WUC has published its newsletter for the month of April, detailing a number of stories that have featured prominently over the last month. The newsletter will continue monthly through 2016.
Dolkun Isa Awarded by Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Executive Committee Chairman of the World Uyghur Congress and long-time activist for Uyghur human rights received an award of recognition by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington DC, on March 30, 2016. The award was presented by Dr. Lee Edwards, Chairman of the Foundation, and recognized his tireless work and principled opposition to the continued persecution of the Uyghur community by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
Dolkun Isa began his activism as a student at Xinjiang University in Urumqi. He protestedChina’s nuclear testing that began in the 1960s and in 1987 he formed the Student Association for Science–Culture with friends in order to engage Uyghur students in outreach programs across East Turkestan. He was then placed under house arrest in 1988 for his role in organizing a protest calling for equal rights and was subsequently expelled from the university for his role.
During his acceptance speech, Mr. Isa explained that “the Uyghur people stand firmly with the democratic peoples of the world who seek a conclusive end to the poverty and cruelty of communist repression”. He continued to explain how the Chinese government has persistently attempted to undermine his activism and block the activities of the World Uyghurs Congress. The use of labels like “terrorist”, the issuance of a warrant for his arrest through INTERPOL, and the constant harassment in international fora all remain strategies to discredit the work of Isa and other Uyghur activists.
Upon presentation of the award, Executive Director Marion Smith remarked that, “Mr. Isa is a proud addition to the ranks of world leaders, brave activists and advocates for peace that have been honored by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation […] the Chinese government’s continued repression of its own people like the Uyghurs must not be allowed to go unchallenged” – a sentiment we wholeheartedly agree with.
WUC Will Hold Uyghur Refugee Conference April 25-26
In cooperation with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and the Society for Threatened Peoples(STP), the WUC will be holding an international conference regarding the plight of Uyghurs fleeing East Turkestan, taking place April 25-26 in Berlin, Germany. The two-day conference will provide a forum to bring together academics, experts, activists, members of civil society and witnesses together to discuss the problem and its underlying sources, as well as to develop a concrete strategy in terms of the remedial approach that must be taken.
The impetus for the WUC’s focus on this issue in particular has been the growing number of Uyghurs who have chosen to flee repression in East Turkestan and cross the border into China’s neighbouring states. As a result, Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers have been mistreated and forcibly deported from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia,Myanmar, Nepal and Kyrgyzstan over the last decade – in blatant violation of international law.
Uyghur flight has been seen in waves, beginning principally in 1949 when many fled to parts of India, Kashmir and Turkey. In the 1960s, another wave of at least 100,000 left the region and fled to parts of the Soviet Union, what is now Central Asia, primarily Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. In the 1970s, others fled to Afghanistan. The 1980s and 90s saw Uyghur leave the region as well, but Chinese resistance has hardened in the last two decades.
Most recently on July 8th 2015, 109 Uyghurs that had been held at a Thai immigration detention facility in Bangkok, were forcibly returned to China, in direct violation of international law and the 1951 Refugee Convention. It is in this context that Uyghurs attempting to flee the country have found themselves neither safe at home nor when seeking asylum or refugee status.
Xi Jinping Visits Washington Amid Protests from Activists
Chinese president, Xi Jinping, visited Washington for the global Nuclear Security Summit beginning on March 31st, and also met with US president Barack Obama. The meeting came amid protests primarily from Tibetan activists who organized in front of the White House along with Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghur activists. The WUC and other groups implored president Obama to substantively raise the issue of human rights, particularly with regards to the continued suppression of the Uyghur community in East Turkestan.
The importance of the protection of human rights has been trending downward under Xi Jinping since he took power in 2013. During his tenure, we have witnessed greater restrictions on religious and cultural freedoms, a much heavier focus on a counter-terror campaign that has collectively punished millions for the crimes of a few, inequitable development that has excluded the Uyghur majority in the region, as well as growing resentment among the Uyghur population.
Xi’s visit comes following his brief stopover in Prague, Czech Republic, where he met with Czech president Milos Zeman as a means of boosting economic and political ties between the two countries. The visit was marred by protestslargely from pro-Tibetan demonstrators who replaced Chinese flags on display with Tibetan flags that hung along the road. Commentators lamented that late president and democracy advocate, Vaclav Haval, would likely have had something to say about the Czech leader’s focus on business and trade, while eschewing the subject of justice and human rights.
