CFU Applauds House Passage of Uyghur Policy Act

  • February 16, 2024

CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   

February 15, :30 PM

Contact: [email protected]

+1 650-703-4523

Campaign for Uyghurs  www.campaignforuyghurs.org 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) extends its gratitude to the House of Representatives for today’s overwhelming support in favor of H.R. 2766, the Uyghur Policy Act of 2023, with a resounding 414 affirmative votes. The bill was introduced in the House on April 20, 2023 by U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) and co-sponsored by Representative Ami Bera (CA-6) , and was approved unanimously by the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) on November 29, 2023. 

The Uyghur Policy Act of 2023, a bill “To support the human rights of Uyghurs and members of other minority groups residing primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and safeguard their distinct identity, and for other purposes,” advocates for increased U.S. support and justice for Uyghurs suffering genocide in East Turkistan. 

The bill requires that a Special Coordinator for Uyghur issues be appointed within the State Department. This role will specifically promote the protection and preservation of the distinct ethnic, cultural, religious, and linguistic identities of the Uyghurs. The Uyghur Policy Act of 2023 calls on the U.S. Government to develop a strategy, in coordination with like-minded countries, to pressure the PRC to close all detention facilities and push for the immediate release of those detained. It also makes Uyghur language training available for Foreign Service Officers (FSO) and requires at least one Uyghur-speaking officer to be assigned to a U.S. diplomatic or consular mission in China. Additionally, the bill supports U.S. efforts to raise Uyghur issues at the United Nations, including the appointment of a special rapporteur or working group for the region to monitor human rights violations and abuses.

Rushan Abbas, the Executive Director of CFU, expressed approval of the passage stating “The passage of HR 2766 is an essential act by Congress to continue combatting the ongoing genocide being perpetrated upon the Uyghurs in East Turkistan. We are pleased that this bill creates the position of ‘United States Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues’ in the State Department. Congress has indeed shown that they are taking the fight against the Uyghur genocide seriously, and we are grateful to the legislators who have taken a stand for justice.”

CFU commends the leadership of the bill’s sponsors and the bipartisan support it has garnered. CFU calls on the Senate’s swift passage of this bill and eagerly anticipates its eventual enactment into law.

Picture of Jacob

editor-muyesser

Campaign for Uyghurs

We defend the human rights of Uyghur people and the free world by exposing and confronting the Chinese government's genocide, and empowering Uyghur women and youth in the diaspora.

Donate Now

READ MORE

Forced Labor, Coercive Land-Use Transfers, and Forced Assimilation in Xinjiang’s Agricultural Production
Located in the northwest of China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region boasts long hours of sunshine and ample water for irrigation — making the region geographically ideal for growing cotton. Cotton grown in Xinjiang, which has good coloration and long fiber, is favored in both domestic and foreign markets.
‘This Has Been Delayed For Too Long’
Source: RFA Rushan Abbas, a former broadcaster for RFA’s Uyghur Service and the director of the U.S.-based Campaign for Uighurs exile group, recently testified at the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington about rights violations in northwest China’s
Uyghurs in Exile Launch Campaign Calling on China to Release Video of Missing Family Members
Source: RFA More than a dozen ethnic Uyghurs living in exile have called on China to release video of family members held in political “re-education camps” in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) after Chinese state media published what it
Tough Curbs on Burials
Source: RFA HONG KONG—Ethnic minority Uyghurs from the far-west Chinese city of Urumqi say authorities attach strict conditions when they release the bodies of Uyghurs who die in custody. Hundreds of Uyghurs were detained as part of a broad crackdown
I’ve fought China’s slow-motion genocide of Uighur Muslims. Now, my family are victims.
Source: USA Today   The world is finally waking up to the ongoing and terrifying violations of human rights against the Uighurs — a Muslim minority in Northwest China. My own family is victim to these violations. As both an American citizen and
Remarks by Ambassador Sam Brownback at Taipei Religious Freedom Conference
Remarks by Ambassador Sam Brownback at Taipei Religious Freedom Conference March 11, 2019 I would like to thank President Tsai’s comments and her for taking the time to be here out of her busy schedule. I can’t help but just
On Capitol Hill, persecuted Muslims unite to protect religious minorities’ rights
(RNS) — More than 125 members of the minority Ahmadi Muslim sect spent Monday (April 1) on Capitol Hill advocating for international religious freedom causes — particularly lending their voices on behalf of beleaguered Uighur Muslims. As part of its
As Countries Seek Trade With China, Imprisoned Uyghur Community Has Become “Collateral Damage”
China’s top trade negotiator is traveling to Washington this week as tension over trade intensifies between the two nations. President Trump is threatening to impose a 25 percent tariff on nearly all Chinese imports after the U.S. accused China of

STAY
INFORMED

Add your name to our mailing list so we can keep you updated about upcoming events, speciality drives, new initiatives and more.