Freedom, Independence and Democracy for East Turkistan !

E-mail: etic@uygur.org

Uygurischer Verein e. V                                                                    2000-11-07
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80337 München
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Internet: www. uygur.org
E-mail: etic@uygur.com

Mrs. Mary Robinson
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

Dear Mrs. Robinson,

As the High Commissioner for Human Rights of United Nations, you might be aware of the gross human rights violations taking place in the People's Republic of China. Unfortunately, the situation with human rights of the so-called "minority peoples" in China, in particular, that of Uighurs has been overlooked by your respectful office. The Uighurs are one of a few peoples in the world that are deprived of their basic ethnic, political, religious, economic, and social rights.

In the wake of your forthcoming visit to China, we would like to address your attention to the facts of severe human rights violations of the Uighur people by the Chinese state, and we hope that you will have a chance to investigate this issue personally and address this question during your talks with the Chinese authorities.

The Uighurs are the indigenous people of East Turkistan which is
officially called the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region. East Turkistan was annexed by the Chinese Manchu Empire in 1880. Since then, the region was under various levels of control from China. The Uighurs were successful in regaining their independence during the periods of 1864-1874 and 1932-1949. The region became a part of People's Republic of China in 1949. The Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region was created in 1955.

Ever since its colonial occupation, East Turkistan was the place in China where the oppression of the people by the state was the strongest. Despite the official claims about growing "happiness and prosperity" in the region, the reality is that the Chinese authorities under the leadership of the Chinese Communist party are conducting the policy which can be called without exaggeration the ethnic cleansing of the region from its indegeneous population.

Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, reported about numerous cases of human rights violations of Uighurs. Unfortunately, your office remains silent on this issue.

During the last five years, the Chinese government has been conducting the nationwide "political" campaign called Strike Hard to fight crime in China. Under this disguise the Chinese authorities launched the unprecedented campaign of a state terror against Uighurs. Hundreds of Uighurs were executed for what can be considered as political reasons in a civil society, and thousands have been thrown to jails.

After the tragic events of September 11 in U.S.A., the Chinese government is using the worldwide anti-terrorist campaign to strengthen its crack-down on any form of dissent to the Chinese rule in East Turkistan. The Chinese government is trying to obtain the approval from the international community for its ruthless suppression of Uighurs.

On behalf of Uighur refugees around the world and the Uighur people in East Turkistan, I respectfully request from you to establish a special commission to investigate the situation with human and minority rights in East Turkistan and to raise the question of suppression of Uighurs in China during your meetings with the Chinese leaders. Please, find enclosed the special report of East Turkistan Information Center on human rights violations in East Turkistan.

I wish you the best success in your work.

Sincerely
Mr. Abduljelil Qaraqash
President of East Turkistan Information Center

© Uygur.Org  07/11/2001 16:03  A.Karakas