Demonstrations held in Istanbul over Chinese atrocities against Uyghurs…reports Asian Lite News
As China’s intense crackdown on Uyghur community continues in Xinjiang, a large number of people take to street in various countries to Commemorate the Ghulja Massacre. In Istanbul, activists gathered in huge numbers and held demonstrations against China’s atrocities towards Uyghur Muslims.
The International Union of Eastern Turkistan NGO Organizations organised the protest demonstration on Sunday. The organization held a massive anti-China protest demonstration followed by a press conference at Saryer, in front of China embassy in Istanbul.
Saryer is the northernmost district of Istanbul, Turkey, situated on the European side of the country.
President of the International Union of Eastern Turkistan NGO Organizations, Hidaytullah Oguzkhan, during his speech, said, “The blood of martyrs will not go waste and asked Muslim Umma (community), especially OIC country members to take note of china’s atrocities in East Turkistan and declare the act as genocide of Uyghur Muslims.”
During the speech, protestors raised anti- china slogans and paid homage to those killed in the Ghulja massacre.
Deputy chairman of the organization in his speech in the English language also reiterated the government of Turkey and other OIC countries to shun the dual standard policy and expose China’s Uyghur Muslim genocide on all international platforms.
Transportation was also made available for the people of Safakoi, Zeitinburnu, Basakh city and Salim Pasha.
Meanwhile, a series of protests were held across Bangladesh to mark the anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, the local media reported, adding that activists highlighted Chinese atrocities and ongoing genocide against minorities, predominantly Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province.
It was the 26th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre that took place in 1997 when Chinese forces allegedly killed and imprisoned thousands of innocent Uyghurs while they were participating in a peaceful demonstration in Ghulja in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) demanding religious and cultural freedom and equal rights.
Various NGOs and civil societies, Ulemas, and other organisations observed the 26th Anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre to support the legitimate demand of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities being suppressed by China through various events.
Protesters expressed solidarity with the Uyghur Muslims and condemned China for adopting its double standard on minority issues and committing genocide on innocent Uyghurs. Protestors were carrying banners and posters highlighting Chinese atrocities on Uyghurs. (ANI)
The Uyghurs from 20 countries urged UNHRC to take up the issue in a Special Session or Urgent Debate with the aim of establishing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to independently examine the treatment of Uyghurs …reports Asian Lite News
A group of 60 Uyghur organizations from 20 countries are calling for an immediate response to put an end to atrocities against Uyghurs, following the release of a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today. Uyghurs are calling for seven concrete actions by governments, multilateral bodies, and corporations.
“This UN report is extremely important. It paves the way for meaningful and tangible action by member states, UN bodies, and the business community,” said World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa. “Accountability starts now.”
“This is a game-changer for the international response to the Uyghur crisis,” said Uyghur Human Rights Project Executive Director Omer Kanat. “Despite the Chinese government’s strenuous denials, the UN has now officially recognized that horrific crimes are occurring.”
The report offers the most definitive assessment of the issues faced by Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples from the world’s leading human rights body. Most notably, it finds that “arbitrary and discriminatory detention” of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, within the context of other restrictions, “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.”
The report also notes that the human rights abuses have included “far-reaching, arbitrary and discriminatory restrictions on human rights and fundamental freedoms, in violation of international norms and standards,” and that documentation of “patterns of torture or ill-treatment” is credible, including “incidents of sexual […] violence.”
On the crime of state-imposed forced labour, the report affirms the “deep concerns” of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), stating that the “OHCHR shares, from the human rights perspective, the concerns laid out by the ILO supervisory bodies.”
The report recommends for the Chinese government to take steps to release those arbitrarily detained; clarify the whereabouts of detained family members; cease intimidation and reprisals against Uyghurs in connection with their advocacy; to cooperate with the ILO Committee of Experts recommendations; and provide “adequate remedy and reparation to victims” of human rights abuses.
The report recommends that governments should “refrain from returning [Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples] to China” and “provide humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social support, to victims in the States in which they are located.”
The report also makes recommendations to the business community to strengthen human rights risk assessments in the surveillance and security sector in particular, and for companies to respect human rights across activities and business relationships.
Uyghur
What are the demands?
The UN Human Rights Council to take up the issue in a Special Session or Urgent Debate with the aim of establishing a Commission of Inquiry (COI) to independently examine the treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples;
The UN Special Procedures to consider evidence presented in the report and respond with recommendations for the UN and the international community;
The UN Office on Genocide Prevention to immediately conduct an assessment of the risks of atrocities—including genocide and crimes against humanity—targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, and to alert relevant actors and advocate for a proportionate response;
The ILO to take note of the report, include additional evidence of forced labour in its Committee of Experts annual report, and for delegates at the International Labour Conference to lodge a complaint against China for failure to uphold its obligations;
UNESCO to urgently investigate cases of destruction or marginalisation of natural and cultural heritage, including UNESCO-listed heritage (Muqam, Karez well system, Manas, Meshrep, and the Tianshan mountain range);
The global business community to immediately cut all ties with entities assisting the government to carry out the atrocities, especially the programs of high-tech surveillance and state-imposed forced labour; and
Governments and international organizations to take urgent steps to protect Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples at imminent risk of refoulement, in line with a recent joint statement from 22 refugee and human rights groups and 50 Uyghur organizations.
