UHRP Welcomes Uyghur Policy Act House Committee Approval
April 9, 2025, 11:30 AM EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact: Omer Kanat +1 (202) 790-1795, Peter Irwin +1 (646) 906-7722
The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) praises today’s unanimous passage of the Uyghur Policy Act (H.R.2635) out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and urges Congress to pass the bill into law.
“Congresswoman Young Kim’s bill is a beacon of hope for Uyghurs. Our people are suffering unbearable torments under a deliberate genocide,” said Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP). “We strongly endorse the bill’s findings recognizing the distinct Islamic, Turkic identity of Uyghurs. It is also significant that the bill calls attention to the repeated threats, harassment, and surveillance by PRC officials, suffered by Uyghurs and Kazakhs abroad.”
“Under the CCP,” said Representative Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and the Pacific, Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims “have been victims of genocide in modern-day concentration camps because of their linguistic and cultural identities. Family members of detainees are intimidated and harassed by the CCP’s transnational repression campaigns abroad. The Uyghur Policy Act will equip the US with the tools needed to support the basic human rights and distinct identity of Uyghurs.”
Ranking Member Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY) spoke in support of the Uyghur Policy Act, saying, “I’m also a proud co-sponsor of Rep. Kim’s Uyghur policy. This committee has played an important leadership role in protecting Uyghur human rights.” His remarks emphasized the importance of strong policies on China’s transnational repression, support for the Uyghur diaspora, and restoring funding for Radio Free Asia (RFA). “Our work isn’t done because Beijing isn’t done.”
Representative Gabe Amo (D-RI) also spoke in “wholehearted” support of the Uyghur Policy Act. He noted that, for decades, “Uyghurs have been a politically persecuted group, “ with the Chinese government “stripping away rights and separating families, targeting Uyghurs for their culture and religion.” Rep. Amo noted that as aMember of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, he is proud to be an advocate for Professor Ilham Tohti, an Uyghur intellectual suffering a cruel fate in prison.
The Uyghur Policy Act (H.R. 2635) was introduced in the House on April 3 by Rep. Young Kim (R-CA), along with original co-sponsors Rep. Ami Bera (D-CA) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY). Previous versions of the Uyghur Policy Act passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan majorities in 2022 and 2024.
The bill directs the State Department to prioritize policies and programs supporting Uyghurs by coordinating with Congress and federal agencies, reaching out to international partners (especially Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states), and leading efforts to secure the release of political prisoners.
The bill also authorizes the State Department to take action to “prevent and respond to the transnational repression of Uyghur Americans and Uyghurs exiled in the United States,” including establishing a reporting mechanism for individuals to report transnational repression.
The findings recognize that former Secretaries of State Antony Blinken and Michael Pompeo, as well as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have confirmed that the PRC Government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs.
More information on bills endorsed by UHRP can be found in the UHRP U.S. Legislation Tracker.
Read more:
UHRP Hails House Passage of Uyghur Policy Act, Calls for Swift Action in the Senate, February 2024
Uyghur Policy Act of 2023 (H.R.2766/S.1252), April 2023
UHRP Applauds House Passage of Uyghur Policy Act in the 117th Congress, December 2022
Uyghur Policy Act of 2021 (H.R.4785), December 2022
China Perpetrating Transnational Repression of Uyghurs on Massive Scale, Joint Report Reveals, June 24, 2021