Germany: Uyghur activists observe ‘Genocide Recognition Day’, remember victims

Several Uyghur organizations and activists observed ‘Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day’ in Munich, Germany on 9 December. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) stressed the importance of remembering the victims of the Uyghur genocide.

In a press release, the WUC highlighted the role of the Uyghur Tribunal, which was established in June 2020 at the request of its then-President Dolkun Isa.

This independent tribunal was formed to document the atrocities committed by China against the Uighurs, Kazakhs and other Turkic Muslim populations in East Turkistan. It was tasked with investigating genocide and crimes against humanity.

In a social media post, Dolkun Isa marked the anniversary of the tribunal’s historic findings, which concluded that the Chinese government committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan.

“Three years ago today, the Uyghur Tribunal concluded that the Chinese government committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples in East Turkestan,” Isa said. On behalf of WUC, I declare December 9 as International Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day. The massacre continues. “Humanity must act to end this atrocity.”

The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), a Washington, DC-based advocacy group, also marked the occasion with the announcement of a Chinese-language online event titled “The Uyghur Tribunal: Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day”, taking place on December 10. The organization reiterated that every year, Uyghurs around the world commemorate this day as the moment when the Uyghur Genocide was officially recognized by an independent tribunal.

The UHRP further stated that the Uyghur Tribunal’s findings have led to increased international recognition. Countries such as the United States, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Czechia, Ireland, and Taiwan have officially acknowledged the genocide and related crimes.

Additionally, the European Parliament has declared that the persecution of Uyghurs is a crime against humanity and may amount to genocide. The French National Assembly has recognized the atrocities as genocide. The United Nations has expressed deep concern, calling the situation a “potential crime against humanity.”

Speakers at the upcoming UHRP event will address the significance of the independent tribunal’s findings and its impact on international efforts to hold perpetrators accountable for the genocide against the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan.