A statement of solidarity with the oppressed from the Uyghur Human Rights Project on the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China
For immediate release
September 30, 2019 11:45 am EST
Contact: Uyghur Human Rights Project +1 (202) 478 1920
October 1, 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 64th anniversary of the establishment of the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”
The anniversaries are not an occasion to celebrate. The mass internment of Uyghurs in ethno-religious concentration camps and a broader crackdown on human rights under Xi Jinping have intensified the suffering across China.
The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) expresses its solidarity with all peoples resisting the political, economic, social and cultural repression of the Chinese state.
The 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China is an opportunity to join in common cause with Hong Kongers, Tibetans, Taiwanese, Southern Mongolians, and dissident mainland Chinese to voice opposition to the Chinese government’s denial of fundamental human rights.
“Chinese officials like to make statements about unity. Their version of ‘unity’ is built through violently silencing opposition. Anyone with a choice, chooses to reject the repression of the Chinese Communist Party. As we witness the people of Hong Kong protest China’s stifling influence, the Taiwanese government’s refusal to accept Beijing’s pressure on the global stage, and the brave outspokenness of Tibetans, Southern Mongolians and dissident Han Chinese, we can see unity in purpose and solidarity,” said UHRP Director, Omer Kanat.
Mr. Kanat added: “The Chinese government fears such unforced displays of unity because it offers a vision of the future without the Chinese Communist Party. While the Chinese government chooses to look back and praise a largely rewritten history of 70 years, those who oppose its repression are looking toward a more inclusive and respectful path.”
Since 2017, the Chinese authorities have interned one and a half million, possibly three million, Uyghurs in concentration camps. Furthermore, China has deployed its politicized criminal-justice system to harshly sentence large numbers of Uyghurs.
As this human rights crisis unfolds, Uyghurs have welcomed the strong statements of support from dissident Chinese, Tibetans, Taiwanese, Hong Kongers, and others. UHRP expresses its commitment to the struggles of these peoples as they work towards their freedoms.
UHRP requests all U.S. citizens to advocate for legislation currently in the United States Congress aimed at protecting these groups from the repression of the Chinese government. This includes:
Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019
(House Resolution H.R. 649 and Senate Resolution S. 178)
Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2019
(House Resolution H.R. 4331 and Senate Resolution S. 2539)
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019
(House Resolution H.R. 3289 and Senate Resolution S. 1838)
Taiwan Assurance Act of 2019