“The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has waited far too long to deliver its report. The truth of China’s atrocities has once again been documented, and there can be no shying away from the obligation to act. Stopping genocide was a foundational purpose of the UN, and it must be upheld now,” said Campaign for Uyghurs Executive Director Rushan Abbas.
‘’Now that the leading UN office on human rights has spoken, there are no more excuses for failure to hold the Chinese government accountable,” said Elfidar Iltebir, Uyghur American Association President.
“Our people are enduring genocide that has been documented through research, exposed by the Uyghur Tribunal, and designated by parliaments,” said Hidayet Oghuzhan, President of the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations. “As the diaspora community, we call on international human rights organizations and governments to take immediate action to stop the ongoing genocide.”
In September 2021, OHCHR confirmed it was “finalizing its assessment” and in December a spokesperson announced that the report would be released in a matter of weeks. In an open letter in March 2022, over 200 human rights groups urged the High Commissioner to promptly release her Office’s report following the long delay.
The report comes after the visit of the High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, to East Turkistan in May 2022, amidst criticism from governments, international organisations, and Uyghur groups that the trip amounted to little more than a propaganda victory for the Chinese government.
Since China’s review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in August 2018, where members registered “alarm” at reports of mass detention, UN experts have indicated deep concerns over the deteriorating human rights situation in China—and the Uyghur region in particular.
UN experts have issued 83 communications and 27 press releases to China since 2018, but noted they “have yet to see any signs of political will to address the concerns raised.” The Chinese government has not replied to 19 pending visit requests and rejected all Universal Periodic Review recommendations to provide unhindered access to experts.
In June 2020, 50 UN experts called for “decisive measures” to protect fundamental freedoms in China, including the creation of a UN mechanism to “closely monitor, analyse and report annually on the human rights situation in China.” On June 10, 2022, this call was reiterated by 42 UN experts, noting a lack of political will to address the concerns raised.
A growing number of governments have also expressed alarm about the human rights situation in China—notably the atrocities perpetrated against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. The U.S. State Department determined in January 2021 that this treatment amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, and parliaments in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the Czech Republic and the European Parliament have all passed motions or resolutions condemning the atrocity crimes.
Pro-China stakeholders flood information ecosystems with counter-narratives, conspiracy theories, and unrelated news items to suppress narratives detailing Chinese authorities’ atrocities in Xinjiang….reports Asian Lite News
China actively attempts to manipulate and dominate global discourse on Xinjiang and to discredit independent sources reporting ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity conducted against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups, the US State Department said in a report.
China directed and affiliated actors lead a coordinated effort to amplify Beijing’s preferred narratives on Xinjiang, to drown out and marginalize narratives that are critical of China’s repression of Uyghurs, and to harass those critical of Beijing, said the report.
China’s messaging tactics seek to drown out critical narratives by both flooding the international information environment to limit access to content that contradicts Beijing’s official line, and by creating an artificial appearance of support for the country’spolicies.
Messengers use sophisticated AI-generated images to create the appearance of authenticity of fake user profiles, the State Department report said adding that China works to silence dissent by engaging in digital transnational repression, trolling, and cyberbullying.
China floods conversations to drown out messages it perceives as unfavourable to its interests on search engines and social media feeds, and to amplify Beijing’s preferred narratives on its treatment of Uyghurs, it said.
Pro-China stakeholders flood information ecosystems with counter-narratives, conspiracy theories, and unrelated news items to suppress narratives detailing Chinese authorities’ atrocities in Xinjiang.
Government social media accounts, Beijing-affiliated media, private accounts, and bot clusters, likely all directed by Chinese authorities, assist in this effort.
Former Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, Chairman of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue and a leading voice for human rights in China, said: “In Xinjiang, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is conducting some of the most serious acts involving mass human rights abuses since the Second World War.
“The release of the State Department report proves that the US understands the measures that the CCP is taking to cover up the ongoing mass surveillance, repression, and genocide of the Uyghur people. It’s another important step from the US toward holding the CCP accountable for their systemic campaign to wipe out the Uyghur population. The free world must not fall for the CCP’s deceptive tactics.
“Holding the CCP accountable requires an all hands on deck approach. Now, students around the nation are urging their universities to divest from endowments linked to China due to the crimes in Xinjiang. American investors should follow these students’ lead and divest from Chinese companies complicit in perpetuating and hiding the genocide.”
