Uyghur protests in Washington DC. Credits.
A statement from Uyghur scholars in view of the 2024 General Assembly of the World Uyghur Congress in Sarajevo.
Bitter Winter, 09/23/2024
We the undersigned are a group of Uyghur scholars, professors, and intellectuals exiled around the world due to the Chinese government’s brutal repression of ethnic culture, religion, human rights, democracy, and freedom.
Seven years into Beijing’s atrocities in our homeland—which the United States and 11 other parliaments have declared amount to genocide, and the United Nations has affirmed may constitute crimes against humanity—we wish to stress the increasing urgency for action, and a deep need for unity and support for the Uyghur cause. To this end, we call on all democratic leaders, international organizations, and allies to reaffirm their support for Uyghur organizations, and stand with us to fight for justice and freedom.
This autumn is a pivotal moment for the Uyghur democratic movement in exile. On October 24-27, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) will hold its eighth General Assembly in Sarajevo, gathering over 150 delegates from dozens of countries to elect its leadership and form a consensus on strategy. This exercise of a free and fair election, undertaken once every three years, demonstrates its commitment to democratic values, and stands in sharp contrast to Beijing’s imposition of totalitarian rule in our homeland.
Like many elections worldwide, including those held in over 70 countries this year, our process will face challenges. As autocratic regimes like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran threaten global democracies, the Uyghur movement must overcome similar obstacles. We aim to strengthen democratic reforms, promote social cohesion, and embrace diversity. While division is a constant threat, our resilience lies in our ability to reform and grow. Since its founding in 2004 by a group of leaders, WUC has evolved into a global force of hundreds of Uyghur activists and supporters. Since 2017, it has implemented reforms, improving structure and leadership roles.
Through WUC’s leadership, Uyghur organizations have leveraged scholarly research and witness testimony to focus increased attention on Beijing’s crimes, leading to official recognition of the genocide, government bans on forced labor products, and company divestments from tainted supply chains. In addition, the WUC has taken several legal actions in different jurisdictions to hold China accountable. They have reminded countries of their obligations under the Rome Statute to protect victims of the genocide, and to combat China’s transnational repression. They have encouraged nations to grant safe harbor to victims, such as Canada’s recent decision to accept 10,000 Uyghur refugees. And they have pressed policymakers to address the atrocities in key lawmaking bodies in the UN, EU, U.S. Congress, and the parliaments of Canada, the UK, and EU countries.
WUC’s efforts to expose Beijing’s repression have inspired other victim groups, from Tibetans and Falun Gong to Hongkongers and the Taiwanese. By fostering solidarity and inclusivity, WUC has become a model for constructive collaboration among oppressed groups fighting for freedom and democracy. It has mobilized the Uyghur diaspora, strengthened ties with other groups affected by Beijing’s repression, and deepened collaboration with Uyghur Academicians and Uyghur researchers, notably during the Uyghur Tribunal, when we, the Uyghur scholars and many university students voluntarily edited and translated more than 10,000 pages of evidentiary documents.
These successes have caught the attention of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has increasingly devolved into fear, consternation, and paranoia. In the past year alone, it spent significant resources organizing over 400 delegations and sending more than 5,000 handpicked individuals on propaganda tours to the Uyghur region, many of whom were chosen for their willingness to echo China’s narrative abroad.
Such successes are made only by great sacrifice. For decades leaders of Uyghur organizations, both at WUC and elsewhere, have endured targeted attacks by the CCP, from Interpol “red notice” arrest warrants to harassment, blackmail, and even death threats, putting immense strain on their lives, livelihoods, and families.
As WUC becomes a more significant threat to the CCP, we have also seen increasing efforts to undermine the organization’s credibility by exploiting individual shortcomings or amplifying slander campaigns against Uyghur organizations and their leaders. These developments are deeply concerning, as they threaten to discredit the broader movement and drain vital energy from our community, at a time when we need all the strength, we can muster to expose the CCP and pursue accountability for its crimes.
Like all human beings, Uyghur leaders are not immune to making decisions that may not yield the best outcomes. What matters is to identify core issues, introduce internal and external mechanisms to strengthen the organization’s ability and legitimacy. We believe that is precisely what WUC is committed to doing right now and will continue to do under each new generation of leaders.
As we fight against China’s deception with limited resources, financial constraints, and the pain of having family members held hostage by the regime, it is essential to maintain a long-term perspective. Over 20 years, the Uyghur diaspora has built the WUC, securing important but fragile successes. Now, more than ever, we must support and protect this vital organization, which continues to be a strong voice for Uyghurs and a lifeline for the community.
