CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2023, 3:00 PM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) commends the US State Department’s Global Engagement Center Special Report, which sheds light on the Chinese regime’s extensive efforts to reshape the global information environment through deceptive and coercive methods. The report underscores the gravity of the regime’s actions and their potential implications for freedom of expression, democracy, and factual reporting worldwide.
The US State Department’s report is a stark reminder of China’s relentless campaign to manipulate global narratives and suppress critical voices. China’s investment of billions of dollars annually in foreign information manipulation efforts is deeply troubling, and its impact on the Uyghur genocide. The CCP’s tactics, which include the spread of propaganda, disinformation, and censorship, pose a direct threat to freedom of expression and the integrity of the global information space.
The report says “On issues it deems sensitive, the PRC has employed online and real-world intimidation to silence dissent and encourage self-censorship. The PRC has also taken measures against corporations in situations where they are perceived to have challenged its desired narratives on issues like Xinjiang. Within democratic countries, Beijing has taken advantage of open societies to take legal action to suppress critical voices…”
In response to the report, Executive Director, Rushan Abbas, highlighted the urgency of addressing China’s information manipulation tactics: “As we have seen, the CCP’s information manipulation efforts extend to silencing dissent and intimidating individuals like myself for simply highlighting the Uyghur genocide and the enforced disappearances of my family members like my sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas. It is crucial for the international community to recognize the significance of this report and to take concrete actions to counteract China’s influence. We must safeguard the principles of democracy, factual reporting, and human rights from being eroded by propaganda and deception.”
CFU calls on the international community to recognize the urgency of this situation and to take decisive action to counteract the CCP’s influence. It is imperative that we protect the integrity of the global information space and ensure that voices advocating for justice, human rights, and freedom are not drowned out by propaganda and disinformation.
