Speech of Isa DOLKUN, EU Representative of the Uyghurs, at the EU Parliament

Below is an extract of the Secretary General of the World Uyghur Congress' (WUC) speech:

In his speech at the EU Parliament (Conference of 30th September 2009 - 60 Years of Democracy in China) see : http://merryabla64.wordpress.com/2009/10/02/itf-eu-representative-attended-a-conference-at-the-eu-parliament-in-brussels/ )

Mr. Isa DOLKUN, Secretary General of WUC, said that Uyghurs are around 20 million in China.
He said that as China is preparing for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 2009, and the 54th anniversary of the founding of the so-called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Uyghur people commemorate this date as a date of national mourning. The main reason is that the decision to set up the autonomous region rather than fulfilling the promises of self-determination made by MAO ZEDONG was against the wishes of the Uyghur people.

He reminded the audience that although at the Sixth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 1945 MAO ZEDONG had announced that after CCP takeover of China, the people of East Turkestan would have the right to self-determination and the choice between full independence and establishment of a federated republic within the framework of federalism, MAO ZEDONG denied the people of East Turkestan the right to self-determination as soon as CCP took over and he established this so-called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

Mr. DOLKUN said that “faced with this situation, the Uyghur people asked to form a federated republic within the People’s Republic of China, but that MAO ZEDUNG also rejected this request, claiming “that East Turkestan has always been an inalienable part of an indivisible China, even before it was liberated; therefore there would be no sense in dividing China into federated republics”.

In February 1955 a special committee was created by CCP to prepare for regional autonomy in East Turkestan, and in August the provincial government adopted a resolution calling for such regional autonomy. The First East Turkestan Provincial People’s Congress approved the resolution in September 1955 and dispatched it to Beijing, where the State Council and the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress approved it on September 13, 1955. As a result, the so-called Xinjiang Wei Wu Er Zi Zi Chu, or the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, came into being on October 1, 1955.

With the creation of the so-called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Chinese political oppression, cultural assimilation, economic exploitation, ecological destruction, racial discrimination, arbitrary arrests, torture, execution and the forced sterilization on Uyghur women. The Uyghurs are faced with the danger of becoming a small minority in their own country and thereby losing their cultural identity.
Since 60 years, the fundamental human rights and the freedoms of the Uyghurs including civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights have been violated.”

Mr. DOLKUN said “that Uyghurs are extremely worried about the further escalation of the current situation. The World Uyghur Congress and Uyghur communities around the world are deeply concerned about the unprecedented bloodshed on July 5th 2009 in Urumqi, the capital of East Turkistan.”

He explained “that one of the reasons for the July 5th Uyghur peaceful protest in Urumqi was the government’s inaction after a number of Uyghur workers had been killed and several hundreds more injured in a Guangdong toy factory on June 25th.”

On July 6th, several thousand Han Chinese mobs, carrying meat cleavers, machetes, axes, clubs and shovels, went onto Urumqui’s streets to injure and kill every Uyghur they could find. They destroyed shops and restaurants owned by Uyghurs and demolished two mosques.

He said that tensions remain high in East Turkestan. China has responded to a peaceful Uyghur protest with a military crackdown that resulted in about 1000 Uyghur civilian deaths and about 5000 arrests. This has increased fear and intimidation faced by the Uyghurs. Those who have been detained are at great risk of torture and other forms of ill- treatment.

Below are the requests of the Uyghur people:

The Chinese Government should:
- allow an independent and international investigation into the Shaoguan killings and into the Urumchi unrest.
- Allow journalists access to East Turkestan.
- Respect its own constitution and Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law and grant Uyghurs genuine religious freedom, economic opportunity, cultural rights, freedom of speech and the rule of law.
- End it aggressive policy of monolingual education, and give students ant their parents a choice about their language of instruction.
- Equal employment opportunities for Uyghurs should e implemented
- Uyghurs should be allowed to attend the mosque without fear of suspicion
- Stop imprisoning peaceful dissenters
- End policies diluting Uyghur culture
- Stop distorting Uyghur history
- Stop its cultural genocide of the Uyghur people

Uyghurs urge the world’s media and the world’s governments to speak out against a further abuse of the Uyghur people’s human rights.

