Germany: Uyghur Activists Observe ‘Genocide Recognition Day’, Recall Victims

Several Uyghur organizations and activists gathered in Munich, Germany, on December 9 to commemorate Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) emphasized the importance of honoring the victims of what it described as genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim populations in East Turkistan.

In a press release, the WUC highlighted the establishment of the Uyghur Tribunal in June 2020 at the request of its then-President, Dolkun Isa. This independent tribunal was created to document atrocities committed by China against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other Turkic Muslims. Its primary task was to investigate allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity in the region.

Marking the anniversary of the tribunal’s landmark findings, Isa took to social media to reiterate its conclusions. He 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 observed the occasion, announcing a Chinese-language online event titled The Uyghur Tribunal: Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day, scheduled for December 10. The UHRP emphasized that Uyghurs worldwide mark this day as a moment of official recognition of their plight by an independent tribunal.

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According to UHRP, the tribunal’s findings have spurred growing international acknowledgment of the Uyghur genocide. Nations including the United States, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Czechia, Ireland, and Taiwan have officially recognized the genocide and associated crimes. Additionally, the European Parliament has declared the persecution of Uyghurs as crimes against humanity that could lead to genocide, while the French National Assembly has also labeled the atrocities as genocide. The United Nations, while expressing grave concern, has described the situation as a “possible crime against humanity.”

The upcoming UHRP event will feature speakers discussing the significance of the tribunal’s findings and their impact on international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for the ongoing atrocities against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan.

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