A call to supporters of Uyghur around the world

A call to supporters of Uyghur around the world

Dear Friends,

The lockdown policy implemented by China in East Turkistan for the last month has brought another disease to our people, who are already subject to genocide: hunger and starvation.

According to comments on social media from the last two weeks, a number of residents in the Ili Prefecture of East Turkistan are facing a hunger crisis. This crisis poses a threat to the lives of not only the elderly and those with health problems but also to teenage children.

Given that the voices of Uyghurs have largely been silenced in social media in the region since 2017, and that protests continue in a symbolic form, the number and content of current comments on social media show the danger of the situation in the region.

However, neither the Chinese press nor Chinese official documents focus on this issue.

Our concerns are as follows:

Is China, as always, putting the safety of its “citizens” at risk to protect its image? If they see the Uyghur issue as a life-and-death struggle, is the death of Uyghurs not attracting their attention, or are they deliberately creating this famine to accelerate the speed and scale of the Uyghur genocide?

Regardless of the reason, for the Uyghur community, where 1–2 people per family are in prison camps, the lockdown rule, which is set to last more than 30 days, is harmful and will have  serious consequences.

As Uyghur activists, we have tried to introduce the Uyghur genocide to the world to no avail. We do not know how to get the world’s attention about this situation or through what avenue.

On this occasion, we need you, who are close friends of the Uyghur cause.

If possible, please make a proposal to your government, make a statement to the public, or send a tweet to your friends to tell the world about the starvation and pain experienced by our people. It is our hope that your voices will prompt China to come to its senses and end this disastrous lockdown in East Turkestan.

Rabiye Kadir, Leader of  Uyghur National Movement