The international community should encourage China to start dialogue with the representatives of WUC to peacefully resolve the current issues, respect of international law, and taking actions in the international framework and the future status of East Turkestan.”

Protest in Urumchi violently suppressed by Chinese government forces

For immediate release

July 5, 2009, 9:15 pm EST

Contact: Uyghur American Association +1 (202) 349 1496



The Uyghur American Association (UAA) condemns in the strongest possible terms the Chinese government’s use of excessive force against peaceful protestors in Urumchi.



On Sunday, July 5, 2009, Uyghur students organized a protest in Urumchi to express discontent with the Chinese authorities’ response to the mob killing and beating of Uyghur workers at a toy factory in Shaoguan, Guangdong on June 26, 2009. The aim of the protesters was to seek justice for the victims in Shaoguan and to express sympathy with the families of those killed and injured.



Reports indicate that between 1,000 to 3,000 protestors marched through the Döng Körük (Erdaoqiao) area of Urumchi on July 5, 2009, some of whom were waving the flag of the People’s Republic of China. The protestors were met by a fierce Chinese government response to quell the protest, which included the deployment of four kinds of police (regular police, anti-riot police, special police and the People's Armed Police). Protest participants, who wish to remain anonymous for safety reasons, have indicated in phone conversations with the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) that an unknown number of Uyghurs were fired upon by Chinese authorities and killed.



“The East Turkestan issue has reached a critical juncture and the Chinese government must act now to address Uyghur concerns”, said Uyghur democracy leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, in a statement. “This incident could have been avoided if the Chinese authorities had properly investigated the Shaoguan killings. Young Uyghurs exercised their right to peacefully protest the mishandling of the killings and were in turn met with government violence. The Chinese authorities should not only find those responsible for the killing of Uyghurs in Shaoguan and Urumchi, but it should also release all those Uyghurs detained in Urumchi during the protest and compensate those Uyghurs killed and injured.”



According to official Chinese media, a massive mob attack at a factory in the city of Shaoguan left two Uyghur workers dead and 118 workers injured. Some news reports stated that the majority of the injured were Uyghurs. Unconfirmed reports indicate that more Uyghurs were killed in the attack than the two reported in the official media. In addition, according to a report posted on a Shaoguan government website that has now been taken down, 81 Uyghur workers were injured, 66 of whom were in critical condition in the hospital. Since the incident no arrests have been made in connection with the killing of Uyghurs in Shaoguan.



2009 marks the sixtieth year of Chinese Communist Party rule in East Turkestan. Since 1949, contrary to Chinese claims, Uyghurs in East Turkestan have experienced a deterioration in human rights conditions in the region. Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the U.S. Department of State have all documented the suppression of Uyghur political and civil rights, while the Chinese government conducts an eradication of the Uyghur identity through violations of economic, social and cultural rights.

Please see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o5a0PCt1Vg

http://uyghuramerican.org/content_images/urumchi-protest/urumchi.jpg

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http://uyghuramerican.org/content_images/urumchi-protest/urumchi4.jpg

http://uyghuramerican.org/content_images/urumchi-protest/urumchi5.jpg

UAA protests extradition of nine Uyghurs from Pakistan to China

For immediate release
April 28, 2009, 6:30 pm EST

Contact: Uyghur American Association +1 (202) 349 1496

The Uyghur American Association (UAA) is concerned about reports that nine Uyghurs have been extradited from Pakistan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). UAA condemns the Pakistani government’s refoulement of the nine Uyghurs, accused of terrorism, to the PRC, as this action contravenes international law. Uyghurs accused of terrorism and extradited to China are likely to face serious human rights violations, including torture, unfair trials, and execution. International law forbids the extradition of any individual to a country in which their safety cannot be guaranteed.

According to Pakistani media reports, the handover of the nine men came about as a result of three agreements made between Pakistan and China regarding militancy and extremism. However, UAA urges caution when viewing allegations of terrorism among Uyghurs in Pakistan, in light of Pakistani authorities’ close cooperation with the Chinese government in its persecution of Pakistani-based Uyghurs’ peaceful activities.

