Uyghur Advocacy Strengthens Global Alliances Amid Commemorations

The World Uyghur Congress marked significant anniversaries with events highlighting China's oppressive policies in Xinjiang. Engagements included European Parliament events, advocacy in Japan, and legal actions in France against surveillance companies. The WUC's international efforts underscore a growing global commitment to Uyghur rights and human rights protection.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has recently commemorated significant anniversaries with a resolute critique of Chinese policies in Xinjiang. It marked 76 years since the annexation of the East Turkistan Republic and 70 years since China's establishment of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) with events in the European Parliament. These occasions underscored the unfulfilled promises of autonomy under the XUAR model.

Throughout the month, the WUC intensified its advocacy efforts across Europe. It engaged policymakers and fortified alliances, with delegates holding pivotal meetings in the German Bundestag and briefing European diplomats on labor transfer schemes involving Uyghurs. The organization's participation in the International Forum 2000 further showcased its commitment to fostering global human rights cooperation. Additionally, WUC representatives addressed the VOC's China Forum, highlighting the Chinese Communist Party's cross-border repression efforts.

In Japan, the Japan Uyghur Association and the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary Association hosted a symposium at the National Diet, questioning China's ethnic policies. Notable speakers included Professor Jun Kumakura and journalist Nobuhiro Sakamoto, who discussed Uyghur forced sterilisation. The symposium drew significant attention from lawmakers and media. Concurrently, the WUC pressured European firms to reevaluate their use of unethical surveillance technology, leading to legal action against major companies in France. A joint protest in Berlin capped the month, uniting against China's systemic repression.

(With inputs from agencies.)