The protest saw the participation of hundreds of Uyghur youth who had travelled from various European countries as well as public figure…reports Asian Lite News
More than 2000 people gathered in Paris on October 2 and demonstrated against the ongoing rights violations of Uyghurs in Xinjiang by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The protest was organised by multiple Uyghur organisations including the World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Institute of Europe. The protest saw the participation of hundreds of Uyghur youth who had travelled from various European countries as well as public figures like Raphael Glucksmann, Member of European Parliament (MEP) and French actress Lucie Lucas.
Thousands protest in Paris against China’s rights violation in Xinjiang. Pic credits : Philarty
The protestors marched from Bastille square to place de ka Republique shouting slogans ‘genocide in progress’ and ‘Save the Uyghurs’ and carrying banners and East Turkestan flags. During the speeches, a call was made to the international community to cancel all agreements between the European Union and China as well as boycott the Beijing Winter Olympics 2022.
Further, many speakers denounced the complicity of multinational fashion companies like Zara, Hugo Boss and Uniqlo, who continued to buy products produced by forced Uyghur labour.
Earlier, the same day, the NGO ‘SumofUs’ in association with the World Uyghur Congress, held a protest outside the flagship Zara store in Paris’s Champs-Elysees, against the brand’s sourcing material from China that used Uyghur labour. This protest, timed to coincide with the Paris Fashion Week, was intended to draw the attention of other fashion brands to stop sourcing commodities from Xinjiang.
Thousands protest in Paris against China’s rights violation in Xinjiang. Pic credits: Philarty
Assal Khamraeva -Aubert, the World Uyghur Congress’s representative in France and co-organiser of the event called on the French government to consider halting imports of products from Xinjiang that were produced using forced Uyghur labour. She added that the WUC hoped that apart from the international community recognising the Uyghur genocide, which would be a ‘symbolic victory’ it was also important to have an impact at the “economic level’.
Ibrahim Bechrouri, campaign manager of “SumOfUs” warned that similar protests would be organised in other European capitals including in Spain.
Some of the protestors specified the demands made by the movement, in particular, “the cancellation of the treaties signed between the European Union and China but also the cancellation of the Olympic Games in Beijing 2022”, due to the “massacre” of Uyghurs. (ANI)
As Chinese Communist Party celebrates the centenary, the Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) has asked the world to hold China accountable for the human rights abuses and genocides in Xinjiang. 100 years of CCP control is nothing to celebrate, it said, reports Asian Lite News
Campaign for Uyghurs, a Washington-based advocacy group working for democratic rights and freedom of Uyghur community in China and around the world, has condemned the centenary celebration of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as an offensive show of force.
The CFU sees CCP as “a brutal regime that is nothing more than a colonising force driven by imperial and genocidal aims.”
It said, 1949, when the CCP seized power, marked the “beginning of a dark era in history, defined largely by bloodshed, mismanagement, brutal repression, and slavery.” “Today, that has morphed into active genocide in East Turkistan,” it added.
“As the Chinese regime looks to celebrate a milestone of achievement, millions of Uyghurs are being held in concentration camps where their very culture is made criminal, where they are subjected to sexual abuse, and tortured. Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) condemns this celebration as an offensive show of force. 100 years of CCP control is nothing to celebrate,” the CFU said in a press release.
Gulshan Abbas is a victim of the CCP's genocide against Uyghurs, falsely imprisoned in retaliation for her sister's advocacy. #FreeGulshanAbbashttps://t.co/iBMXsdT7Bl
The CFU also called on world leaders to hold China accountable for the human rights abuses and genocides in Xinjiang.
“President Xi Jinping will call for 100 more years of Chinese Communist rule, but that is a decision that can be up to the international community. We must hold the CCP accountable, for Uyghurs all over the world, and for every person who has seen their life destroyed in the Chinese regime’s relentless pursuit of power,” it said.
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs remarked “The Chinese Communist Party has been an oppressive force of destruction globally. Under the guise of economic improvement, they have seized the basic rights of everyone living under their iron thumb.”
“Now, they have instigated this horrific genocide of the Uyghur people, a crime that invalidates the right of any perpetrator to rule. This is a deeply sad day for the world, since we have yet to stop the CCP’s reign of terror. The genocide of the Uyghurs is ongoing still, and each day the Party is becoming bolder. This is our final wake-up-call that the CCP must be stopped if we are to preserve a global system of dignity and order that is respected by all,” he added.
The CFU said, Uyghurs are kept in the dark about their families, with millions missing, loved ones unable to contact them or know anything regarding their condition. They also said that the world will only grow darker so long as the international community remains willfully blind to the truth of what is happening in China.
The CCP’s aims are becoming more broad, and they seek international influence through their Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). They desire more control and more power, and have demonstrated clearly what they are willing to do to get it, they said.
