The World Uyghur Congress condemns China’s use of military force against the peaceful Tibetan protesters in Lhasa and other provinces, and calls upon Chinese leaders to start constructive negotiations with His Holiness the Dalai Lama to seek a peaceful political solution to the problem.

Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, Uyghur democratic leader and the President of the World Uyghur Congress, said, “I express the support and solidarity of the Uyghur people with the Tibetans in the wake of China’s brutal suppression of peaceful Tibetan protesters”

“Tibetans and Uyghurs have been living under the yoke of Chinese oppression for decades. They have been subjected to Beijing’s assimilationist policies aimed at eroding their religious identity and at accelerating cultural alienation. The PRC government’s fierce repression policies in Tibet and East Turkestan are the main causes of political instability, ethnic conflicts and social tensions.”

The World Uyghur Congress believes that the unrest is a huge challenge for the Chinese government’s controversial rule of Tibet, casting serious doubt on the Chinese government’s promises to improve its human rights situation ahead of the Beijing Olympic Games. The harsh crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters reveals the brutality of Chinese rule in Tibet which flatly contradicts the core of the Olympic Spirit founded upon universal moral principles.

The World Uyghur Congress also urges the world community to exercise more pressure on the Chinese government to cease using military force against the Tibetans and Uyghurs, and instead seriously seek political solution to their legitimate aspirations, ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.