CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2024, 10:00 AM
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
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Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) solemnly commemorates the 10th anniversary of the Yarkand Massacre, which occurred on July 28, 2014, when Chinese security forces brutally suppressed peaceful Uyghur protesters in Yarkand, East Turkistan. The Yarkand Massacre is a stark reminder of the ongoing genocide faced by the Uyghur people at the hands of the Chinese government. Chinese security forces continue to commit atrocities against the Uyghur people through baseless justifications coated in degrading language and stereotypes, slaughtering Uyghurs for exercising their fundamental rights to religious freedom and peaceful protest.
According to an Uyghur eyewitness, According to an Uyghur eyewitness, on July 28, 2014, Chinese security forces stormed a gathering of Uyghur women reciting the Qur’an and mercilessly shot unarmed women for practicing basic fundamental freedoms. Chinese security forces extended the massacre against Uyghurs from Yarkand to 3 surrounding villages. In a vengeful act of collective punishment, the security forces assaulted and brutally murdered Uyghurs, infringing upon their human rights, dignity, and freedoms.
The Yarkand massacre exposes the multifaceted oppression enforced by the Chinese government against the Uyghurs. Indiscriminate force is routinely abused, with Uyghurs stereotyped as thuggish and violent to justify collective punishment. Peaceful Uyghur protestors are branded as “gangs” and “separatists” deemed unworthy of further inquiry or sympathy. Shrouded in secrecy and uncertainty, precise documentation of the human misery proves difficult, as the Chinese Government covers up the death count and arrests netizens who aim to expose the truth. Dehumanizing language is utilized to distort facts and to brand Uyghurs as aggressors and instigators. The term “neutralized” is symbolic of the perceived lack of humanity for the Uyghurs and a blatant disregard for their human rights.
Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of CFU, stated, “As we mark this somber anniversary, we remember the lives lost and renew our commitment to seeking justice and freedom for the Uyghur people. The international community must not remain silent in the face of such atrocities.”
The harrowing legacy of the Yarkand Massacre remains woefully relevant after a decade. Further action is needed to bring the Chinese government to account and grant justice to the victims of the massacre. Thus, CFU urgently calls on governments, organizations, and individuals worldwide to stand against these injustices.
