Tag: Uyghurs

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Uyghurs, Tibetans Speak Out at Geneva Summit

he activists collectively called for global intervention to halt China’s human rights abuses against the Uyghur and Tibetan communities…reports Asian Lite News

At the 2024 Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy held on Wednesday, Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Chinese political prisoners vehemently condemned Beijing’s repressive policies.

Abduweli Ayup, a Uyghur linguist and poet, declared, “It is genocide because of the population transfer. The Chinese government forcibly transfers Uyghurs as labourers to provinces across China. Approximately 900,000 Uyghur children are currently enrolled in boarding schools, which disconnects them from their families and culture.”

Ayup also accused the Chinese government of implementing forced sterilisations and abortions among the Muslim minority in Xinjiang, stating, “Up to 3 million people have been detained in camps, where women are subjected to sterilisation. This systematic sterilisation constitutes genocide.”

Demanding international action, Ayup urged the world to boycott products associated with Uyghur forced labour and refrain from engaging in economic transactions that support Chinese companies.

“We must cease accepting Chinese funding and selling infrastructure to Chinese firms. Enriching dictators who commit genocide against the Uyghur people is unacceptable,” he asserted.

Chemi Lhamo, a Tibetan-Canadian human rights activist, emphasised the biased nature of Chinese documents concerning Tibet, stating, “Any document issued by China regarding Tibet reflects the oppressor’s perspective. Such documents are filled with lies propagated by the Chinese government and Xi Jinping.”

Lhamo highlighted the dire situation in Tibet, where freedom scores have plummeted to zero.

Expressing gratitude to India for providing sanctuary to Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, she stated, “As a Tibetan born in South India, I am indebted to the Indian government. His Holiness the Dalai Lama resides in Dharamshala, and I hope India’s solidarity continues for the safety of Tibet and India alike.”

Rei Xia, a 27-year-old Chinese dissenter and human rights activist, recounted her harrowing experiences of detention. She revealed, “I was held in solitary confinement twice, once for 37 days and again for 28 days, for peacefully advocating for freedom of expression.”

Xia condemned China’s treatment of Uyghurs and Tibetans, describing Xinjiang as the “world’s largest open prison” and denouncing the pervasive censorship across China.

The activists collectively called for global intervention to halt China’s human rights abuses against the Uyghur and Tibetan communities. (ANI)

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Uyghur Policy Act Passes US House

This bipartisan, bicameral bill would create a strategy to raise awareness of the persecution of Uyghurs and direct the State Department to effectively respond to human rights challenges in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Prominent United States (US) Congresswoman and the representative of the 40th district of California Young Kim, announced the undisputed passing of the Uyghur Policy Act 2023 by the US House of Representatives.

In a post shared on the social media platform ‘X’ the Congresswoman stated, “We must show through our words and actions that we stand against Uyghur genocide and the CCP’s repeated disinformation, coercion, & abuse. I’m thrilled my Uyghur Policy Act passed the House to do exactly that. Let’s get this done.”

Further, in a press statement, the US representative said that “the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Uyghur Policy Act of 2023 (H.R. 2766), led by Rep. Young Kim (CA-40) to help the United States take concrete steps to support Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities subject to atrocities by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).”

This bipartisan, bicameral bill would create a strategy to raise awareness of the persecution of Uyghurs and direct the State Department to effectively respond to human rights challenges in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

“This bipartisan, bicameral bill would create a comprehensive, multilateral strategy to raise international awareness of the persecution of Uyghurs, direct the State Department to effectively respond to human rights challenges in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and push back on the CCP efforts to silence Uyghur voices” the statement added,

Notably, the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities have been repeatedly silenced, detained, imprisoned, tortured, and brainwashed in concentration camps led by the Chinese Communist Party.

“We must show through our words and actions that we stand against Uyghur genocide and the CCP’s repeated disinformation, coercion, and abuse,” said Rep. Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific.

Moreover, the Uyghur Policy Act equips the US with tools to support the basic human rights and distinct identities of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region which are prone to the CCP’s inhumane treatment.

