Starting from 23 March and continuing through the end of the week, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights (UZDM) carried out a joint advocacy mission in Paris, The Hague and Amsterdam, engaging with policymakers and key stakeholders to address the intensifying repression in East Turkistan.
In Paris, the delegation met with a range of stakeholders, including the National Commission for Human Rights, Senator Antoinette Guhl and MP Olivier Faure to raise concerns and reinforce the need for sustained international attention.
In The Hague, the delegation held productive meetings with various stakeholders, including Member of Parliament Kati Piri. The delegation—comprising WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun, Vice President Zumretay Arkin, EU Officer Bernardo Kaiser, and UZDM President Dolkun Isa—expressed appreciation for the Netherlands’ continued efforts to raise the Uyghur issue in parliament. Discussions focused on ongoing human rights violations, including forced labour, and the growing impact of transnational repression targeting Uyghurs, particularly those living in the Netherlands.
On 27 March in Amsterdam, the delegation also met with city councilman Süleyman Koyuncu, a long-time supporter of Uyghur rights. Among his key initiatives are a motion to halt the use of Chinese surveillance cameras within the municipality—successfully implemented through their removal—as well as efforts to review procurement policies to align with ethical standards and avoid links to Uyghur forced labour, including in the transport sector. He has also supported a motion to recognize East Turkistan instead of “Xinjiang,” acknowledging the identity of the Uyghur community.