On December 9, Several Uyghur organisations and activists marked the ‘Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day’ in Munich, Germany. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) highlighted the significance of honoring the victims of the Uyghur genocide.
In a press release, the WUC emphasized the role of the Uyghur Tribunal, which was formed in June 2020 at the request of its former President, Dolkun Isa.
This independent tribunal was established to document atrocities committed by China against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Turkic Muslim communities in East Turkistan. It was tasked with investigating genocide and crimes against humanity.
Dolkun Isa, in a social media post, commemorated the anniversary of a landmark tribunal ruling that found the Chinese government responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in East Turkistan.
Isa stated, “Three years ago today, the Uyghur Tribunal concluded that the Chinese government committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan. On behalf of the WUC, I declared December 9 as International Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day. The genocide continues. Humanity must act to end this atrocity.”
The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), a Washington, DC-based advocacy group, also marked the occasion by announcing a Chinese-language online event titled “The Uyghur Tribunal: Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day” scheduled on December 10. The organisation emphasized that, Uyghurs around the world observe this day every year as the moment an independent tribunal officially recognized the Uyghur genocide.
The UHRP highlighted that the findings of the Uyghur Tribunal have led to increased international recognition with countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Czechia, Ireland, and Taiwan officially recognizing the genocide and related atrocities.
The European Parliament has declared that the persecution of Uyghurs amounts crimes against humanity and could lead to genocide. The French National Assembly has officially recognized the atrocities as genocide. The United Nations has expressed deep concern, describing the situation as a “possible crime against humanity.”
Speakers at the upcoming UHRP event will discuss the importance of the independent tribunal’s findings and their influence on international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for the genocide of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan.