World Uyghur Congress August Newsletter

AUGUST NEWSLETTER

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Uyghur Students' Saga in Egypt Continues

Despite condemnation from human rights groups and Uyghur exiles around the world, Egypt’s sweeping crackdown on Uyghur students continued as even more were rounded up and detained. According to Radio Free Asia, at least 200 Uyghurs, many of them religious students at Al-Azhar religious university, have been detained by Egyptian authorities.

Those who have been detained now are at serious risk of being forcibly deported to China. According to the Egyptian Commission of Rights and Freedoms (ECRF) 12 Uyghur students were already deported to China on July 6. Amnesty International reported on August 1 that another 10 Uyghurs were returned to China from July 11-14.

This is particularly concerning as Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers consistently face persecution by Chinese authorities upon their return. There are many documented cases of Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers who have been forced to endure extended periods of arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearance and execution after being forcibly returned to China.

Many of the students were detained at Egyptian airports as they attempted to flee the country. Reports have emerged that a woman who was nine-months pregnant was arrested by Egyptian authorities while attempting to seek refuge in Turkey.

Uyghur students have also directly appealed in a letter to the Al-Azhar Islamic University’s Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, to intervene to prevent further deportations of Uyghur students to China. Al-Azhar had already claimed in a statement on July 7, 2017 that no students were arrested on its premises, but that it was engaging with authorities in Egypt in the wake of reports of mass arrests on social media.

Dolkun Isa Briefly Detained by Italian police in Rome, Italy

On 26 July 2017, Mr Dolkun Isa, General Secretary of the World Uyghur Congress and UNPO Member, was arrested by 15-20 General Investigations and Special Operations Division (DIGOS) officers outside the entrance of the Italian Senate. Isa was scheduled to speak at a conference organised by UNPO in collaboration with the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty and hosted by Senator Luigi Compagna, entitled ‘’SOS Rule of Law: The Uyghur Emergency’’.

Isa went to the offices of the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty at around 10:30 and was stopped by police on the way to the Senate. He was then taken to a police station for an identity check. Isa was then released around 15:00 and brought directly back to the offices of the Party. Following his release, Isa was told that his information was run through the INTERPOL database and that the action was requested by Chinese authorities.

The incident was unfortunately not the first faced by the WUC’s General Secretary as he has encountered problems travelling in the past to attend international fora. Isa was recently was recently escorted out of the UN premises in New York during the 16^th session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues without justification. In each case, the Chinese government has played a significant role in putting pressure on governments and institutions.

WUC Expressed Deep Sadness at the Death of Liu Xiaobo

The World Uyghur Congress expressed its deep sadness and regret upon hearing of the death of Liu Xiaobo. Liu succumbed to terminal liver cancer on Thursday, 13 July 2017, after the Chinese government refused to allow him to travel overseas to seek emergency treatment. The tireless Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner was serving an 11-year jail term for his activism. He played an instrumental role in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and worked for years speaking and writing publicly about the importance of democracy.

Liu will forever stand as a symbol both of a wide-ranging struggle for human rights and democracy as well as the relentless and repressive power of the state. His case appropriately embodies China’s continued efforts to silence peaceful critics, intimidate dissidents and stifle a much needed conversation about what approach will truly benefit Chinese, Uyghurs, Tibetans and many others.

WUC Continues to Call for Accountability Over Disappearances 8 Years On

On July 5th, 2009, what started as a peaceful protest in response to government inaction over the deaths of Uyghur factory workers in Shaoguan days earlier quickly turned violent as state security forces moved in to crush the protesters. By Chinese estimates, 197 people were killed in the violence, but we can conclude that the number is likely much higher considered China’s recurrent misrepresentation of incidents such as these. The number of deaths and injuries has since never been independently verified.

The World Uyghur Congress and its affiliates held demonstrations around the world as a means to remember those who were killed and disappeared. Some of these events, including large demonstrations, meetings and cultural events, are to be held in cities across Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the United States.

Members of the Uyghur community in Germany protest in front of Chinese Consulate

Other Stories:

Thailand Facing Dilemma Over Fate of Ethnic Uyghurs
Thailand is reportedly facing a renewed dilemma over the fate of 62 Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers who have been held in detention centers in the country since 2014. The Thai government have been facing renewed pressure from China to return the group to China.

More than 100 People Connected to Kazakh Iman Detained by Chinese Police
Over 100 supporters, friends and former classmates of an ethnic minority Kazakh imam were detained in a crackdown by Chinese authorities. Amet died in police custody on June 4, 2017, with Chinese police claiming the cause of death was ‘suicide’.

Ilham Tohti Awarded Weimar 2017 Human Rights Prize
On June 30, Ilham Tohti was awarded the Weimar Human Rights Prize by Weimar city council for his commitments to the rights of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang autonomous region, based on the proposal from the Ilham Tohti Initiative and the Society for Threatened Peoples.

China Detains ‘More Than 100’ Uyghur Muslims Returning From Overseas Pilgrimage
Chinese authorities are holding hundreds of Uyghur Muslims after they returned from the Hajj pilgrimage. The detained Uyghurs were charged with illegal pilgrimage, for taking part in illegal religious activities and some of them are also facing charges of religious extremism.

Upcoming Events

WUC Will Attend 35th Session of the Human Rights Council

The World Uyghur Congress will send delegates to the 36th Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland to take part in dialogue with state missions, NGOs and other like-minded international organizations. Representatives may also participate in side events during the session focusing relevant issues to the Uyghur community.

Recent Activities

WUC and its Affiliates Stage Demonstrations on July 5th Anniversary

On the 8th anniversary of the unrest in Urumqi on July 5th, 2009, the World Uyghur Congress called on the Chinese government to fulfill its international human rights commitments and open an independent investigation into countless disappearances. The WUC and its affiliates held demonstrations, meetings and cultural events in cities across Germany, France, Belgium, Austria, Turkey, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and the United States as a means to remember those who were killed and disappeared.

WUC Representative Speaks After Being Detained Prior to Event

Senator Luigi Compagna, in collaboration with the NGO Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty and the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO) held a press event entitled ‘’SOS Rule of Law: The Uyghur Emergency’’ that took place July 26, 2017, in Rome, at the Senate of the Italian Republic. WUC General Secretary, Dolkun Isa, was briefly detained before the event took place by Italian police on account of pressure from the Chinese government, but was able to speak later in the day about the situation alongside the Nonviolent Radical Party Transnational and Transparty.

Sadness Over Death of Liu Xiaobo

The WUC expressed its sadness in a statement following the death of tireless Chinese dissident and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Liu Xiaobo. Liu, who was serving an 11-year jail term for his activism, played an instrumental role in the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 and worked for years speaking and writing publicly about the importance of democracy.