“Pakistani authorities are increasingly cooperating with China to restrict Uyghurs’ cultural and religious freedoms, and to prevent Uyghurs in Pakistan from raising awareness about human rights abuses in East Turkestan,” said Uyghur democracy leader Rebiya Kadeer. “Under these circumstances, and considering China’s documented past treatment of Uyghurs forcibly returned from Pakistan, we call upon Pakistani authorities to respect the principle of non-refoulement and undertake a full, transparent investigation into the allegations against these nine men.”

Past cases of Uyghurs extradited from Pakistan to China
The case of Uyghur political prisoner Ismail Semed demonstrates the PRC’s willingness to use the legal system as a tool of intimidation and repression. Executed in February 2007 after being deported from Pakistan to the PRC in 2003, Semed was known to have been politically active in support of Uyghurs’ human rights. Semed was sentenced to death in October 2005 on charges of “attempting to split the motherland” and other charges relating to the alleged possession of firearms and explosives. He was known to have been politically active in peaceful activities in support of Uyghurs’ human rights. PRC authorities accused him of having been a founding member of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). This accusation, which apparently led to the “splittism” charge, appears to have been based solely on second-hand testimony that was obtained through torture.

According to Semed’s sentencing document, which was seen by UHRP, the only evidence with regard to the charges of possession of explosives is the testimony of several other Uyghurs, two of whom were executed by the Chinese government in 1999. UHRP believes it likely that the testimonies of these Uyghurs were obtained through torture, and that Semed’s documented “confession” to the charges against him was also likely extracted through torture.

Businessman and Uyghur activist Osman Alihan was extradited in July 2007, also from Pakistan. His current whereabouts are unknown, but UAA is gravely concerned about the likelihood that he has been executed or that he is suffering severe maltreatment in the custody of Chinese authorities. Alihan was one of around 20 Uyghurs named on a “wanted list” given to the Pakistani authorities by the PRC government in the lead-up to a Pakistan-China Joint Working Group on Terrorism held in Beijing not long before his detention by Pakistani security forces. In addition to his business activities, Alihan had been working to help impoverished Uyghur students in Pakistan and Turkey.

Alihan was one of the organizers of peaceful protests in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy in Pakistan in August and September 2006 by Uyghurs protesting the denial of their Saudi entry visas. Reportedly under intense pressure from the PRC government, Saudi authorities had refused to issue the visas, which the protestors, who had traveled to Pakistan as private citizens, were seeking in order to participate in the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj. After the protests, and following pressure from the international community, Saudi Arabia issued visas to the Uyghur pilgrims, angering Beijing.
A precarious situation for Uyghurs in SCO member and observer states
In recent years, and particularly following September 11, PRC authorities have engaged in a sustained crackdown on the “three evil forces” of “separatist, terrorist and religious extremists” in East Turkestan. This has resulted in serious and widespread human rights violations directed against the region’s Uyghur community, prompting many of them to flee the country.

Uyghurs who flee into countries neighboring East Turkestan increasingly face great danger and the risk of being sent back to the PRC. Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of Uyghurs being forcibly returned to the PRC from various neighboring states – including Pakistan – where they are then extremely vulnerable to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

As the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) marks more than a decade of existence, Beijing has extended its campaign of intimidation into neighboring countries by using bilateral agreements with SCO member and observer states to force the return of Uyghurs suspected of “separatist activities”, including asylum-seekers and refugees. A number of Uyghur returnees have reportedly been subjected to serious human rights violations, including torture, unfair trials and even executions. In all of these cases, SCO governments are in clear violation of the principal of non-refoulement, which protects refugees from being returned to places where their lives or freedoms could be threatened.
Pakistan’s current “observer” status with the SCO, as well as Pakistani government officials’ remarks against domestic activities perceived as critical of China, raises concerns that Pakistan is willing to persecute innocent Uyghurs, or send them back to East Turkestan, in order to please China.

Pakistan hopes to act as an important energy and trade link between China and oil-exporting Middle Eastern nations. China has invested heavily in a deep sea port at Gwadar in southwestern Pakistan, through which both countries hope to gain significant strategic and economic benefits, including through a possible oil pipeline linking Gwadar with East Turkestan.

