World Uyghur Congress Newsletter No.10 Published: 10 May 2011
Newsletter No.10 May 2011
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Conference on the future of the Uyghurs in East Turkestan
TOP STORY International Conference: The Future of the Uyghur People in East Turkestan FEATURED ARTICLES Uyghur Leaders Bared from Travel High Court turns down Uyghur Case for U.S. resettlement MEDIA WORK WUC on Facebook and Twitter / New Design Newsletter Interview with Alim Seystoff at Voice of America WUC PR World Press Freedom Day WUC Congratulates Dr. Lobsang Sangay PAST EVENTS 21st Anniversary of the Baren Massacre Second Grand Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity of Uyghur Youth, Sweden 7th General Assembly of the Kyrgyzstan Uyghur Union (Ittipak) Uyghur Event in Australia Conference on East Turkestan in Turkey U.S. China Human Rights Dialogue UPCOMING EVENTS 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council Food and Culture from East Turkestan HIGHLIGHTED MEDIA ARTICLES AND REPORTS ON UYGHUR RELATED ISSUES US State Department: 2010 Human Rights Report UN Rights Panel Raps China Over 'Disappeared' Freedom House Report ""Freedom on the Net 2011" U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2011 Annual Report MORE MEDIA ARTICLES
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TOP STORY
International Conference: The Future of the Uyghur People in East Turkestan
From May 2-8, 2011 the international conference The Future of Uyghur People in East Turkestan co-sponsored by Freedom House, World Uyghur Congress (WUC), Uyghur American Association (UAA) and the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation (IUHRDF), took place in Washington, D.C. The opening ceremony of the conference was held at the U.S. Capitol Building and was opened with a speech by WUC President and longstanding Uyghur human rights activist Rebiya Kadeer . Many distinguished speakers addressed the audience: Hon. Frank R. Wolf (U.S. Congressman) Hon. Jim McGovern (U.S. Congressman) Hon. Keith Ellison (U.S. Congressman) (Written statement) Mr. Carl Gershman (President, National Endowment for Democracy) Dr. Gunawardena-Vaughn (Director of the International Religious Freedom Consortium and the Southeast Asia Program, Freedom House) Ms. Louisa Coan Greve (Vice President, National Endowment for Democracy) Mr. Randall Shriver (Former Assistant Secretary of State) T. Kumar (Advocacy Director for Asia and the Pacific, Amnesty International USA) Dr. Sophie Richardson (Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch, Asia Division) Hon. Hans Hogrefe (Chief Policy Officer and Washington Office Director of Physicians for Human Rights) Dr. Dru Gladney (Professor at Pomona College at Claremont, CA) The rest of the conference took place at the Holiday Inn, Leesburg, and around 150 Uyghur delegates (both members of the WUC and non WUC affiliated Uyghur community leaders and intellectuals) from around the world participated. It was an internal conference for the Uyghur Diaspora community and its main goal was to provide a constructive forum for Uyghur leaders from around the world to discuss the ongoing violations of civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights suffered by the Uyghur people in East Turkestan. The delegates also discussed the situation of Uyghur refugees around the world in order to find effective solutions to provide legal and moral assistance and support. The delegates also explored common strategies, effective political platforms, and future steps. Lectures on the following topics were given during the conference: 1. East Turkestan & Uyghur Issues; Current Situation & Future Prospects 2. The Role of Islam in East Turkestan Struggle 3. The Forecast of Importance of Strengthening the East Turkestan Cause in the Asian Region 4. The Role of Young Generation in the Cause of East Turkestan Struggle 5. Refugee Issues; the Existing Predicament & the Better Working Mechanism 6. The Importance of Publicity & Propaganda Settings 7. Establishing Reliable & Sustainable Financial Resources for the Long Term Uyghur Struggle Causes 8. Interim, Midterm & Long Term Strategies for the Future of East Turkestan 9. Chinese “Autonomy” Policy in East Turkestan; Characteristics, Implications & Consequences 10. Historical Uyghur Independent States; the Principles in the Frameworks of History, International Politics, International Law 11. A Proposal of Constructing East Turkestan Federal Autonomous Republic 12. Self Determination & East Turkestan Issues
A part from that, the following group discussions took place: 1. The Goal of Uyghur Political Movement 2. The Future Prospects of Establishing a Well Founded Youth Network in East Turkistan Cause 3. Strengthening the East Turkistan/ Uyghur Cause in Muslim States, Russia & Japan; Future Thoughts 4. Uyghur Refugees: How to Improve the Assistance? 5. Islam & Its Role in East Turkistan Cause 6. Strengthening the Information exchange & other types of Social Network 7. Establishing Reliable & Sustainable Financial Resources for the Long Term Uyghur Struggle Causes A final decision on the future path of the Uyghur cause was taken by the participants. They decided to continue seeking the right to self-determination for the people in East Turkestan. Other options—autonomy or outright independence—were rejected by the seven day "East Turkestan Uyghur Summit: The Future of Uyghur People in East Turkestan."
