Day: August 4, 2026

Uyghur solidarity month


Bringing the plight of Uyghurs to a wider audience

August 2026

We noted in our last post on the Uyghurs that their plight had slipped out of the news in the last year or so. With war in Iran and the closure of the Straight of Hormuz, and continuing conflict in the Middle East including Gaza, giving attention to a far off land where contact with its people is almost impossible is not altogether surprising.

But we need to do our best to bring people’s attention to what is going on there. We should always remember desperate governments do desperate things. The UK is up against it politically and economically. This leads it to pursue arrangements with overseas powers with highly dubious human rights records such as Saudi and UAE, to promote arms sales with almost any country while claiming to have a ‘robust policy’ not to, supporting Israel overtly and covertly despite its destruction of Gaza and mounting violence in the West Bank. Economic needs trump concerns about human rights. Jobs in the UK count for more than rights half way across the world.

Write a letter

We are asking that people write to their local newspaper to highlight the dreadful way the Chinese are treating these people. The campaign organisers have provided a sample letter which unfortunately exceeds the word limit of local papers. We have amended the letter which could be the basis of your own contribution:

I want to draw the attention to people in Salisbury of the dire human rights situation facing the Uyghur people in Xinxiang province, China.

the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded there were credible allegations that the Chinese government had carried out arbitrary detention, torture, forced labour, family separation, and severe restrictions on religious and cultural freedoms on a vast scale on the Uyghur people. They stated that these violations may constitute crimes against humanity. In 2021, the independent Uyghur Tribunal, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice KC in London, concluded that the Chinese government had committed genocide against the Uyghurs through measures intended to prevent births, and had also committed crimes against humanity.

Despite these findings, the suffering of the Uyghur people continues while the world looks away. More than a million Uyghurs are reported to have been detained, and countless families have been torn apart. Survivors have described detention camps, torture, rape, forced labour, coercive birth-control measures, and the removal of children from their families. Behind every statistic are innocent individuals whose lives have been destroyed for ever.

This month, Amnesty International’s Uyghur Solidarity Month is trying to raise awareness of the continuing crisis but also to celebrate the rich culture, language, and heritage now under such severe threat.

Whether one views this issue through the lens of international law, freedom of religion, cultural preservation, or basic human dignity, the plight of the Uyghur people deserves continued public attention and informed discussion. Uyghur Solidarity Month reminds us that protecting a people’s culture is inseparable from protecting their human rights.

Public awareness alone will not end this crisis, but silence only makes it easier to ignore. We all have a responsibility to ensure that the voices of the Uyghur people continue to be heard.

[NAME]

Provide name and address.

You might be tempted to think that what has this to do with me? It’s sad that a people are being persecuted in a far off land but there are so many other problems nearer to hand, why there? But you are involved. You will have in your wardrobe, or be wearing, many items made of cotton. It is highly likely that some of them have been made with cotton from this region using virtual slave labour – the Uyghurs. A quarter of cotton comes from there. You may have bought these garments from a well known and reputable store in the high street or online. Despite their fine words and protestations about the integrity of their supply chains, they still use this cotton. So you are wearing the evidence. You are involved.

Please write.

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Death penalty debate: Florida


Webinar on the penalty hosted by Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

August 2026

Florida is featuring in the news on this topic because of its record use of the penalty having passed Texas as the state who previously held this dubious honour. Its passion for executions is allegedly because the governor, Ron DeSantis, is a keen proponent of its use. He believes it is a deterrent and also helps victim’s families come to terms with their loss. It is also alleged that he is keen to show himself to be tough on crime as part of his wish to become president of the US. Recently, on July 28th,, there were two executions in one day a kind of grisly record. In a previous post on this topic we wondered if it should no longer be known as the ‘Sunshine State’ but the ‘Death State’.

On the justification for its use, De Santis is wrong on both counts. There is no correlation between violent crime and the death penalty. US states or other countries internationally who do not use it, do not have higher levels of violent crime. Victims of crime as a speaker of the seminar observed, want the crimes solved.

Brief history

The history of the penalty in the US was discussed and the decision by the US Supreme Court in 1972 to rule, in the case of Furman v. Georgia, that the penalty was arbitrary and inconsistent (as between different states) and in contravention of the 8th and 14th Amendments. In 1976, the same court allowed the resumption of the penalty in Florida, Georgia and Texas. Since 1976, 12 states have abolished its use they noted.

There has been a gradual reduction in its use the speakers noted. In 1978 there was 84% support according to a Gallup pole. This has dropped to 36% now. Some supported it because they thought it cheaper. Since many are on death rows for decades this is not supported by the facts. A study by the Death Penalty Information Center showed that the cost in California was around $4bn.

It was noted that the US was a member of a motley collection of states still actively using it: China, North Korea and Saudi Arabia (interestingly, none noted Iran, another colossal user). To be among them was not exactly a badge of pride. The US was unique in the Americas still to use it.

The fact remains that many Americans support its use. Mr DeSantis obviously feels that his actions in making the state the nation’s chief executioner will improve his chances in the presidential primaries improving his tough on crime credentials.

Readers might want to revisit an earlier post on how the penalty and court system works in the state.

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