Uyghur Leader Condemns China on 15th Anniversary of Urumqi Massacre

Dolkun Isa, President of the World Uyghur Congress, criticizes China for ongoing human rights abuses and economic exploitation, especially in Africa. He appeals for international action against the Uyghur genocide, highlighting China's disregard for UN recommendations and the exploitation behind its global economic ventures.

Dolkun Isa, the President of the World Uyghur Congress, has vehemently criticized China for its dismal human rights record and its international economic policies, particularly in Africa. Speaking in an exclusive interview on the 15th anniversary of the 2009 Urumqi massacre, Isa described July 5 as the darkest day in Uyghur history, marking the start of what he calls a genocide against the Uyghur people.

''Today is the 15th anniversary of the 2009 Urumqi massacre. Thousands of Uyghur youths were demonstrating for justice, but China killed more than 1,000 of them, with many still unaccounted for,'' Isa said. He implored the international community to take action to halt what he describes as ongoing genocide, pointing to the grim conditions in concentration camps.

Isa, who is currently attending the 56th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, expressed frustration over China's dismissal of several UN recommendations during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). ''China rejected many crucial recommendations,'' Isa noted, emphasizing that issues like arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity remain unaddressed.

In the interview, Isa also reacted to the European Union's recent decision to increase tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, arguing that they are produced through forced labor involving millions of Uyghurs. He expressed concerns over China's growing influence and business ventures in Africa, calling them exploitative.

Isa added that China often claims interference by other nations is an internal matter while it meddles in the affairs of other countries, citing examples like Ukraine and the Middle East. He called for international solidarity to hold China accountable for its human rights violations, stressing that issues like Tibet, Hong Kong, and East Turkistan are not just internal problems but international concerns involving human rights and genocide.

(With inputs from agencies.)