CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 10:30 AM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
https://www.campaignforuyghurs.org
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) solemnly commemorates the two-year anniversary of Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day. On December 9, 2021, an independent Uyghur Tribunal announced its verdict that the Chinese government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs. Today, CFU and the global Uyghur community acknowledge the crucial milestones in recognizing the genocide as we commemorate the millions of victims who continue to suffer from the ruthless policies, both in East Turkistan and across the world.
The significance of this day resonates beyond the Uyghur Genocide determination as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Genocide Convention on December 9, 1948. This landmark accord was a global response to the horrors of the Holocaust and other genocidal acts, aiming to prevent such atrocities from ever occurring again.
Despite 153 United Nations Member States ratifying the Convention to prevent genocide, and 11 legislatures as well as the U.S. government recognizing genocide and crimes against humanity, the Uyghur people in East Turkistan are still facing an ongoing genocide. The Uyghur community faces continuous atrocities, including mass detention, forced birth control, extrajudicial killings, severe restrictions of religious freedoms, and various other egregious charges. The 2022 report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) supports these distressing realities, concluding that the treatment of Uyghurs in East Turkistan may constitute crimes against humanity. However, both the United Nations and an overwhelming majority of its Member States have failed to truly comprehend the severity of the Uyghurs’ plight and have not taken meaningful action.
Commemorating the occasion, Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of CFU, urged for strong actions from the international community: “Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day should not be seen as a remembrance of the past, it should be a reminder of the present. This genocide is happening right now. The judgment of the independent tribunal and the OHCHR are clear on the Chinese regime’s atrocities, which meet the definition of genocide as defined in the Genocide Convention. The plight of Uyghurs is not a regional crisis. It is a global moral challenge that demands immediate and collective action. It is past time to turn our words into action, to demand accountability, and to ensure that justice prevails for the Uyghur people.”
On this occasion, CFU remembers the victims of the Uyghur Genocide and invites all parties to reflect on the core purpose of the Genocide Convention—to prevent and punish the crime of genocide. The ongoing situation in East Turkestan is a stark reminder of the world’s responsibility to uphold this commitment and obligation.
CFU reiterates the urgent need for the international community to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive steps to end the extermination of the Uyghur people and other Turkic communities in the Uyghur Region. Our collective actions today are vital in safeguarding the vulnerable and upholding the promises of justice and humanity.
