The Uyghur Reader: Stories We’re Following (Issue 23)

Uyghur Reader 15 (6)

Issue 23: April 30, 2026 – May 13, 2026

Welcome to the twenty-third issue of the Uyghur Reader, a biweekly content roundup curated by the staff of the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Each issue features carefully selected articles, reports, and publications from media outlets, academic institutions, NGOs, and government sources. While we highlight urgent human rights issues, we also aim to reflect the breadth of the Uyghur experience, including politics, economics, history, and culture.

📌 In The New York Times, Amy Qin reports on how Uyghur activists have expressed concern that the Trump administration has largely stopped publicly addressing the persecution of Uyghurs since returning to office, despite the U.S. government’s continued designation of China’s actions as genocide. While some Uyghurs hope President Trump will raise the cases of imprisoned Uyghur intellectuals during meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, rights groups warned that reduced attention to human rights, cuts to Uyghur-focused organizations and media outlets, and the lack of new forced labor sanctions have weakened international pressure on China’s ongoing repression of Uyghurs. May 13, Uyghurs Hope Trump Returns to First-Term Toughness at Summit. 

📌 Writing for The Diplomat, Rahima Mahmut assesses the UK government response to the Uyghur crisis five years after the UK parliament formally recognized China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic groups as genocide. Despite its genocide recognition, the UK government has yet to enact concrete, enforceable policies challenging China’s abuses. Drawing on abundant evidence of systematic forced labor targeting Uyghurs, the article urges stronger import restrictions, mandatory human rights due diligence, and trade policy aligned with the ethical implications of the genocide designation. May 2, 5 Years Since UK Parliament Recognized the Uyghur Genocide, There’s Been Little Policy Action. 

📌 Human rights organizations in Switzerland criticized the Swiss government for failing to adequately protect Uyghur and Tibetan communities from what activists describe as ongoing transnational repression by the Chinese government, writes Dorian Burkhalter for SWI swissinfo.ch. Uyghur activists reported continued surveillance, intimidation, and threats against family members in the Uyghur Region, while NGOs warned that Switzerland’s slow response and economic ties with China have left Uyghurs vulnerable despite official recognition of the abuses in 2025. May 2, NGOs decry Swiss inaction over Chinese repression. 

📌  On April 28, the U.S. Trade Representative held hearings on a “Section 301” investigation into countries accused of failing to block imports made with forced labor, with advocacy and pro-tariff groups urging stronger enforcement measures. Witnesses highlighted the continued risks posed by products linked to East Turkistan, noting that while the United States bans imports under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, many countries still lack comparable enforcement mechanisms for goods tied to Uyghur forced labor in sectors such as cotton, solar materials, and critical minerals. David Lawder, Reuters, April 28, Some groups ask US trade agency for new duties, import bans to fight forced labor.

📌 In a new journal article published by Ethnic and Racial Studies, University of Gothenburg researchers Michel Harb and Arne F. Wackenhut document how the Chinese government’s campaign of transnational repression extends far beyond the Uyghur Region, targeting Uyghurs abroad through surveillance, intimidation, threats, and pressure on family members still in China. Despite fear, psychological trauma, and mistrust within the diaspora community, in interviews, many Uyghur activists in Sweden said these experiences strengthened their commitment to speaking out about the persecution of Uyghurs and advocating for their community internationally. February 12, Transnational repression in an age of global authoritarianism: experiences of Uyghur diaspora activists in Sweden. 

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