CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 1:00 PM
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
+1 650-703-4523
Washington, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) strongly condemns the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) renaming of Uyghur villages in East Turkistan amid the ongoing Uyghur genocide. This action is part of the CCP’s systematic effort to erase Uyghur identity, culture, and history.
A joint research study conducted by Human Rights Watch and Norway-based organization Uyghur Hjelp (“Uyghur help”) identified about 630 villages in East Turkistan where the names have been changed to reflect CCP ideology and the so-called “Harmony” between Han Chinese and Uyghurs. According to the report, most of these changes occurred between 2017 and 2019, coinciding with the CCP’s genocidal crimes, including the arbitrary detention, and imprisonment of millions of Uyghurs that have persisted until today.
The Chinese regime has targeted village names that fall into three broad categories. Any mentions of religion, history and culture are changed to names that reflect CCP propaganda. For example, “Aq Meschit village”, which means ‘White Mosque’ in the Uyghur language, was renamed “Unity Village.” “Dutar village,” named after a traditional Uyghur musical instrument, was renamed “Red Flag village.”
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of CFU, stated, ”The CCP’s renaming of Uyghur villages is a blatant attempt to erase the Uyghur identity. The names, which have now been changed to empty CCP slogans, once reflected our long history and rich culture and have been in our homeland for hundreds of years. Although the CCP appears to celebrate Uyghur culture by showcasing elements like our music and dance, these displays are nothing but hollow propaganda masking the regime’s ongoing and systematic suppression of cultural and religious expression. We strongly condemn these actions and urge the international community to address its ongoing Uyghur genocide.”
CFU calls upon international entities, governments, corporations, and NGOs to recognize the continued atrocities in East Turkistan and take action to ensure that the CCP is held accountable for its crimes and that the Uyghur culture in East Turkistan is preserved and able to flourish.