Other examples of Uyghurs who have been extradited to the PRC from SCO member and observer states include Canadian citizen Huseyin Celil, now serving a life term in prison, who was detained in Uzbekistan in March 2006 while visiting relatives, and activists Yusuf Kadir and Abdukadir Sidik, now detained or possibly executed, who were extradited from Kazakhstan.

China’s use of terror allegations to persecute Uyghurs

Over the past eight years, using “terrorism” as a justification, Beijing has undertaken a renewed, systematic, and sustained crackdown on all forms of Uyghur dissent. Uyghurs arrested under this crackdown frequently suffer from physical abuse and other maltreatment while in government custody. In addition, they are often subject to nontransparent trials and denied access to independent counsel. Convictions are regularly obtained on the basis of forced confessions extracted through torture.

In August 2005, Chinese authorities warned a visiting delegation from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom that “elements of al Qaeda” were targeting them. The Commission later determined that this claim was used to “restrict Commission activities and to monitor its contact with local people not approved by the government.” In June 2006, the Chinese diplomatic mission in Pakistan claimed that “members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement” were planning to kidnap senior Chinese diplomats and consular officers in the country. However, no evidence was presented.

The PRC government has used frequent “strike hard” campaigns to target many peaceful expressions of Uyghur identity inside East Turkestan. Since 9/11, Amnesty International has documented that, under these types of campaigns, “tens of thousands of people are reported to have been detained for investigation in the region, and hundreds, possibly thousands, have been charged or sentenced under the Criminal Law; many Uighurs are believed to have been sentenced to death and executed for alleged “separatist” or “terrorist” offences.”

See also:
Uyghur political prisoner executed in Urumchi
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/360/1/Uyghur-political-prisoner-executed-in-Urumchi/index.html
Uyghur detained in Pakistan, at risk of extradition to China
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/368/1/Uyghur-detained-in-Pakistan-at-risk-of-extradition-to-China/index.html
Amnesty International Urgent Action regarding Osman Alihan
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa17707.pdf
Persecution of Uyghurs in the Era of the “War on Terror”
http://uhrp.org/docs/Persecution_of_Uyghurs_in_the_Era_of_the_War_on_Terror.pdf
PRC using Shanghai Cooperation Organization as a tool of intimidation against Uyghurs
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/403/1/PRC-using-Shanghai-Cooperation-Organization-as-a-tool-of-intimidation-against-Uyghurs-/index.html
Chinese influence on neighboring states leads to extradition, suppression of Uyghurs
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/186/1/Chinese-influence-on-neighboring-states-leads-to-extradition-suppression-of-Uyghurs/Chinese-influence-on-neighboring-states-leads-to-extradition-suppression-of-Uyghurs.html

Uyghur Human Rights Project Press Release

Karamay city government mandates tighter Party oversight of mosques and practitioners

For immediate release

November 21, 2008, 4:00 pm EST

Contact: Uyghur American Association +1 (202) 349 1496

According to an official Chinese media report, new regulations being implemented in the city of Karamay in the northern part of East Turkestan (also known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China) stipulate that minority cadres in the local government must engage in close contact with local mosques and worshippers, in part to “cut off unstable factors” and “achieve the goal of unifying the masses of worshippers”. The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) believes the new policy of closer oversight of Islamic religious worship in the city indicates intensified government restriction that will prevent Uyghur religious worshippers from practicing their faith freely.

At a meeting held on November 17 in Karamay, Party Standing Committee Member Burhan Kahar, together with other local government officials, put forth specific arrangements for 22 minority cadres in Karamay to liaise with mosques and religious worshippers in the area.

According to the new rules, every minority cadre at the deputy bureau level and above must communicate with the leaders of one mosque each specified period, and must communicate with each “responsible person” at the mosque at least once during that period. One out of every two cadres at the deputy director level and above must communicate with one mosque at least once a month, and must communicate with each “responsible person” at the mosque at least once.
Kahar stated that all levels of minority cadres should take a leading role in the work of communicating with worshippers, making use of the advantages they possess in terms of a common language and background, and to work toward the “unification” of religious believers. He also emphasized the long-term nature of these efforts, and urged minority cadres to avoid a mere superficial undertaking of this work to “protect social stability”.

