Dear friends and supporters,
After a short break, we’re excited to bring you a renewed edition of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) newsletter! We've refreshed the format to keep important sections while adding new ones that reflect the growing momentum of our movement — with updates from WUC and its affiliates, media & advocacy wins, featured media moments, and calls to action.
Though we've been away for a few months, our movement has been far from quiet. As many of you know, during this period the WUC, alongside over 50 Uyghur organizations, proudly co-hosted a milestone event: the 3rd East Turkistan National Summit & Uyghur Youth Summit.
“This summit is not just a gathering — it is a declaration. A declaration that the Uyghur people remain united in our struggle, and that no level of repression can erase our identity or silence our cause,” said WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun.
Held in Munich, the summit brought together more than 150 participants from 22 countries — including Uyghur leaders, youth activists, scholars, human rights defenders, and policymakers.
🌍 Global Advocacy in Action:
Between April and July, the World Uyghur Congress undertook over 12 international advocacy trips, amplifying the Uyghur cause across the globe.
These included key engagements in Bern (speaking on transnational repression), the China–Latin America Forum in Ecuador, UNPO’s General Assembly in Madeira, the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, the Oslo Freedom Forum, the International Religious Forum in Kenya, and advocacy mission in Canada, the Netherlands (meeting with the Dutch MFA).
WUC also carried out a full advocacy week in Berlin meeting with newly elected members of the German Bundestag. Within the EU, WUC carried out multiple missions to the European Parliament in Brussels, including ahead of the EU-China Dialogue. Finally, WUC attended the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, engaging with diplomats, UN experts, and civil society partners during key side events.
Affiliate Highlights from Turkey, Japan, Canada & Kyrgyzstan
In June, the WUC Turkey Office led a delegation to Ankara to strengthen ties with Turkish political parties and share updates on the situation in East Turkistan. Meetings were held with high-level representatives from the Re-Welfare Party, the Great Unity Party, and the Future Party, during which the delegation expressed gratitude for their ongoing support and shared WUC materials, including a 20th anniversary book. Meanwhile, in Japan, the Uyghur community organized “Uyghur Week” in Osaka to counter China’s propaganda-laden “Xinjiang Week.” The campaign included protests, exhibitions, film screenings, and outreach actions, reaching nearly 100,000 views online and drawing the attention of the Japanese public and politicians. In Canada, the East Turkistan Association of Canada hosted a community event in Hamilton to welcome Uyghur refugees and honour advocates of the M-62 Program, with speeches, awards, and traditional dishes. In Kyrgyzstan, Uyghur linguist Gulnar Aziz met with members of the Uyghur Society “Ittipak” for a heartfelt exchange on preserving Uyghur culture and language. The visit underscored the enduring role of local Uyghur institutions in cultural preservation and community support. |
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Civil Society & Solidarity Moments
The World Uyghur Congress took part in events celebrating the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday in both Washington, D.C. and Berlin, standing in solidarity with the Tibetan community. In July, WUC joined 16 prominent human rights organizations in urging EU leaders to put human rights at the center of the EU-China Summit. Additionally, the WUC Youth Committee co-signed a powerful joint statement with Tibetan youth groups and MEP Lukas Sieper, calling for urgent action to confront China’s growing transnational repression.
📸 Media Spotlight
🗞️Lesen Sie: Der Internationale Gerichtshof deckt Chinas umfangreiche Maschinerie der transnationalen Unterdrückung auf, darunter auch Mitglieder der WUC.
🗞️Lesen Sie: Das Citizen Lab enthüllt eine neue Form der digitalen transnationalen Unterdrückung, die sich gegen Uiguren richtet, darunter auch die WUC.
🎙️ Hören: Podcast-Folge der Lantos Foundation „Frauen als Vorreiterinnen der Religionsfreiheit – Ein Gespräch mit Rushan Abbas”.
🎥 Sehen: Vizepräsidentin der WUC in der Expertenrunde „Von Tiananmen zur transnationalen Unterdrückung”.
🌐 Sehen Sie: Die Vizepräsidentin der WUC spricht darüber, wie die KPCh digitalen Autoritarismus weltweit exportiert.
📺 Sehen Sie: EPOCHTV-Folge mit Rushan Abbas über den Völkermord an den Uiguren.
🎥 „Ein Tag der WUC bei der UNO” Werfen Sie einen Blick hinter die Kulissen der Lobbyarbeit der WUC bei den Vereinten Nationen.
Don’t Miss These Must-Reads
Op-ed by Dolkun Isa “Justice for Tiananmen is JUSTICE FOR ALL” “China’s Economy Runs on Uyghur Forced Labour” — an in-depth investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) ISHR Toolkit on assessing and mitigating risks for UN engagement – practical resources for defenders “Risk at the Source”: Investigating critical mineral supply chains and their ties to Uyghur forced labour UHRP Report – Manifest Risk: “Air Silk Road” Cargo Flights Carry Risk of Uyghur Forced Labour into Europe
Commemorations & Protests
Between April and July, the World Uyghur Congress commemorated 7 key dates in Uyghur history and organized protests to amplify Uyghur voices. These included the Baren Uprising commemoration, the celebration of Uyghur Doppa Day on May 5, and a protest marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre. The WUC also marked the 37th anniversary of the 1988 Uyghur Student Protests, celebrated Uyghur Language Day on June 15, and commemorated the 16th anniversary of the Urumchi Massacre. In response to diplomatic developments, the WUC protested the visit of China’s Foreign Minister to Berlin and commemorated the 11th anniversary of the Yarkand Massacre.