despite being actively complicit in an ongoing crime against humanity against the Uyghur people. Uyghur communities from all over Europe gathered together near the Broken Chair outside the United Nations Geneva office with banners and pictures of their missing loved ones.

In the opening remarks of the protest, Dolkun Isa, President of the WUC, stated that “the fact that Erkin Tuniyazi was invited to speak at the UN at all, is deeply disappointing”. The Vice Governor “is actively committing a crime against humanity” he continued. Mr. Isa furthermore stressed that “instead of holding criminals like this responsible for these horrific acts, the UN is increasingly giving them a platform to spread propaganda and hide their egregious human rights violations”.

The protest also addressed the fact that the mass arbitrary detention of over one million Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in internment camps is being exacerbated by the visit of the UN Under Secretary General for Counterterrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, to the Uyghur region earlier this month. Mr. Isa regretted that there has been no independent UN-led fact finding mission mission to East Turkistan, nor have the multiple requests from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, or multiple UN Special Rapporteurs, been granted to investigate the camps. Moreover, he asserted that the visit of Mr. Voronkov “has been used by the Chinese government to justify the existence of the camps and to try and cover up their true scale, nature and intention”.

Speech by Vice Governor of Uyghur Region at UN Human Rights Council

On Tuesday, 25 June 2019, Erkin Tuniyazi (Aierken Tuniyazi), Vice Governor of the Uyghur region addressed the 41st session of the UN Human Rights Council with a speech which spread Chinese propaganda and disinformation about the Chinese-run concentration camps in East Turkistan.

WUC President Dolkun Isa described the treatment of the Vice Governor by the Chinese security detail which was accompanying him to his appearance in front of the Human Rights Council “like a prisoner who had been brought in and brought out for a quick show trial”.

The Vice Governor did, however, extend an official invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet, to visit the Uyghur region. The WUC reiterates that any visit to the camps must be granted unfettered access, private access to victims with guarantees against reprisals and follow-up access to ensure compliance with recommendations, to uncover the truth and prevent the visit from being turned into a propaganda tool for the CCP.

Welcoming Event with Uyghur Friendship Group at European Parliament

On Wednesday, 26 June 2019, The World Uyghur Congress held – together with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), the Belgium Uyghur Association and the Uyghur Friendship Group in the European Parliament – a welcoming event to further spread awareness of the current crisis in East Turkistan.

The event was hosted by the Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Csaba Sogor, the Vice-Chair of the Uyghur Friendship Group. He delivered the opening speech at the event, emphasising how important it was for the European Parliament (EP) to speak out and take action on the persecution of Uyghurs and other marginalized groups.

The Uyghur Friendship Group has been vital in raising the mass arbitrary detention of Uyghurs in internment camps in the EP. In the past year alone, two strong urgency resolutions were passed by the EP addressing the camps and the persecution of Uyghurs. Uyghur Friendship Group member Helga Trüpel also spoke at the event, emphasising the important role that MEPs play in addressing human rights concerns.

WUC President Dolkun Isa also spoke at the event, informing participants about the crimes against humanity being perpetrated against Uyghurs by the Chinese government and the tremendous suffering which the crisis has caused the Uyghur people, inside and outside of East Turkistan.

The WUC and UNPO also thanked the outgoing members of the Uyghur Friendship Group for their important work over the past few years. The EP has been among the most vocal institutions with regards to the crisis in EastTurkistan because of their work. Moreover, UNPO Advocacy and Training Coordinator Lucia Parrucci spoke to participants about the work of the WUC and UNPO in the EP and about the significant achievements of the Uyghur Friendship Group.

The WUC would like to thank all the MEPs, activists, journalists and academics who attended the event. The WUC and UNPO look forward to working with MEPs and the Uyghur Friendship Group to push for the EU to take further action to address the crisis in East Turkistan in the year ahead.