Activists condemn China’s repression, call for end to Uyghur and Tibetan oppression

At the 2024 Geneva summit for human rights and democracy held on Wednesday, Uighurs, Tibetans and Chinese political prisoners sharply condemned Beijing’s repressive policies.

Uyghur linguist and poet Abduweli Ayup declared, “This is genocide due to population transfer. The Chinese government forcibly relocates Uyghurs to provinces throughout China as laborers. Approximately 900,000 Uyghur children are currently enrolled in boarding schools, which separates them from their families and culture.

Ayup also accused the Chinese government of implementing forced sterilization and abortion among Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, saying, “Up to 3 million people have been detained in camps where women are sterilized. This is systematic sterilization genocide.”

Calling for international action, Ayup urged the world to boycott products linked to Uyghur forced labor and refrain from engaging in economic transactions that support Chinese companies.

“We need to stop accepting Chinese funding and selling infrastructure to Chinese companies. Enriching dictators who commit genocide against the Uyghur people is unacceptable,” he stressed.

Tibetan-Canadian human rights activist Chemi Lhamo emphasized the biased nature of Chinese documents related to Tibet, saying, “Any document issued by China regarding Tibet reflects the viewpoint of the oppressor. Such documents are full of lies propagated by the Chinese government and Xi Jinping.

Lhamo highlighted the dire situation in Tibet, where the freedom score has fallen to zero.

Expressing her gratitude to India for providing sanctuary to Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, she said, “As a Tibetan born in South India, I am grateful to the Government of India. His Holiness the Dalai Lama lives in Dharamshala, and I hope India’s solidarity for the security of Tibet and India will continue equally.

Ri Xia, a 27-year-old Chinese dissident and human rights activist, recalled her harrowing experiences in detention. He revealed, “I was put in solitary confinement twice, once for 37 days and then for 28 days, for peacefully advocating for freedom of expression.”

Zia condemned China’s treatment of Uyghurs and Tibetans, describing Xinjiang as “the world’s largest open prison” and condemning widespread censorship throughout China.

Activists collectively called for global intervention to stop China’s human rights abuses against Uyghur and Tibetan communities.