Related articles: 海 外维吾尔人在 华盛顿举行会议 (Overseas Uyghurs Meet in D.C.) BBC, 03 May 2011 海外维吾尔人国际会议在华盛顿召开 (Overseas Uighur international conference held in Washington) Deutsche Welle, 04 May 2011 维吾尔人华 盛顿召开国际会议 (Uyghurs held an international conference in Washington) VOA, 03 May 2011 Uyghurs Push Self Determination RFA, 10 May 2011 Video of the Opening Ceremony of the Uyghur Conference in Washington DC. Video of the demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington DC on 3 May 2011.
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FEATURED ARTICLES
World Uyghur Congress Strongly Protests Travel Refusal for Uyghur Exile Leaders from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
WUC Press Release , 3 May 2011
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) strongly protests authorities’ actions to prevent five Uyghur exile leaders from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan from participating in an international conference in Washington, DC. The Uyghur leaders planned to attend the international conference ”The Future of the Uyghurs in East Turkestan” , held 2 – 8 May 2011, which is co-sponsored by Freedom House, WUC, the Uyghur American Association (UAA) and the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation (IUHRDF).
In Kazakhstan, airport authorities blocked WUC Vice President Kahriman Ghojamberdi from getting on the plane. Ghojamberdi was stopped by customs officials at the Almaty airport on Sunday and told that his passport was not valid for travel. Ghojamberdi holds both a valid passport and a valid U.S. visa, but when he handed his passport to the customs officer, he returned the passport five minutes later, saying that Ghojamberdi will not be allowed to travel with this passport, because two pages were “ripped out”. However, the pages had been missing from his passport earlier and he had used the same passport for several trips to Europe and the U.S.
In addition, in the weeks prior to the conference, several other Uyghur activists had been pressured by Kazakh authorities to not attend the conference. Three Uyghur artists whose visas were already approved gave up their plans to attend because of threats by police.
In Kyrgyzstan, four Uyghur activists were prevented from travelling to the U.S. on Sunday. Dilmurat Akberov , former president of the Uyhgur Society of the Kyrgyz Republic “Ittipak”, who holds a position in a local government, and Ruzi Muhammed Abdulbakiev , a former member of the WUC Steering Committee, were asked by Kyrgyz authorities to refrain from travelling to the U.S., arguing that this trip would “harm Sino Kyrgyz relations.” In addition, Hasyethan Tohtahonova and Elvaskhan Saloi-Akhunov were taken off of the airplane by police on Sunday.
The WUC believes that the men were prevented from travelling due to Chinese pressure. Central Asian countries are under strong influence from China, especially since the establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, along with Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China, are members of the regional security grouping, in which Beijing wields pre eminent influence.
A recent report released by Human Rights in China (HRIC) entitled “Compromise of Human Rights Under Cover of Counter-Terrorism – Human Rights in China Releases a Whitepaper on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization” affirms that the SCO is misused by the Chinese government to “adopt China’s domestic approach to counter terrorism and expand it throughout Central Asia,” and concludes that “the Chinese government and other SCO member states have thus used ‘counter terrorism’ measures as a tool to secure domestic ‘social stability,’ often at the expense of human rights”.
The report also notes that “the climate of fear maintained through SCO joint exercises in targeted regions thus has broad potential to intimidate and compromise domestic populations, particularly ethnic groups such as Uyghurs, by deterring them from exercising their legitimate rights, including freedoms of association, expression, and religion – activities that officials regularly characterize as ‘separatism’ or ‘extremism.’”