UHRP is particularly concerned about the official media report’s references to social stability and unification. Such words, frequently used by Chinese government officials in East Turkestan, often indicate a clampdown on Uyghurs whose assertions of religious belief or cultural identity are viewed as a separatist threat. The rules come on the heels of a Ramadan (the Muslim holy month) that saw an unprecedented tightening of religious control throughout East Turkestan. Students and government employees were not permitted to fast during Ramadan this year or attend mosques in general. Restaurants were also forced to open during fasting hours.

The article also refers to the November 17 meeting’s adherence to the spirit of Deputy Communist Party Secretary Nur Bakri’s remarks at a recent high-level meeting in September. At the September meeting, Bakri condemned “imperialist plans to split China” by fomenting violence in East Turkestan, and railed against the three evils of “terrorism, separatism and extremism”. UHRP is concerned that Karamay officials’ reference to Bakri’s September remarks indicate a lack of distinction between Uyghurs’ peaceful expression of their religious beliefs and acts of violence or terrorism.

“The Chinese government is demonizing Uyghurs’ religious beliefs, in Karamay and in cities and towns throughout East Turkestan,” said Uyghur democracy leader Rebiya Kadeer. “By linking religious practices with calls for social stability and requiring greater government control of mosques, the Chinese government leaves no room for Uyghurs’ to peacefully practice their religion.”

While China’s constitution guarantees religious freedom to all citizens, including the right to “[…] believe in, or not believe in, any religion”, religion is often viewed as detrimental to society, particularly in the Uyghur case. Uyghurs’ religious identity is viewed as a threat that must be controlled or eradicated. Uyghur imams are required to attend “political education classes”, and their sermons are restricted in terms of in length and content. Minors are forbidden from entering a mosque or engaging in religious study; Uyghur government cadres are forbidden from practicing Islam; and Uyghur women and university students face restrictions in their religious worship. Only official versions of the Koran are permitted.

Uyghurs are not permitted to undertake Hajj, unless it is with an expensive official tour, in which applicants are carefully vetted for their “obedience to the law”. Confiscations of passports, to the point where very few Uyghurs have passports, ensures adherence to the ‘official tours only’ policy, and also restricts other types of international trips.

The majority of religious Uyghurs in East Turkestan practice a moderate form of Islam, which has been influenced by East Turkestan’s historical role as a crossroads of cultures and traditions. This historical background has lent Uyghurs a relatively tolerant system of religious beliefs and an openness to other cultures.

Please see:
Leaders at the “fuchu” level and above in Xinjiang Karamay must maintain long-term contact with mosques [Xinjiang Kelamayi fuchu yishang lingdao he qingzhensi changqi lianxi], November 19, 2008, www.chinanews.com.
http://news.china.com/zh_cn/domestic/945/20081119/15195484.html
See also:
Top Communist official accuses West of supporting “East Turkestan terrorist forces”
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/1428/1/Top-Communist-official-accuses-West-of-supporting-quotEast-Turkestan-terrorist-forcesquot-/index.html
A “Life or Death Struggle” in East Turkestan; Uyghurs face unprecedented persecution in post-Olympic period
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/1396/1/A-Life-or-Death-Struggle-in-East-Turkestan-Uyghurs-face-unprecedented-persecution-in-post-Olympic-period/index.html
State Department report highlights human rights abuses against Uyghurs
http://www.uhrp.org/articles/817/1/State-Department-report-highlights-human-rights-abuses-against-Uyghurs-/index.html
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The Uyghur American Association (UAA) works 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.

The UAA has undertaken the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) for the purpose of promoting improved human rights conditions for Uyghurs and other indigenous groups in East Turkestan, on the premise that the assurance of basic human rights will facilitate the realization of the community’s democratic aspirations.

Uyghur Human Rights Project
Uyghur American Association
1701 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W. Suite 300
Washington, D.C. 20006
Tel: +1 (202) 349 1496
Fax: +1 (202) 349 1491
info[at]uyghuramerican.org
www.uhrp.org
www.uyghuramerican.org