CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 29, 6:00 PM ET
Sabrina Sohail: sabrina@campaignforuyghurs.org
(650) 703-4523
www.campaignforuyghurs.org
Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) honors the memory of the valiant protesters who were mercilessly slaughtered by the Chinese regime in Baren, a township in East Turkistan’s Akto county, near Kashgar. This atrocity, which claimed the lives of thousands on April 5th, 1990, marks its 33rd anniversary this year. CFU pays tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while standing up for the freedom and justice that Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples have been deprived of for decades under the oppressive and brutal rule of the Chinese Communist Party.
The Chinese regime’s barbaric massacre on April 5th, 1990, is just one example of the CCP’s cruel and savage tactics to suppress dissent. Throughout the CCP’s history, the legitimate demands of the Uyghur people have not only been ignored, but countless individuals have also paid the ultimate price for daring to raise their voices.
Under China’s heinous One Child Policy, Uyghur women were routinely coerced into aborting their babies, and the villagers, led by Zeydin Yusup, protested against this oppressive policy. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) violently quashed the protest, unleashing their heavily armed might on the unarmed Uyghurs, resulting in the brutal massacre of thousands. In the aftermath of the protest, the Chinese regime arrested over 7,000 people, subjecting many of them to lengthy prison sentences and executing others.
Center for Uyghur Studies’ (CUS) Research Director Ilshat Hassan Kokbore said “The Baren Massacre stands as a haunting reminder of the Uyghur farmers’ courageous struggle against the Chinese Regime’s cultural and ethnic oppression. The sacrifices made by these brave martyrs serve as a testament to their unyielding commitment to defend their patriotism, dignity, and right to equality. As we commemorate the Baren Massacre today, we honor their legacy by continuing the march for freedom and justice, and by standing together to fight against the ongoing Uyghur genocide.”
On this solemn occasion, Executive Director Rushan Abbas remarked, “The memory of these innocent people, who gave their lives for what they knew to be right, inspires our global community to continue fighting for the rights of the Uyghurs and other Turkic groups. We must remember that justice is a cause worth pursuing, even as the Chinese regime seeks to annihilate us. These tragic events serve as a clarion call for us to recommit ourselves to ending this genocide.”
As the Chinese regime continues to perpetrate the Uyghur genocide and commit crimes against humanity, we urge the international community to demand justice, not only for the innocent blood shed by a regime that will stop at nothing to impose its barbaric and corrupt ways on all people but also to safeguard the future of a free world.
To mark this tragic occasion, CFU, along with CUS, will be holding a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy in Washington D.C. on April 5th 2023 at 6:00 pm, details can be found here.
To view last year’s press release commemorating the 32nd anniversary of the massacre, please click here.