WUC president Rebiya Kadeer expressed her indignation with the behavior of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz authorities, saying that “by following Chinese pressure, it looks like they are a part of China. Instead of supporting and protecting Uyghur brothers and sisters – Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uyghurs together with Uzbeks and Turkmens share a long common history and are all members of the Turkic peoples – the Central Asian governments are acting like puppets in the hand of the Chinese government.”
The WUC calls on the Kazakh and Kyrgyz governments to respect their own constitutions and international treaties they are part of, and guarantee freedom of movement to all citizens, including Uyghurs. The Uyghurs are contributing effectively to the economic and social development of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz societies on their path towards democracy and their basic rights must be respected.
The WUC calls also on the international community to express its disagreement with the Kazakh and Kyrgyz practices and to call on China to stop pressuring the Central Asian governments to violate the civil rights of their own citizens.
See also:
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Uyghur Leader Barred from Travel Radio Free Asia (RFA), 1 May 2011 Uyghurs Say Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan Pressuring Them on China's Orders Eurasianet, 2 May 2011 SCO Member States Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Prevent Uyghur Activists from Attending Conference in United States HRIC, 04 May 2011 HRIC Commentary: Invocation of Terrorism and SCO Cooperation in Response to Question about Freedom of Travel Raises Serious Human Rights Concerns HRIC, 06 May 2011 Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Take Part in Anti Uyghur "Terror" Exercise in China By Joshua Kucera, Eurasianet, 09 May 2011
High court turns down Uyghur case for U.S. resettlement
The US Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by the five remaining Uyghurs being held at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay. The detainees wanted the court to consider whether a US judge could order them released on to American soil, where there is a vibrant Uyghur community. The Uyghurs, who have been held at the US naval base in Cuba for nearly nine years, had previously declined an offer to be resettled in the small Pacific nation of Palau.
The United States has a moral obligation to accommodate the Uyghurs, whom the government acknowledges are victims of mistaken identity. However, the U.S. Congress has passed legislation to prevent the transfer of detainees from Guantanamo to the United States. And the Uyghurs can't apply for political asylum because they're not in the United States or on a border, even though the Supreme Court has ruled that U.S. law applies in Guantanamo.
The five men were among a group of Uyghurs captured in Afghanistan in 2001 and have all been cleared of charges and the US has repeatedly said the Uyghurs are not enemy combatants or a national security threat. Six other Uyghurs released from the prison have been sent to Palau, while 11 others have gone to Bermuda, Albania and Switzerland. China wants them to be returned there, they cannot be repatriated due to the risk of mistreatment.
Related articles: High court turns down Uighur case for U.S. resettlement Washington Post, 19 April 2011 Top US court declines plea by Uighurs at Guantanamo Bay BBC, 18 April 2011 U.S. should resettle Uighurs held at Guantanamo Los Angeles Times, 22 April 2011 Abandonment Of Guantánamo’s Uighurs – OpEd By Andy Worthington, Eurasia Review, 10 May 2011 back to top
MEDIA WORK
WUC on Facebook and Twitter / New Design Newsletter
The work and activities of the WUC can be followed now also on Twitter and Facebook ! Join us! The WUC is also happy to launch for first time its re-designed newsletter and hopes to receive good feedback on the new face of the newsletter.
Interview with Alim Seytoff at Voice of America
Voice of America Chinese Service Satellite TV has interviewed Mr. Alim Seytoff , Spokesperson of the World Uyghur Congress and President of the Uyghur American Association on Wednesday April 27 in its "Issues and Opinions" program. The program was broadcast live to China at the time of interview. Many interested Chinese callers called the show and asked Mr. Seytoff all kinds of questions regarding the Uyghur people and history.
World Press Freedom Day: WUC Press Release
On 2 May 2011 , the WUC published a press release on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day condemning the ongoing violation of Uyghurs´ freedom of expression and drawing the attention of the international community to the fate of imprisoned Uyghur media workers. By jailing Uyghur media staff, the Chinese authorities are not only violating international law standards, but also article 35 of their own constitution which guarantees free speech and media freedom.
