Help The Uyghur People
Do you know what’s been happening to the Uyghur people in China?
Uyghurs are ethnically and culturally Turkic people. They live in the area of Central Asia commonly known as East Turkistan. East Turkistan has effectively been occupied by China since 1949.
The Chinese government has been oppressing the Uyghur people for decades.
Uyghurs are moderate Muslims who lead predominantly secular lives. The Chinese government claims its policies are designed to tackle extremism and terrorism. But in reality they are out to destroy the Uyghur people’s culture and religion.
Since 2017, things have escalated. The Chinese government has been detaining Uyghurs and other Muslims in so-called “education and training centres”. These are in fact concentration camps.
This has been widely reported (see for example by The Independent, The Guardian and The New York Times). But the international response has been paltry.
This is part of a brutal campaign of repression of Turkic ethnic minorities. It’s the largest arbitrary detention of ethnic and religious minorities since the second world war.
Human rights abuses are taking place on a massive scale.
Have you ever wondered how people could have stood by and done nothing during the holocaust?
Please use your voice now to help stop this atrocity.
What You Can Do To Help The Uyghur People
It’s natural to feel powerless about the actions of faraway governments. But we can use our voices.
Contact Politicians
Please contact your elected representative. In the UK you can do this easily using WriteToThem. In the US you can contact your senator or member of congress. Here is a sample letter from the World Uyghur Congress.
Sign Petitions
There are multiple petitions you can sign.
- Help end the brutal repression of Uyghur communities in China – sign the Amnesty International petition.
- Ban the import of cotton from the Xinjiang region – sign the 38 Degrees petition.
- Stand up for the Uyghur Muslims in China – sign the change.org petition.
- Respect Uyghur rights before hosting 2022 Olympics – sign the change.org petition.
Boycott and Pressure Brands
Boycott brands that use materials and products produced using forced labour. You can also contact multiple fashion brands at once through Freedom United.
Donate
Please offer financial support where you can. You can donate to the Uyghur Human Rights Project, or help Uyghur Refugees who have fled to Turkey through Penny Appeal and/or One Nation.
Share
Please help to spread awareness of this situation. We can all help the Uyghur people by speaking up in person and online, and sharing articles and social media posts. Most of all, we must put pressure on our elected representatives. Please contact yours today.