US Congresswomen raise concern over Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang

NEW YORK: A US Congresswoman representing California's 40th district, Young Kim raised the issues and atrocities faced by the Uyghurs in East Turkistan in a virtual conference on Thursday.

The US lawmaker was giving a virtual statement during a two-day press conference organised in New York by Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, the World Uyghur Congress and Uyghur Human Rights Project.

In her statement, she highlighted that the Uyghurs face genocide in modern-day concentration camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

"In the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Uyghurs face genocide in modern-day concentration camps, and they are silenced, detained, imprisoned, tortured, and brainwashed by the Chinese government each day. So we cannot turn a blind eye to the plight of Uyghurs and to a regime that actively silences, enslaves, and tortures its own people," she said.

She further expressed gratitude for the passing of the Uyghur Policy Act.

"I'm proud that earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed my Uyghur Policy Act," she added.

"The Uyghur Policy Act equips the United States with tools needed to support the basic human rights and distinct identities of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities subject to the Chinese government's inhumane treatment," she added.

She further shared her experience and said that, as a Korean-American who grew up in South Korea during the aftermath of the Korean War, supporting global human rights and holding authoritarian regimes accountable is deeply personal to her.

"This has become a top priority of my work as I serve as chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific," Kim added.

She further said, "There is much more work to be done, and I will continue to push back against the Chinese government's disinformation, coercion, and abuse, and support human rights and freedom around the world."

Earlier, another US lawmaker, Ami Bera, who had helped Kim in the formation of the Uyghur Policy Act, said, "This bill takes crucial steps to bolster American efforts to safeguard the distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghur people and promote respect for human rights and religious freedom in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The United States Congress must remain vigilant in our efforts to uphold human rights at home and abroad."

Moreover, another prominent human rights activist and the Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, Omer Kanat, said that this would give huge hope to Uyghurs, and asked the Senate to act without delay.