Note: The United Nations General Assembly declared 3 May to be World Press Freedom Day to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
WUC Congratulates Dr. Lobsang Sangay
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In a letter , Rebiya Kadeer on behalf of the WUC congratulated Dr. Lobsang Sangay for being elected as Prime Minister of Central Tibetan Administration in exile . Harvard law scholar Lobsang Sangay immediately after his election vowed to play an effective role when he takes over political leadership from the Dalai Lama. Sangay, 43, garnered 55 percent of the votes cast, beating two other candidates, in the final round of polling held on March 20, according to a statement by the Central Tibetan Administration based in India's hill town of Dharamsala, the seat of the exile government. back to top
PAST EVENTS
21st Anniversary of the Baren Massacre
On 5 April 1990, in Baren village of East Turkestan, the Chinese government cracked down on peaceful protest by Uyghurs demanding greater democracy and religious freedom. There were hundreds of men, women and children have been massacred during the brutal crackdown by the Chinese authorities. Every year, WUC member organizations organize memorial events to commemorate the Baren uprising in many parts of the world.
Organized by the East Turkestan Education and Solidarity Association, meetings were held on 3 April in Ankara and 4 April in Kayseri, Turkey, respectively to commemorate the 21th Anniversary of the Baren uprising of the Uyghur people. Several hundred Uyghurs and Turks attended these meetings.
Also in Australia, the Australian East Turkestan Association has commemorated the 21 anniversary of the Baren uprising together with Uyghurs in Adelaide on 5 April.
The World Uyghur Congress and the East Turkestan Association in Europe organised a Baren commemoration event in Munich , Germany, on 5 April.
Uyghurs in Almaty , Kazakhstan jointly commemorated the 21th anniversary of the Baren uprising and the 66th anniversary of the formation of the East Turkestan National Army, which was the major armed forces of the Second East Turkestan Republic (1944 1949) on 11 April. Vice president of the WUC in Kazakhstan Mr. Khahraman Khojamberdi and a number of army offices and solders of the former East Turkestan National Army have attended the even along with scores of Uyghurs in and around Almaty.
Second Grand Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity of Uyghur Youth, Sweden
The Second Grand Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity of Uyghur Youth was held from 8 10 April in Swedish capital Stockholm. More than 250 young Uyghur from 8 countries attended the meeting. Since its first successful meeting on 22 24 October 2010 in Munich, the WUC Youth Committee is actively leading the formation and development of Uyghur youth communities around the world and achieved great successes in realizing an international platform for communication and cooperation among young Uyghurs.
During the meeting in Sweden, which was presided by the Chairman of Youth Committee Mr. Haiyuer Kuerban and the WUC vice president responsible for the youth affairs Mr. Semet Abla, the youth delegates discussed issues like how to strengthen existing foundation of global friendship and solidarity among Uyghur youth communities, how to reach even more young people, how to motivate the young generation to actively participate to the international campaign for freedom, human rights and democracy for Uyghur people in East Turkestan and etc. After considering different opinions and suggestions for strengthen and improving the newly initiated youth movement, this meeting has updated its actions plans, which are attainable, more effective and suitable to the situation of Uyghur youth communities in respected counteries. Among others, this meeting has also decided to continue its plan to organize a Uyghur Youth Football Championship, which will be another spectacular global meeting of Uyghur youth for strengthen friendship and solidarity.
The Second Grand Meeting of Friendship and Solidarity of Uyghur Youth has ended with a grand party with colourful cultural performances organized by the Uyghur youth community in Sweden, which was attended by about 300 people. The time and place of the next Grand Meeting of Uyghur Youth will be decided by the delegates during the Uyghur Youth Football Championship in late July 2011 in Netherlands.
7th General Assembly of the Kyrgyzstan Uyghur Union (Ittipak)
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The 7th General Assembly of the Kyrgyzstan Uyghur Union (Ittipak) was held on 9 April in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. More than 600 representatives of the Uyghurs living in Kirghizistan attended the event and democratically event the round of leadership of the Kirghizistan Uyghur Union (Ittipak) for the upcoming executive period. The WUC president Ms. Rebiya Kadeer and the General Secretary Mr. Dolkun Isa sent telegrams to celebrate the General Assembly.
