Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) welcomes and supports the robust, direct and solid action of the European Parliament to hold the Chinese accountable for their genocide in East Turkistan.

An overwhelming majority of European parliaments adopted the strongest language concerning the ongoing human rights abuses in East Turkistan following the release of ‘Xinjiang Police Files’, citing “crimes against humanity and serious risks of genocide”. The European Parliament “condemns in the strongest possible terms that the Uyghurs have been systematically oppressed by brutal measures including mass deportation, political indoctrination, family separation, restrictions of religious freedom, cultural destruction, and extensive use of surveillance.”

“The European Parliament becomes the largest legislative body in the world to recognise the atrocity crimes in East Turkistan, sending a strong message to the Chinese authorities. The Parliament also passed a separate resolution on the ban of products made by forced labour.  It is an important step towards accountability,” said World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa.

Additionally, the European Parliament is pushing for new sanctions against high-level Chinese officials such as Chen Quanguo, Zhao Kezhi, Guo Shengkun, and Hu Lianhe. Several EU Member States are being urged to suspend extradition treaties with China and Hong Kong by the European Parliament. Also on the Parliament’s list of policies to be implemented is a ban on imports of products made using forced labor and those produced by Chinese companies found to use forced labor. Finally, the European Parliament demands for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to release a long-awaited report on human rights violations in East Turkistan. 

Executive Director Rushan Abbas said “the Chinese regime’s claims that the so-called vocational training centers are for reeducation are proven false by the ‘Xinjiang Police Files’. Uyghurs and other Turkic groups in East Turkistan have been subject to totalitarian oppression for years as the evidence in these most recent papers further proves. In order to hold those responsible for these policies accountable, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet must publish her report as soon as possible on the abuses occurring in East Turkistan. Millions of Uyghur lives cannot afford to wait.”

CFU hopes that the European Commission and member states will recognize its importance and follow this call to action. As pressure on China mounts, it is tangible measures like this that will bring China to its knees and hold them accountable for the genocide they have been committing in broad daylight with no repercussions. CFU calls on other nations to follow suit in implementing similar sanctions to the perpetrators of the Uyghur genocide.