Uyghurs

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Canada votes to take in Uyghur refugees
Canada’s parliament has unanimously voted in favor of accepting up to 10,000 exiled Uyghurs with Chinese citizenship. The MPs passed a motion to this effect by Sameer Zuberi, an MP of Uyghur origin, by 322 votes to 0. The vote is not legally binding for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, but the unanimous support of […] continue reading →
Muslims criticize Xinjiang delegation
The well-known Bosnian imam Mustafa Cerić has come under criticism for a visit to Xinjiang with other representatives of the World Council of Muslim Communities (TWMCC). Uyghur activists and Muslim associations accused the TWMCC and Cerić of accepting the Chinese government’s actions in the region with the trip. In early January, a delegation of more […] continue reading →
Uyghurs suffer defeat at British court
The Munich-based World Uyghur Congress and the non-governmental organization Global Legal Action Network have failed in their attempt to stop the import of cotton from the Xinjiang region in the UK, according to the AP news agency. The activists accused the British government of allowing the import of cotton products from Xinjiang even though the […] continue reading →
Turkey gives guarantees to Uyghurs
Turkey will not extradite citizens with Uyghur roots to China. This stance was confirmed by Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. By doing so, Ankara consciously accepts irritations in the relationship with the Chinese government, the politician said. Some 50,000 Uyghurs live in Turkey. The country is home to the largest Uyghur diaspora outside Central Asia. However, […] continue reading →
NGOs: ‘Not the time for friendly visits’
Several renowned human rights organizations are calling on the German government to improve the enforcement of due diligence when dealing with deliveries from Xinjiang. “Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s decision to now travel to Beijing with a business delegation shows that for Germany, profit continues to come before human rights,” Dolkun Isa, President of the World Uyghur […] continue reading →
Human Rights: special rapporteur for China?
With a motion for a future debate on China's human rights crimes in Xinjiang, supporters want to buy time to pave the way for a resolution. It would be the first resolution against China in the history of the Human Rights Council. The initiators are optimistic that the motion will be passed in Geneva next week. The long-term goal is to install a special rapporteur for the People's Republic. continue reading →
Xinjiang report sparks harsh reactions
In Germany, the UN report on the human rights situation in Xinjiang is causing harsh reactions. The German Foreign Office calls for the immediate release of all detainees, while human rights politicians demand a discussion about Volkswagen's involvement in the region. Beijing itself was blindsided by the directness of the accusations. continue reading →
Bachelet’s last act: UN report on Xinjiang published
Michelle Bachelet presented the UN report on the human rights situation in Xinjiang at the end of her term in office. The document is a reckoning with the Chinese government, which tried to prevent its publication until the very end. The paper clearly goes beyond the rhetoric that she had usually displayed toward Beijing. continue reading →
Uyghur lobby files lawsuit in Argentina
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) are seeking to hold the former party secretary of the Xinjiang region accountable for genocide. On Wednesday, the advocacy coalition filed a lawsuit in an Argentine court against Chen Quanguo and other Chinese Communist Party officials. They include European Union-sanctioned senior party cadres […] continue reading →
‘Forms of slavery’ in Xinjiang and Tibet
For months, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has been delaying the publication of a report on the situation of the Uyghurs in China. Now Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata reacted first and made serious accusations against the government in Beijing. The timing is delicate. Just last week, the People's Republic ratified two conventions against forced labor. continue reading →
Why is the Uyghur population shrinking?
Because of the one-child policy, Chinese authorities have prescribed abortion, sterilization, and contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs). So it is natural to assume that the dramatic decline in births in Xinjiang reflects the impact of such measures. But the reasons are more complex and also socioeconomic, analyzes family planning expert and author Yi Fuxian of the University Wisconsin-Madison. continue reading →
US optimistic on laws against forced labor
The US government is optimistic that allied countries and trading partners will also soon pass laws banning imports from forced labor in Xinjiang. A Deputy Assistant Secretary from the US Department of Labor has spoken with her counterparts from the EU and Canada about how the countries could implement their own regulations on forced labor […] continue reading →
Illustrated reporting: How Zumrat Dawut escaped from a camp in Xinjiang
The Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel account "I escaped a Chinese internment camp" tells the story of Zumrat Dawut, an Uyghur woman detained in Xinjiang. "Sometimes people have to see things to believe they're actually happening," Walter Hickey, a journalist involved in the project, tells China.Table. continue reading →
Leak indicates arbitrary arrests by Xinjiang authorities
The Chinese government constantly justifies its severe crackdown on Uyghurs in Xinjiang as an anti-terrorism campaign. But a list with the names of detainees and the reasons for their detainment reveals how arbitrary the region's security forces put people behind bars. Even downloading the messenger service Whatsapp can spell doom for Uyghurs. continue reading →
Is a diplomatic conflict brewing over China’s embassy in London?
The relocation of the Chinese Embassy in London could spark a diplomatic conflict. Councilors in the borough of Tower Hamlets have decided to name adjacent streets and buildings of the new Chinese embassy after regions where massive repression and human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party have been reported. Proposed names include Tiananmen Square, […] continue reading →
Saudi Arabia plans to extradite Uyghurs to China
Saudi Arabia is planning to extradite two Uyghur prisoners to the People’s Republic of China. This has come to the attention of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW). The two men, who come from Turkey, have been held in Saudi Arabia for almost two years without formal charges. If extradited to the People’s […] continue reading →
“Trade and values are not mutually exclusive”
It is also in the interest of German companies if the human rights situation in Xinjiang improves, says Kristin Shi-Kupfer, professor of sinology and religions expert at the University of Trier. At the same time, she considers it doubtful when Volkswagen pretends to know nothing about what is happening in the region. Felix Lee spoke with Shi-Kupfer. continue reading →
Uniqlo rejects allegations of forced labour
Japanese fashion company Uniqlo has denied accusations by the French courts of benefiting from the exploitation of Uighurs in China. The company told AFP news agency, Uniqlo will “fully cooperate with investigators to reaffirm that there is no forced labor in our supply chains,”. Uniqlo referred to third-party inspections of its supply chains to prevent […] continue reading →