Uyghur Event in Australia
East Turkestan Australian Association organized a prize awarding ceremony on 9 April to honor the great efforts of the teachers of the Australia Uyghur Mother Language School and a number of individuals, who have also made efforts for the successful convening of the 5th Uyghur Leadership Training Seminar of the WUC in Australian and the Grand Newroz Celebration Party in honor of the Uyghurs leaders and international guts, who was attending the Training Seminar.
Conference on East Turkestan in Turkey
A conference titled "The occupation of the East Turkestan Republic and the International Law" was convened on 19 April at the Gazi University in Ankara in a joint cooperation of the East Turkestan Culture and Solidarity Association in Turkey with the Turkish Law Institute. Ms. Rebiya Kadder presented an opening speech to the conference via Internet. More 400 people including representatives from the East Turkestan Culture and Solidarity Association, Turkish Law Institute, law experts, professors, lecturers and students from the Gazi University also attended the conference.
U.S.-China Human Rights Dialogue
From 27-28 April 2011 the U.S. China Human Rights Dialogue took place in Beijing. Discussions focused on human rights developments, including the recent negative trend of forced disappearances, extralegal detentions, and arrests and convictions, as well as rule of law, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, labor rights, minority rights and other human rights issues of concern.
Related articles: China accuses US of human rights double standards Guardian, 11 April 2011 Tension Precedes U.S. China Meeting on Human Rights New York Times, 22 April 2011 U.S. China Human Rights Dialogue: Soft Power Gone Hard? WSJ, 27 April 2011 back to top
UPCOMING EVENTS
17th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
From 30 May to 17 June , the 17th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place in Geneva, Switzerland. The Human Rights Council is an inter governmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The Council was created by the UN General Assembly on 15 March 2006 with the main purpose of addressing situations of human rights violations and make recommendations on them. The WUC is currently lobbying for the inclusion of a mention of the Uyghur human rights situation in the oral and/or written statement of the country delegations or of the NGOs with ECOSOC status.
Food and Culture from East Turkestan
On 25 June 2011 at 19h, the Songtsen House in collaboration with the Swiss Uyghur Association will organise an Uyghur cultural evening including Uyghur food. To participate, please send an e mail to [email protected] until 19 June 2011. For more information visit Songtsen´s website . back to top
HIGHLIGHTED MEDIA ARTICLES AND REPORTS ON UYGHUR RELATED ISSUES
US State Department : 2010 Human Rights Report
On 8 April 2011, the US State Department released its 2010 Human Rights Report . In the summary on China, the State Department stated that a negative trend in key areas of the country’s human rights record continued, as the government took additional steps to rein in civil society, particularly organizations and individuals involved in rights advocacy and public interest issues, and increased attempts to limit freedom of speech and to control the press, the Internet, and Internet access. Efforts to silence political activists and public interest lawyers were stepped up, and
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increasingly the government resorted to extralegal measures including enforced disappearance, “soft detention,” and strict house arrest, including house arrest of family members, to prevent the public voicing of independent opinions. Public interest law firms that took on sensitive cases also continued to face harassment, disbarment of legal staff, and closure.
The report also highlights that individuals and groups, especially those seen as politically sensitive by the government, continued to face tight restrictions on their freedom to assemble, practice religion, and travel. The government continued its severe cultural and religious repression of ethnic minorities in East Turkestan / Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and Tibetan areas.
As in previous years, citizens did not have the right to change their government. Principal human rights problems during the year included: extrajudicial killings, including executions without due process; enforced disappearance and incommunicado detention, including prolonged illegal detentions at unofficial holding facilities known as “black jails”; torture and coerced confessions of prisoners; detention and harassment of journalists, writers, dissidents, petitioners, and others who sought to peacefully exercise their rights under the law; a lack of due process in judicial proceedings, political control of courts and judges; closed trials; the use of administrative detention; restrictions on freedoms to assemble, practice religion, and travel; failure to protect refugees and asylum seekers; pressure on other countries to forcibly return citizens to China; intense scrutiny of, and restrictions on, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs); discrimination against women, minorities, and persons with disabilities; a coercive birth limitation policy, which in some cases resulted in forced abortion or forced sterilization; trafficking in persons; prohibitions on independent unions and a lack of protection for workers’ right to strike; and the use of forced labor, including prison labor. Corruption remained endemic.
