The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has issued a stern denunciation against the Chinese government’s latest sanctions targeting the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP) and its leadership. The move, which includes sanctions on 14 staff members and former legal director Mehmet Tohti, is seen as a punitive measure against URAP’s human rights work.
WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun remarked that these retaliatory actions by the Chinese Communist Party are indicative of URAP’s growing influence on the global stage. The sanctions come in response to Canada’s decision to penalize eight Chinese officials for their role in the Uyghur genocide in East Turkistan.
URAP has played a pivotal role in resettling Uyghur refugees from high-risk areas, a task made urgent by China’s far-reaching influence, which has led to the deportation of over 300 Uyghurs. Recently, URAP celebrated the arrival of the first Uyghur refugee in Canada, an achievement closely linked to MP Sameer Zuberi’s efforts.
Sanctioning key figures like Samphe Lhalungpa, Chair of the Canada Tibet Committee, underscores the attempts to stifle advocacy for Uyghur and Tibetan rights. The WUC urges the international community to counteract these oppressive measures by implementing protections for at-risk human rights defenders.
The organization further calls on the Canadian government to safeguard these entities, which are operational within legal bounds in Canada, against the Chinese Communist Party’s transnational repression attempts.
