The risk of the Uyghur genocide being forgotten is a grave concern. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has not only employed deliberate and calculated tactics to conceal its genocide and crimes against humanity in East Turkestan but has also orchestrated a campaign to ensure others forget it is happening. Gregory H. Stanton, the president of … Read more
Every exiled Uyghur carries a load: the “enormous pain, the hole in your heart, the burden on your shoulder and the nightmare in your sleep,” in the words of Yalkun Uluyol. Uluyol’s father is serving a 16-year prison sentence; an uncle has been condemned to life; and 30 or so other family members are serving … Read more
On February 5, 1997, in my hometown of Ghulja, Chinese security forces fired upon Uyghurs engaged in peaceful protests against a government crackdown on a growing civil society movement. This grassroots initiative aimed to tackle social issues, and promote artistic expression, moral values, and religious principles, through the Uyghur cultural tradition of meshrep, community gatherings. … Read more
On December 9, 2021, a momentous ruling was delivered, marking a significant moment for the Uyghur community. The finding: China has perpetrated genocide against the Uyghur people. The independent Uyghur Tribunal, composed of international legal experts, scholars, and representatives from non-governmental organizations, conducted hearings in June, September, and November 2021. The tribunal’s expert panel meticulously … Read more
When an extremist burned a copy of the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque, it ignited strong reactions from the Islamic world. This act led to Morocco withdrawing its consul from Sweden and condemnation from countries like Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called for a meeting to discuss and condemn the … Read more
The Debate | Opinion Photo ops with genocidaires discredit his legacy, his office, and the United Nations as an agent of world peace. Advertisement It was the image China wanted from its October 2023 Belt and Road Forum: a smiling António Guterres shaking hands with Xi Jinping in front of the flags of the United Nations and … Read more
Advertisement It has been over two and a half years since the United States determined that China’s treatment of the Uyghurs is an ongoing genocide. Yet U.S. China policy in recent months has been one of engagement, absent decisive action on atrocities. This worrying trend of engaging with Beijing without discussing the Uyghur genocide is … Read more
The Debate | Opinion By bringing tourists to the Uyghur region, travel companies tacitly whitewash genocidal policies and profit from hyper-securitization. This Feb. 1, 2019, photo by Patrick Wack shows a closed down mosque in the old town of Kashgar. The mosque is surveilled 24/7 by police officers and surrounded by numerous video cameras. Credit: Patrick Wack … Read more
Advertisement In his haunting 1956 memoir “Night,” Elie Wiesel recounts the horrors he endured during the Holocaust and how indifference to the suffering of millions shook his faith in humanity. In the book’s 2006 preface, he explains that his manuscript was originally “rejected by every major publisher.” Then he notes a seachange 50 years later. … Read more
Uyghur Americans demonstrate at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC in October 2021. Credit: Courtesy of Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and Uyghur American Association (UAA) Advertisement On June 17, 2020, at the stroke of a pen, the Uyghur Human Rights Policy (UHRP) Act became law in the United States. It was the first piece … Read more