Related links: Report Condemns 'Worsening' Rights Record RFA, 8 April 2011 State department report slams China on human rights The Cable, 8 April 2011 China tells US not to interfere on human rights Agence France Presse, 10 April 2011 China Responds Strongly To US Human Rights Report RTT News, 10 April 2011 China savages 'poor' US rights record AFP, 10 April 2011
UN Rights Panel Raps China Over 'Disappeared'
On 8 April 2011, the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances expressed serious concern at the recent wave of enforced disappearances that allegedly took place in China over the last few months.
“Enforced disappearance is a crime under international law. Even short term secret detentions can qualify as enforced disappearances,” the UN expert body said. “There can never be an excuse to disappear people, especially when those persons are peacefully expressing their dissent with the Government of their country.”
The Working Group has received recently multiple reports of a number of persons having being subject to enforced disappearance. According to the allegations received, there is a pattern of enforced disappearances in China, where persons suspected of dissent are taken to secret detention facilities, and are then often tortured and intimidated, before being released or put into “soft detention” and barred from contacting the outside world.
According to the Working Group, “persons subject to enforced disappearances appear to be human rights activists, lawyers and students. These enforced disappearances represent the continuation of a disturbing trend in the suppression of dissidents”.
The Working Group was established by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1980 to assist families in determining the fate and whereabouts of disappeared relatives. It endeavours to establish a channel of communication between the families and the Governments concerned, to ensure that individual cases are investigated, with the objective of clarifying the whereabouts of persons who, having disappeared, are placed outside the protection of the law. In view of the Working Group's humanitarian mandate, clarification occurs when the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person is clearly established.
Freedom House Report Freedom on the Net 2011
On 18 April 201 1, Freedom House released its report "FREEDOM ON THE NET 2011: A Global Assessment of Internet and Digital Media ". In order to illuminate the emerging threats to internet freedom and identify areas of opportunity, Freedom House created a unique methodology to assess the full range of elements that comprise digital media freedom.
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This report examines internet freedom in 37 countries around the globe. The study’s findings indicate that the threats to internet freedom are growing and have become more diverse. Cyber attacks, politically motivated censorship, and government control over internet infrastructure have emerged as especially prominent threats. The chapter on China is available here , the full report can be downloaded here .
US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) 2011 Annual Report
On 28 April 2011, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released its 2011 Annual Report and recommended that the Secretary of State name the following nations “countries of particular concern” or CPCs: Burma, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam. CPCs are nations whose conduct marks them as the world’s worst religious freedom violators and human rights abusers.
Because of these systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, USCIRF recommends in 2011 that China again be designated as a ―country of particular concern, or CPC. The State Department has designated China as a CPC since 1999.
Related article: China says US report criticizing religious restrictions biased Canadian Press, 4 May 2011 back to top
MORE MEDIA ARTICLES
Uyghurs / East Turkestan
Uighurs long to live free — let them The Kansas City Star, 14 April 2011
Kazakh Aspect Of Uyghur Problem European Dialogue, April 2011
The Uighurs’ Passover Story The New Yorker, 19 April 2011
Uyghur Refugee In Kazakhstan Faces Extradition To China RFERL, 20 April 2011
Kashgar offers golden opportunities to Pakistani traders: Ambassador Masood Khan Associated Press of Pakistan, 25 April 2011
Guantánamo Bay files: China among regimes invited to interrogate captives The Guardian, 25 April 2011
Memories of Kashgar and shopping Today´s Zaman, 3 May 2011
Tibet
Tibetans Defend Kirti Monastery RFA, 12 April 2011
Dalai Lama Calls for 'Restraint' RFA, 15 April 2011
Tibetan monastery crackdown video emerges AFP, 21 April 2011
China
Under this surreal ‘rule by law’, Ai Weiwei is guilty Guardian.co.uk, 7 April 2011
Rudd raises human rights with Chinese Sydney Morning Herald, 10 April 2011
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Police Crackdown 'Unprecedented' RFA, 12 April 2011
China questions Aussie human rights record Sydney Morning Herals, 27 April 2011
Torture Fears for Detainees RFA, 26 April 2011
The Silencing of China’s Human Rights Lawyers Epoch Times, 2 May 2011
China demands Nobel Prize apology from Norway AFP, 5 May 2011 back to top
ABOUT THE UYGHURS
The Uyghur People
The Uyghur people are indigenous to East Turkestan [also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China]. For many years, the Chinese government has waged an intense and often brutal campaign to repress all forms of Uyghur dissent, crack down on Uyghurs’ peaceful religious activities and independent expressions of ethnicity, dilute Uyghurs’ culture and identity as a distinct people, and threaten the survival of the Uyghur language.
