Zubayra Shamseden Speaks at the United Nations Membership for Taiwan/Keep Taiwan Free March

21751437_10156734189607619_7333592161555913892_n-1

UHRP’s Chinese Outreach Coordinator Ms. Zubayra Shamseden spoke at the United Nations Membership for Taiwan/Keep Taiwan Free March on September 16th.  Below is the transcript of her speech.

Dear Taiwanese friends and fellow supporters,
I am honored to be here today, to join you in support of Taiwan’s role as a shining
beacon of freedom and progress in Asia.

 
Many people in Asia have struggled for too long to achieve true democracy and freedom.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard we try, the control of power stays in the hands of
governments such as the CCP, which continues to spread its tyranny as we continue our
resistance. Who will be the victorious in the end? Clearly, justice is on our side, and the
history books leave us with no doubt that the winners are those who fight for justice. In
the long run our struggles will prevail.

 
I am here today to tell you Taiwanese friends, that your firm stance on protecting your
democracy, freedom and right to progress is a strong hope for people like the Uyghurs,
Tibetans, Mongols and many similar fated people in Asia; Echoes of your loud, strong
voices in expressing how you established your state, your way of life; your desire for
safeguarding what you have right now and your determination to protect Taiwan’s
freedom is an inspiration for many people in the world. Simply, your existence as a
democratic Taiwan is proof that we – billions of Chinese people in China, millions of
Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongols under Chinese Communist Party control will be free and
be democratic one day.

21751437_10156734189607619_7333592161555913892_n
As a Uyghur, I work as Chinese Outreach Coordinator at the Uyghur Human Rights
Project. My role within the organization is, in fact, to reach out to people like you.
Taiwanese, who truly wish to stay free from the paranoid control of CCP for greater
freedom and to continue as a sovereign state. Chinese democrats, who fight for the
greater freedom of Chinese people inside China, who wish to live a life without fear of
expressing their opinions, to live a human life, to have the opportunity to be secure, travel
and not be hungry. The Uyghur, Tibetan and Mongol people also wish to live peacefully
without fear of imprisonment, torture, death, displacement, discrimination and
disappearance. One who has endured such pain can empathize with those who are
enduring something similar. All of you have suffered and are suffering under Chinese
communism, Uyghurs suffer it too. What can we do? We have all been telling the same
tragic story to each other and to the world for a long time. Have we had any progress in
our struggle? I can say yes and no.

 
I would like to tell you a little Uyghur story about a prince’s battle: A Uyghur king’s son
came to him and complained about his failures. The son said: ‘father, no matter how hard
I try on the battlefield, I am failing. I know I am wise, skillful, brave and determined, but
I am still failing.’ The King asked him: ‘how are you fighting your battle?’ and he
answered: ‘alone with my own great soldiers.’ ‘I see’, said the King. ‘How about your
other brothers? They are also on the battlefield, with the same enemy, with their own
great fighters. Are they winning their war?’ The son murmured a, ‘No and Yes.’ The
King turned to his son and asked him to bring a bunch of sticks. Then the King started to
break the sticks one by one in front of his son. At the same time, he told the son: ‘See, if
you give me a stick, I can break it easily. Now look – can I break the bunch of sticks altogether at once?’ The King attempted to break the bunch of sticks, but was never able
to do so.

 
As the story goes, whether we are Taiwanese, Chinese, Tibetan, Mongols, Uyghurs or
other suffering people under communism, as one people, we are all on the same
battlefield with the same enemy. If we all come together, no one will be able to break us;
if we come together as one in fighting for a true democratic China, a free Taiwan, Tibet,
Mongolia and East Turkestan, the victorious tomorrow will be ours.

 
Thank you!

 
Zubayra Shamseden, Chinese Outreach Coordinator, UHRP