China harshly criticized at the UN Human Rights Council
Chinese During the most recent Human Rights Council Session in March, China was roundly criticized by a number of states in relation to its most recent campaign against human rights lawyers, activists and civil society groups. A joint statement led by the United States delegation condemned the Chinese government for these actions and called on China to uphold its own laws as well as its international commitments.
The US delegation also supported the statement made by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who raised the same issue during his lengthyopening statement. The statement raised direct concerns about the human rights situation in East Turkestan and Tibet and argued that there must be more space for critical reflection and dialogue.
Headlines were also made when China wrote to diplomats in Geneva to urge them to boycott an event in which the Dalai Lama spoke, outside the UN grounds, asserting that they oppose his appearance because of his "separatist activities". A portion of the letter read: "Inviting the 14th Dalai Lama to the aforementioned event violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China, in contravention of the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter. China resolutely opposes the 14th Dalai Lama's separatist activities in whatever capacity and in whatever name in any country, organisation or event". This comes on the heels of a number of other strategies of intimidation employed by the Chinese at the UN in Geneva.
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Upcoming Events
World Uyghur Congress will hold conference on Uyghur Refugees
The World Uyghur Congress, in cooperation with the Society for Threatened Peoples and theUnrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), will be holding an international conference regarding the plight of Uyghurs fleeing East Turkestan, taking place April 25-26 in Berlin, Germany. The two-day conference will provide a forum to bring together academics, experts, activists, members of civil society and witnesses together to discuss the problem and its underlying sources, as well as to develop a concrete strategy in terms of the remedial approach that must be taken.
Recent Activities
WUC delegates attend UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
WUC delegates traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to attend the 31st session of the Human Rights Council. The session allowed Uyghur representatives to make an oral statement in front of the plenary session discussing general human rights situations that require the Council's attention. WUC Executive Committee Chairman, Dolkun Isa, participated in a side event on March 10th organized by the International Federation for Human Rights and the International Campaign for Tibet. The side event provided an opportunity to speak about China’s newly passed counter-terrorism law and its implications. A second side event, organized by the International Service for Human Rights (ISHR), on China’s midterm UPR review provided the WUC Project Coordinator, Peter Irwin, a chance to speak about human rights issues in East Turkestan in relation to China’s latest commitments on March 14th.
Dolkun Isa recognized by Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Executive Committee Chairman of the World Uyghur Congress and long-time activist for Uyghur human rights received an award of recognition by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington DC, on March 30, 2016. The award was presented by Dr. Lee Edwards, Chairman of the Foundation, and recognized his tireless work and principled opposition to the continued persecution of the Uyghur community by the government of the People’s Republic of China.
Dolkun Isa attends Tibetan Youth Association in Europe General Assembly
WUC Executive Committee Chairman, Dolkun Isa, was able to attend the 47th General Assembly of the Tibetan Youth Association in Europe (TYAE) in Zurich, Switzerland, on March 26th. The assembly allowed for greater contact and collaboration between Tibetan and Uyghur groups in Europe and strengthened the already existing bond between the WUC and the TYAE.
WUC joins Tibetan organizations in Washington to protest Xi Jinping’s presence
Members of the WUC including president Rebiya Kadeer, vice-president Omer Kanat and Executive Committee Chairman Dolkun Isa joined with Tibetan and Chinese activists in demonstrations in front of the White House on March 31st. The demonstrations were in response to Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington to attend the Nuclear Security Summit, which allowed time to meet US president Obama. The protests came on the heels of Tibetan protests of Jinping's presence in Prague, Czech Republic earlier in the week.
Uyghur community in Washington organizes reception for Dolkun Isa
On April 2nd, the Uyghur community in Washington joined together to organize a reception following Dolkun Isa’s acceptance of the award of recognition by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. The reception allowed members of the Uyghur community to meet and discuss some of the most relevant issues facing those in East Turkestan and abroad.
WUC attends meeting with NED, UHRP and ChinaChange
WUC representatives including Dolkun Isa and Omer Kanat met with staff from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) along with representatives from the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and ChinaChange on March 31st. The meeting was primarily intended to discuss the case of Ilham Tohti and to discuss the most strategic avenues to move forward in advocacy.
WUC and other groups commemorate 26th anniversary of the Baren Uprising
On the 26th anniversary of the Baren Uprising on April 5th, Uyghur organizations in Turkey, Germany, and in a number of other European countries met to commemorate the events and to speak about current challenges to human rights for the Uyghur community. The meetings allowed for productive dialogue about the situation in East Turkestan and for representatives and members of the community to come together to remember those that were killed during one of the most brutal uses of force against civilians to date.
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