The authorities have routinely equated Uyghurs’ peaceful political, religious, and cultural activities with the “three evils” – terrorism, separatism and religious extremism – and have couched their persecution of the Uyghurs as efforts to quash these “three evils.” The authorities have also economically marginalized the Uyghurs in East Turkestan through intense and blatant racial discrimination in employment.
The Uyghurs are a Turkic people and have long practiced a moderate, traditional form of Sunni Islam, strongly imbued with the folklore and traditions of a rural, oasis dwelling population.
East Turkestan
East Turkestan lies in the very heart of Asia. Situated along the fabled ancient Silk Road, it has been a prominent centre of commerce for more than 2000 years. The current territorial size of East Turkestan is 1.82 million square kilometers. The neighboring Chinese province annexed part of the territory as a result of the Chinese communist invasion of 1949.
East Turkestan borders with China and Mongolia to the east, Russia to the north, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to the west, and Tibet to the south.
According to latest Chinese census, the current population of East Turkestan is 19.25 million, including 7.49 million ethnic Chinese illegal settled in East Turkestan after 1949 (the ethnic Chinese numbered 200,000 in 1949). The 10,5 million Uyghurs constitute the majority. However, the Uyghur sources put the population of Uyghurs around 20 million.
Events of 5 July 2009
The human rights situation of the Uyghur population in East Turkestan has been dire for decades and has even worsened since the July 2009 protest and ethnic unrest in Urumqi, the capital of East Turkestan.
The July 2009 protest began with a peaceful demonstration by Uyghurs in Urumqi that was brutally and lethally suppressed by Chinese security forces. The Uyghurs were protesting against a lack of government action in regard to a deadly attack on Uyghur factory workers in Shaoguan, Guangdong Province in the south of China. The violent and illegal reaction of the Chinese security forces to the peaceful protest led then to ethnic violence and riots between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, during which hundreds of Uyghur and Han Chinese civilians were killed.
According to data published by the Chinese Xinhua news agency, 197 people were killed, but the World Uyghur Congress estimates – based on eyewitness reports that more than 1000 people died in the riots. However, until today, the exact death toll on both sides is not clear since so far no independent investigation of these events has been undertaken.
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ABOUT THE WORLD UYGHUR CONGRESS
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is an international umbrella organization that represents the collective interest of the Uyghur people both in East Turkestan and abroad and promotes Uyghur human rights and a peaceful and non violent solution based on rule of law for the conflict in East Turkestan. For more information, please visit our website .
WUC´s monthly newsletter provides the latest information on Uyghur related issues and informs about the work and activities of the WUC and its affiliate members. Older editions of the newsletter can be viewed from the web .
To subscribe for WUC´s e mail service, please fill in this form . If you wish to stop receiving e mails from the World Uyghur Congress, please send an e mail with “unsubscribe” in the subject to [email protected]
Support the World Uyghur Congress!
The WUC is organised as a non profit organisation and relies on membership fees, grants and donations, which help the organisation to sustain its work and activities. Your donation will support our efforts to promote the preservation and flourishing of a rich, humanistic and diverse Uyghur culture, and to support the right of the Uyghur people to use peaceful, democratic means to determine their own political future.
Beneficiary Name: For transfers from abroad: Weltkongress der Uiguren e.V IBAN: De 93 700 700 24 0244 089 901 (The World Uyghur Congress) BIC Code: DEUTDEDBMUC Bank code: 700 700 24 Account No.: 244 089 901
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Thank you for your continued support.
© 2011 World Uyghur Congress | Published: 10 May 2011
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