IUETO calls for refugee status for Uyghurs in India, emphasising their need for safety and support.
New Delhi: East Turkistan, also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, lies in the very heart of Asia, situated along the ancient Silk Road which was a prominent hub of commerce for more than 2,000 years. China’s claims of sovereignty over East Turkistan and the assimilation policies it implements are seen as a part of its expansionist policy which has become more brutal after the rise of President Xi Jinping.
Over the last few years, reports of mass detentions, subjection to intense surveillance, forced labour, and involuntary sterilisations, among other human rights abuses by China have created an outcry from the international community. Last month, on September 7, a three-member delegation of International Union of East Turkistan Organisations (IUETO) from Turkey came to India for a 10-day visit.
IUETO is dedicated to restoring the freedom of East Turkistan from the ongoing colonisation by China since 1949. While many organisations focus on the human rights violations against Uyghurs, IUETO believes that these violations must be addressed not only from a human rights perspective but also from the perspective of regional security.
During their stay in India, the delegation met scores of people including the parliamentarians, academicians and civil society groups in order to raise awareness about the atrocities committed by China on Uyghur Muslims.
The delegation included the President of the Union, Hidayet Oguzhan, General Secretary, Abduresid Eminhaci, researcher Yusuf Tosun, and Wasim Abdullah, the President of the newly established Indian Uyghur Society and the Union’s representative in India.
Here are the excerpts from the interview-
Q. You are on a 10-day visit to India? What brings you here at this point of time?
A. The purpose of this visit is related to the mission of our organisation which is the International Union of East Turkistan Organisations focusing on advocacy of Uyghur rights around the world and advancing Uyghur community/ diaspora in all the countries.
Q. Have you met anyone from New Delhi yet?
A. We had a great interaction with Sujeet Kumar (Biju Janata Dal’s Rajya Sabha member who recently resigned from the Rajya Sabha and joined BJP), Captain Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation and Vijay Kranti, Chairman of Centre for Himalayan Asia Studies and Engagement (CHASE).We met and discussed issues faced by Uyghurs and the atrocities committed by China. There are a few Uyghurs staying in India for the last three to four generations, mainly in Jammu Kashmir, Ladakh and Kargil. Although, there strength is around 200, we’ll be holding a cultural meeting this Saturday in New Delhi and promote the unity and solidarity between our community.
Q. India in the past has abstained at the international forums, including at the UNGA on Uyghur issues but since the last few years, there has been an engagement. What are your expectations from India?
A. East Turkistan is a neighbouring region of India like Tibet. The world has seen the brutalities unleashed by the Chinese government, including systematic genocide, brutal oppression, mass detentions and changes in demography. For their geopolitical and economic interests largely due to the Belt and Road initiative (BRI), China view Uyghurs as a threat. As a result, they are holding us in detention camps, implementing forced labour, and committing acts of genocide to eradicate our identity in our own region.
India, which is a neighbouring country is also facing China’s expansionist policy vis-a-vis the border standoff. In the last one decade, India’s relation with China has suffered a dent due to the border tensions and at the same time, China unleased it’s ruthless policies on Uyghurs. So, what is happening in East Turkistan has a direct correlation with China’s expansionist policy over India.
Our primary goal is to raise awareness among the Indian media, academia, and the broader Indian society about the issues faced by Uyghurs. We are also establishing the Indian Uyghur Society. It will be based in Jammu and Kashmir and in future, it will have a sub-office in New Delhi as well.
Q. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) always talk about Muslim issues but has chosen to remain silent on Uyghur Muslims. What are your expectations from them?
A. China, post Xi Jinping’s era, has become more ruthless in its expansionist agenda and they pressurise their neighbouring countries and a few members of OIC to remain silent on human rights in East Turkistan. Countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iran are part of such a group who falls under the Chinese pressure. China pressurises other members of OIC as well to not let the issue of Uyghurs come up on the table. Turkey is trying to raise our voice but other countries are not letting that happen. The most atrocious part of China’s actions are that they don’t even allow any voice to get raised on Uyghurs in other countries as well.
But we are engaging with several countries and are enhancing our presence. We are talking to Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and now India as well on this. We are growing and will continue to put pressure on China.
Q. It is being reported that China is now opening Xinjiang’s air space and is allowing international movement. What could be the motive?
A. It’s sheer propaganda to divert the world’s attention towards the atrocities that they are committing on us by showing the card of development. The only reason behind this is to showcase the world that everything is normal and that there is peace, harmony and no human rights abuses. Most importantly, it is also related to economics as they want to get investments for the BRI project.
China is now even allowing journalists to visit the place but that too is a propaganda because these are state-sponsored visits. These reports show what the Chinese wants us to see. A Turkish journalist who also visited Xinjiang, wrote that all those reports which the other journalists were preparing at the trip were controlled by the Chinese and it was far away from the reality because no one was allowed to talk to any local.
Q. You talked about establishing Indian Uyghur society. What are your expectations from India?
A. We want India to raise our voice at the international forums such as at the United Nations. We want to inform Indians about the human rights abuses we endure at the hands of China. Since the last few years, India has been taking our stand and we hope that it will continue to take so because India is one of the rarest countries in the region which is standing tall against Chinese aggression. The main reason behind our visit is raising awareness about East Turkistan in India, creation of social and political space for Uyghur activity in India and support for the release of three Uyghurs.
Q. Three Uyghurs have been in jail in Haryana. What is the case all about?
A. Three Uyghurs are currently locked up in a prison in Karnal, Haryana. They were caught by the authorities as they were staying without documents. Under the border violation, the term is of 1.6 years but they have been in jail for the past 11 years. We met them on Thursday and they were crying while talking to us because they spoke their mother language after 11 years. They are locked up in a closed jail and not in an open prison. The lawyer is fighting the case and we are looking for clearances and other options for their stay in the third country (as refugees) as they do not wish to go to their native place.
In 2012, these three Uyghurs from the Kargilik district of Kashgar city in East Turkistan, who are siblings and sons of Thursum from East Turkistan, were arrested by soldiers in the Sultan Chusku region of India while crossing the India-East Turkistan-Ladakh border, to escape Chinese state-sponsored atrocities and harassment at a time of mass internment of Uyghur youth in detention camps. The name of these Uyghurs are- Adil (30 years), Abdul Khaliq (27 years) and Abdul Salam (28 years). The Union humbly requests the Indian government in facilitating their acceptance as refugees in India or their safe transfer to a third country.
Q. Do you expect that refugee status should be given to Uyghurs who come to India fleeing atrocities in their homeland?
A. It will be great if more Uyghurs could visit and live in India. Although our presence here is not more than 200, it would be great if more of us could come here even if it is for education or for tourism.