“They Sent Her to a Concentration Camp Because She Came to Turkey” – Joint Report Released
For Immediate Release
September 24, 2021 11:00 am EDT
Contact: Omer Kanat +1 (202) 816-0598 (Türkçe, English), Mustafa Aksu +1 (812) 955-1595 (Türkçe, English), Dr. Erkin Emet, +90 532 2675162 (Türkçe, English)
The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) and the Uyghur Research Institute (URI) have released a new report documenting the experiences of Uyghurs and setting forth the urgent policy agenda necessary to protect Uyghur human rights. The report was unveiled in a press conference in Ankara today.
The report, “They Sent Her to a Concentration Camp Because She Came to Turkey”: The Persecution of Uyghurs Based on their Turkic and Muslim Identity, has been released in both English and Turkish.
The human rights atrocities against Uyghurs at the hands of the Chinese government has generated outrage among people of conscience around the world. For Turks and Muslims in particular, who are connected to Uyghurs by ethnic and religious bonds, Uyghurs’ suffering is a cause of particular concern.
“We expect that this report will help our Turkish friends ensure that Turkey is a safe haven for vulnerable Uyghurs,” said Omer Kanat, UHRP Executive Director. “Uyghurs also expect a strong policy response to corporate complicity in the atrocities.”
“With firsthand evidence from Uyghurs in Turkey, and from the Chinese government’s own documents, our research shows that there should be no doubt about the Chinese government’s horrific crimes against Uyghurs,” said Dr. Erkin Ekrem, Director of the Uyghur Research Institute.
The report profiles several Chinese and international companies that have ties to the persecution of Uyghurs and are active in Turkey. The business sector, in line with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, has the obligation to ensure that commercial activities respect core human rights.
The report concludes with recommendations for both government and corporate actors to protect vulnerable Uyghur refugees and end complicity with the Chinese government’s atrocity crimes.
Read more:
New UHRP report documents the complicity of Pakistan and Afghanistan in China’s transnational repression of Uyghurs, Aug 11, 2021
China Perpetrating Transnational Repression of Uyghurs on Massive Scale, New Joint Report Reveals, June 24, 2021
China Detaining and Sentencing Uyghur Imams en Masse, UHRP Reveals, May 13, 2021
Civil society groups welcome action by UN human rights experts to address forced labour in Uyghur Region, Mar 30, 2021