Uyghur Human Rights Project

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, join the Uyghur Human Rights Project for a discussion highlighting ongoing atrocities against Uyghur, other Turkic women in East Turkistan, Tibetan women in Tibet and Chinese women in China.

Chinese language event starting soon ?? "Women’s Voices in Exile: Confronting the Chinese Communist Party’s Oppression" ?? Friday, March 7, 2025 ?? 10:00–11:00 a.m. EDT ?? UHRP's YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn pages https://lnkd.in/eDwDtKsy

"[Recasting Xinjiang as a tourism hub] does a lot of heavy lifting for the state narrative of shifting from a region that is unstable, wracked with extremism, and now is ready for visiting and investment." — Henryk Szadsiewski, director of research at the advocacy group Uyghur Human Rights Project

Peter Irwin, Associate Director for Research and Advocacy at the Uyghur Human Rights Project, said past experience suggested the 40 would be jailed. “I would imagine they will be in prison for the rest of their lives. There is absolutely no way [...] these people will be treated fairly.” https://lnkd.in/eyuchd3c

Another critical update. Thai press are reporting that six vehicles with their windows covered with black tape left the Bangkok prison in the early morning hours—likely holding the group of Uyghurs. The highway was closed to traffic by police.

?? Urgent deportation threat in Thailand—"UHRP Calls on Thailand to Immediately Halt Deportation of 48 Uyghurs, Uphold International Law" Thailand must not return the 48 Uyghur men to China, where they would face immediate persecution, detention. ???? Thai Member of Parliament from the People’s Party, Romadon Panjor, posted a?video?on X showing a large detention vehicle entering the prison compound, Suan Phlu, around 8:00 p.m. local time today, February 26, for a possible transfer to the airport nearby. (?? https://lnkd.in/eNFqazAB) ???? Thai Member of Parliament from the Fair Party, Kannavee Suebsang,?issued?a statement this week urging the Thai government not to deport the group. (?? https://lnkd.in/eTZwsgR8) ?? This follows a?statement?from the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT) on February 4, which “reaffirmed its commitment to uphold human rights principles […] particularly the non-refoulement principle of not returning a person to danger.” (?? https://lnkd.in/eeK4kJ2D) ?? In October 2023, following the death of two Uyghur men in detention in February and April of that year, the NHRCT?called on?the government to develop a timeframe to send the Uyghur detainees “out of Thailand to a third country.” (?? https://lnkd.in/eiMvrZc6) ???? In January, UN human rights experts?urged?Thailand to “immediately halt the possible transfer” of the group to China, and for the Thai government to provide them with “access to asylum procedures and other humanitarian assistance.” (?? https://lnkd.in/eSMmMtZu) ???? The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee?released?a statement on February 24, urging Thai leaders to “engage with the United States” to resettle the 48 men. (?? https://lnkd.in/e7JyVxZx) ???? This followed a January 22 statement from the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, which?called on?Thailand to provide “access to asylum procedures, and necessary medical care.” (?? https://lnkd.in/em3qmpMx) UHRP calls on the Thai authorities to release the detained Uyghurs and facilitate their safe resettlement in a third country where their rights and dignity will be protected. The international community must press Thailand to ensure it does not repeat the tragic 2015 forced deportation of Uyghurs, which led to documented cases of imprisonment and persecution in China. Full statement: https://lnkd.in/eR_JXeen

??? Recasting the region for tourism supports the "state narrative of shifting from a region that is unstable [...] and now is ready for visiting and investment," says UHRP Research Director Henryk Szadziewski, PhD on his #GenocideTours research. In 2023, Szadziewski scrutinized ?? international travel companies offering guided ?? tours amidst atrocities in the Uyghur region: https://lnkd.in/et5UsF_q The report was covered exclusively by The Guardian: https://lnkd.in/e7CuMzMT As a result, several companies withdrew tours and others removed tours from their websites???? ? Goway Travel + Intrepid Travel withdrew their tours in 2023 ? Wild Frontiers Adventure Travel eventually removed tour in 2024, after conducting a "full investigation" of their tours to the region ? Abercrombie & Kent UK removed a "Silk Road" page in 2024, but appear to still offer customizable tours in China ? Geographic Expeditions (GeoEx) removed a tour in late 2024 ? Laurus Travel still advertises an "Ethnic Borderlands" and "Silk Road Adventure" tour ? Bamboo Travel still advertises a tour, "China's Silk Road By Train" Read The Wire China article by Noah Berman: https://lnkd.in/eCRS4Skc

"Providing funding for China nonprofits operating outside of China is directly aligned with the core interests of democratic nations," writes Bethany Allen for Australian Strategic Policy Institute. https://lnkd.in/ejqfxaHq

On February 5, 1997, Chinese security forces opened fire on Uyghurs peacefully protesting a crackdown on a burgeoning civil society movement. The Ghulja Massacre is a tragic reminder of the ongoing repression of Uyghurs. #GhuljaMassacre

?? Critical Bangkok Post editorial on the 48 Uyghurs at risk of deportation in ???? Thailand: "The Thai government's handling of Uyghurs has become a black stain on the nation's human rights record." "With the air somewhat cleared, the government needs to make a clear statement about what it plans to do with these illegal entrants. There have been requests from international human rights groups and the United Nations to send them to third countries, which would seem like the best move for the government to make." "Over the past decade, the government and the IB have been accused of blocking access to them and censoring information. This must end. Speaking of our treatment of Uyghurs, surely it is time to atone for our sins." Read: https://lnkd.in/eYqN7_GU