Today the government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region hosted a press conference claiming to feature the family and friends of Uyghur exiles abroad. Those present spoke against Uyghurs and other survivors who had recently provided testimony to the Uyghur Tribunal, an independent investigation into alleged Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity in the Uyghur Region. The Chinese government has a known history of broadcasting forced confessions and holding family members of activists abroad in duress.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China is united in condemnation of this cruel and senseless attempt to intimidate Uyghurs and others who speak out against the abuses perpetrated by the Chinese state. We salute the courage of all those who testified to the Uyghur Tribunal, in full knowledge of the personal cost that they may have to bear.
These actions are a reminder of the personal tragedies that are experienced by the millions of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers and others subject to the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution.
We call on our governments to redouble their efforts to hold the Chinese Government accountable for the abuses taking place in the Uyghur Region. States must take coordinated, punitive economic actions against government officials perpetrating these abuses, and must initiate independent investigations into the alleged atrocity crimes taking place in the region. We urge the International Criminal Court, the UN Human Rights Council and the Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect to consider all avenues to investigate these abuses.