As Uyghur scholars devoted to preserving our ethnic culture, we call on all leaders in the international community to support WUC, to welcome its ongoing democratic reforms. It is crucial for the WUC to take further steps internally by implementing structural reforms, creating a transparent and accountable framework in areas such as law, professional ethics, work efficiency, technology dissemination, and public services. This will enable the WUC to more effectively advance democracy and protect Uyghur rights. In unity against China’s oppressive policies, and to contribute to the global movement for democracy. In the face of significant threats and challenges, we must continue to advance WUC’s democratic reforms, working alongside the new generation of leaders within the organization.
With high hope for the future, we here rededicate ourselves to the cause, and stand ready to cooperate closely, provide support, and face any difficulties that may lie ahead to achieve justice and freedom for the Uyghur people.
- Prof. Dr. Alimcan İnayet, İzmir, Türkiye
- Prof. Dr. Erkin EMET, Ankara, Turkiye
- Prof. Dr. Alimzhan Tilivaldi, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Dr. Muhtar Abdurahman, Tokyo, Japan
- IT Engineer Gheyret Kenji, Tokyo, Japan
- Dr. Memet Emin, New York, USA
- IT Manager Dolkun Tarim, Columbia, Maryland, USA
- Sawut Muhammad, MA, Tokyo, Japan
- Dr. Erkin Sidick, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Dr. Yakup Ismayil, Hamburg, Germany
- Dr. Ablet Semet, Berlin, Germany
- Dr. Erkin Ekrem, Ankara, Turkiye
- Dr. Rishat Abbas, Philadelphia, USA
- Dr. Muhittin Canuygur, Istanbul, Turkiye
- Dr. Atawulla Shahyar, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Dr. Sevket Nasir, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Dr. Ömer Kul, Istanbul, Turkiye
- Dr. Ismail Amat, Saitama, Japan
- Md. Phd. Mewlan Bayyüz, Osaka, Japan
- Exmetjan Letip, MS. Tokyo, Japan
- Dr. Abliz Abduqadir, Virginia USA
- Dr. Mamatimin ABBAS, Bordeaux, France
- Dr. Magfiret Yunusoglu, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Dr. Memet Tash, Texas, USA
- Dr. Ahmetcan Polat, Newcastle, United Kingdom
- Muzappar Dolan, S.P Manager, Houston, USA
- Dr. Alip Mohammed, Montreal, Canada
- Dr. Askar Yimit, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Dr. Nurnisa Kurban, Santa Clarita, USA
- Dr. Abduxukur Abdurixit, Bern, Switzerland
- Associate Prof. Dilnara Kassymova, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Dr. Alimcan Bugda, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Dr. Raziye Mahmut, Ottawa, Canada
- Dr. Furkat Yunus, Delft, The Netherlands
- Dr. Abdukader Kayser, Bern, Switzerland
- Dr. Andeli Memetkerim, Zürich, Switzerland
- Ilzat Yusup, Calgary, AB, Canada
- Dr. Ablet Uygar, Istanbul, Turkiye
- Dr. Payzulla Zaydun, Maryland, USA
- Dr. Gülnar Eziz, Boston, MA, USA
- Dr. Anwar Mamat, Virginia USA
- Dr. Gulnisa Nazarova, USA
- Abduweli Ayup, Researcher, Bergen, Norway
- Dr.Adilcan Eruygur, Konya, Türkiye
- Dr. Erkin Abliz, Virginia, US
- Dishat Abudurahman, M.A, Saitama, Japan
- Dr. Ayjamal Abdurahman, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Dr. Gülmire Berdash, Essex, UK
- Merwayit Hapiz, Painter, Munich, Germany
- Abdulhamit Karahan, MSc Engineering, Ankara, Türkiye
- MD. Rena Karahan, Ankara, Türkiye
- Dr. Abdulkerim Buğra, Ankara, Türkiye
- Assoc. Prof. Dr. Reyila Kaşgarlı, İstanbul, Türkiye
- Dr. Gülzadem Tanrıdağlı, İstanbul, Türkiye
- Abduresit Niyazkaramay, Editor, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Cevlan Sir, Lawyer, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Prof. Dr. Sultan Mahmut Kaşgarlı, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Mettursun Udun, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Dr. Mamatjan Yasin, Kamloops, BC, Canada
- Dr. Waris Abdukerim Janbaz, Paris, France
- Memet T. Atawulla, MA, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Dr. Farhad Idikut, Helsinki, Finland
- Muhtar Abdukerim, Musician, Stockholm, Sweden
