Ms. Rebiyah Kadeer, president of the WUC, Omer Kanat, Vice President and two other representatives participated in a series of visits, organised by the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO), during which they engaged in constructive discussions with Members of the European Parliament, European officials and political advisers.

During these meetings, the persistent human rights violations and massive arrests on the basis of language, religion or ethnicity of Uyghur people were addressed. Ms Kadeer expressed her conviction that all peoples in China could have a fair and common future, but only if their political, cultural and religious rights are guaranteed and respected by the Chinese state. Europe therefore needs to exert pressure on China and urge it to stop its ongoing assimilation policy, which targets the Uyghur and other minority groups in China. The delegation furthermore asked the support of Europe when it comes to Uyghur asylum-seekers, who are oftentimes deported to China and most likely face imprisonment, torture and capital punishment.

A clear outcome from the meetings was the need to provide the European Union with information from which it can gain an accurate image of the situation in East Turkestan. The delegation also reiterated the importance of raising awareness, given that the international community has been relatively inactive and silent in speaking out against the human rights violations in the region. During the series of meetings, the willingness to make a substantial change in the lives of the Uyghur people in East Turkestan and elsewhere was expressed, something that will ideally lead to more concrete action from Europe. 

For the official UNPO press release in pdf, click here