“I thank Rep. Bera for co-leading this bill with me, the 106 cosponsors for your support, and all who joined this effort to stop Uyghur genocide. I will continue to fight to get this done, firmly push back against the CCP’s abuses, and support human rights and freedom around the world,” she added.

Additionally, Ami Bera a member of the House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Subcommittee and a co-lead on the Uyghur Policy Act with Kim expressed joy to see the Uyghur Policy Act pass by a broad bipartisan majority in the House.

“This bill takes crucial steps to bolster American efforts to safeguard the distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghur people and promote respect for human rights and religious freedom in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The United States Congress must remain vigilant in our efforts to uphold human rights at home and abroad,” she added.

Another prominent human rights activist and the Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project Omer Kanat also said that this will give huge hope to Uyghurs, further asking the Senate to act without delay.

“This House vote gives huge hope to Uyghurs. Our people are now suffering the 7th year of ongoing atrocity crimes. With Rep. Kim’s hard work and tremendous bipartisan support for passage of the Uyghur Policy Act, Uyghurs know they are not forgotten. We are asking the Senate to act without delay,” she said. (ANI)

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Britain blasts China for persecution of Uyghurs, Tibetans

UK’s Manley urged China to lift “restrictions on civil society and independent media,” while also calling for an immediate halt to forced repatriations and the cessation of targeting human rights defenders…reports Asian Lite News

The United Kingdom on Tuesday severly criticised China for the persecution, arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans and asked Beijing to “guarantee an impartial judiciary” and implement measures to allow genuine freedom of religion without fear of surveillance and torture.

Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has delivered a set of four strong recommendations to China targeting various aspects of human rights violations, urging China to address key concerns.

Manley called to “cease the persecution, arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and Tibetans.”

He also urged China to “allow genuine freedom of religion or belief and cultural expression, without fear of surveillance, torture, forced labour or sexual violence and implement OHCHR recommendations on Xinjiang.”

The UK strongly called for the repeal of China’s national security law in Hong Kong, aligning with UN suggestions. Manley specifically called for the cessation of prosecutions, including that of media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

“Repeal the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong as recommended by the UN and cease prosecutions including of Jimmy Lai,” he said, giving recommendations to China.

The UK representative also called for a “guarantee of an impartial judiciary,” demanding an end to “harassment of lawyers, the use of the death penalty, and residential surveillance in designated locations.”

UK’s Manley urged China to lift “restrictions on civil society and independent media,” while also calling for an immediate halt to forced repatriations and the cessation of targeting human rights defenders.

“Cease the restrictions of civil society and independent media and forced repatriations and stop targetting human rights defenders,” he also said.

A recent report from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has shed light on a troubling pattern in China, where nearly half of the journalists imprisoned in 2023 were identified as Uyghurs.

As many as 44 journalists are in jail and about half of them are Uyghurs. This shows Beijing’s poor press freedom record and its human rights abuses against the majority-Muslim ethnic group, report added.

The data, offering a global overview of journalists incarcerated for their work as of December 1, paints a concerning picture of press freedom in China, especially concerning its treatment of the majority-Muslim ethnic group.

Notably, China’s human rights record is facing international scrutiny during the fourth Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, taking place from January 22 to February 2.

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-review process under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council, where UN Member States assess each other’s human rights records, their fulfilment of human rights obligations and commitments, and provide recommendations to the State under review.

This is China’s fourth appearance before this mechanism. The last one was in November 2018. At the time, countries called out the existence of mass detention camps for Uyghurs a few months after they were revealed by a UN committee.

During China’s 3rd UPR in November 2018, China received 346 recommendations from 150 countries, and accepted 284 of them, with many questionably noted as ‘accepted and already implemented.’

Despite a seemingly high acceptance rate, China broadly rejected recommendations on the rights of Uyghurs and Tibetans, cooperation with the UN and unrestricted UN access to all regions of the country, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention, the death penalty and the ratification of international treaties.

Since 2018, mounting human rights abuses have been largely documented by a range of UN human rights bodies.

In the absence of a UN Human Rights Council debate on the human rights situation in China, the UPR is a rare moment of global scrutiny of the country’s human rights crisis. (ANI)

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