Statement to Endorse Hon. Bob Rae’s Call to UN to Investigate Uighur Genocide in East Turkestan
Nov 16th, 2020
Justice For All Canada wishes to endorse and thank Hon. Bob Rae’s call for investigation over China’s human rights violations and mistreatment of Uighur Muslims and Turkic minorities in East Turkestan (Xinjiang District). As Canada’s UN Ambassador and former Special Envoy to Myanmar, Hon. Rae’s proven knowledge of humanitarian concepts and long-standing work on the Rohingya genocide serves to strengthen Canada’s response to the Uighur crisis with valuable insight and expertise. We hope that the United Nations will in fact launch an immediate inquiry into the human rights abuses of Uighur ethnic
minorities.
“As a Canadian non-profit human rights body working in advocacy spaces that challenge the persecution of indigenous, ethnic and religious minorities around the world, we acknowledge that fact-finding research and evidence are crucial factors in progress towards justice and accountability under international law,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
This critical moment gives us a chance to highlight that the world has been witness to growing evidence of atrocity crimes committed by Chinese Communist officials towards Uighurs, including mounting illegal activities demonstrating outright genocide, crimes against humanity and disturbing examples of gender based violence. “These genocide crimes have been well documented, and we also continue to learn about more recent instances of Uighur community persecution,” explained Ghayyur.
According to a recent report by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, over 1 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, such as Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Hui, have been arbitrarily detained without formal charges or due process in “reeducation camps” and “de-extremification” facilities. Without the ability to communicate with their families, approximately 80,000 detainees have been subjected to conditions of abuse, torture and forced or coerced labour.
Numerous credible reports and testimonies reinforce that the treatment of Uighurs violates customary international law, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide (of which China is a signatory).
To fast-track this human rights matter within Canada’s Federal Government, on October 16th, Justice For All Canada co-led a joint-letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on behalf of a coalition of over 120 human rights and interfaith groups. Our plea requested that Canada must take a greater stance against these crimes of genocide by fulfilling its international legal obligations.
Through our Save Uighur Campaign, we’ve produced a detailed analysis identifying the history and real-time presence of crimes against humanity and genocidal actions taking place in East Turkestan.
We implore the United Nations to act upon Hon. Bob Rae’s call for investigation. We reiterate that swift action is paramount to the progress and stopping of human rights atrocities in East Turkestan.
Justice For All Canada wishes to endorse and thank Hon. Bob Rae’s call for investigation over China’s human rights violations and mistreatment of Uighur Muslims and Turkic minorities in East Turkestan (Xinjiang District). As Canada’s UN Ambassador and former Special Envoy to Myanmar, Hon. Rae’s proven knowledge of humanitarian concepts and long-standing work on the Rohingya genocide serves to strengthen Canada’s response to the Uighur crisis with valuable insight and expertise. We hope that the United Nations will in fact launch an immediate inquiry into the human rights abuses of Uighur ethnic
minorities.
“As a Canadian non-profit human rights body working in advocacy spaces that challenge the persecution of indigenous, ethnic and religious minorities around the world, we acknowledge that fact-finding research and evidence are crucial factors in progress towards justice and accountability under international law,” said Taha Ghayyur, Executive Director of Justice For All Canada.
This critical moment gives us a chance to highlight that the world has been witness to growing evidence of atrocity crimes committed by Chinese Communist officials towards Uighurs, including mounting illegal activities demonstrating outright genocide, crimes against humanity and disturbing examples of gender based violence. “These genocide crimes have been well documented, and we also continue to learn about more recent instances of Uighur community persecution,” explained Ghayyur.
According to a recent report by the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, over 1 million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, such as Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Hui, have been arbitrarily detained without formal charges or due process in “reeducation camps” and “de-extremification” facilities. Without the ability to communicate with their families, approximately 80,000 detainees have been subjected to conditions of abuse, torture and forced or coerced labour.
Numerous credible reports and testimonies reinforce that the treatment of Uighurs violates customary international law, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crimes of Genocide (of which China is a signatory).
To fast-track this human rights matter within Canada’s Federal Government, on October 16th, Justice For All Canada co-led a joint-letter addressed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, on behalf of a coalition of over 120 human rights and interfaith groups. Our plea requested that Canada must take a greater stance against these crimes of genocide by fulfilling its international legal obligations.
Through our Save Uighur Campaign, we’ve produced a detailed analysis identifying the history and real-time presence of crimes against humanity and genocidal actions taking place in East Turkestan.
We implore the United Nations to act upon Hon. Bob Rae’s call for investigation. We reiterate that swift action is paramount to the progress and stopping of human rights atrocities in East Turkestan.