Tag: 维吾尔族

Uyghur campaign


Some members of the group meet for a photo op

October 2026

Throughout August the Salisbury group took part in the national campaign to highlight the plight of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang province in China. We reported on the extreme measures used by the Chinese to repress the culture, language and religion of this population and the imprisonment of around a million as part of a process of ‘re-education’. We also noted the vast programme of forced labour particularly of cotton much of it finding its way its way into high street clothing with seemingly little concern by our retailers.

The group held a brief photo opportunity today to highlight the Uyghurs and to keep them in the public eye.

Group of protesters holding signs advocating for Uyghur rights in front of a historic building, with an Amnesty International banner in the background.

A recent report by Global Rights Compliance suggests we may have been a bit ‘narrow’ in focusing on cotton as the latest 5 year plan for the region in which it is explained:

“The Plan’s overriding priority is to position China at the “forefront of global science and technology”, by eliminating critical technological dependencies and ensuring that its development trajectory cannot be disrupted by external pressure or supply chain coercion.

“This self-reliance shift ultimately relies on material foundations. The success of these goals depends on securing reliable access to raw materials at scale. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang) is central: the region holds the majority of China’s beryllium reserves, a material with no substitute in semiconductor manufacturing, and provides the cheap coal-based energy that makes energy-intensive mineral processing”.

This suggests the process of repression will continue because this dominance relies not just on the material itself but its processing. This will also need forced labour to achieve.

There are signs that politicians are beginning to worry about the ‘China threat’ which is on several levels. Our concern is with the rights of a people who are not Han Chinese, who are routinely persecuted and the fruits of their persecution finds its way into products we buy in the West.

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Uyghur solidarity – a love story


A love story illustrates the tragedy of the Uyghur people

August 2026

This is a love story which appeared in today’s Guardian (5th August) which highlights the effects on innocent lives arising from the repression and cultural genocide being committed in Xinjiang by the Chinese. The relationship blossomed around a discovered novel entitled Leyighan Bulaq (The Muddy Spring) written by the Uyghur novelist Jalalidin Băhram. It is a book about the brutalities of the Cultural Revolution.

The boy who uncovered the book wanted to share it with a female friend which in a Moslem environment was difficult to do. He smuggled a copy of the book to her. He left to study abroad. She was unable to sit a university entrance exam as she wore a headscarf. She was unable to obtain a passport either which the Chinese are reluctant to permit Uyghurs to have. She eventually made it out and they married in Istanbul. No family members were present. Messages from abroad can result in punishment which meant they could not convey messages to their families back home including the sad death of their 2 year old daughter.

The story illustrates very well the effects on ordinary lives by the campaign of repression. How people cannot leave the area, how messages from abroad can result in punishment. How indignities are heaped on the people for wearing a scarf. Unspoken in the story is the use of CCTV cameras which control lives not just in Xinjiang but throughout China. They make ordinary contact and movement almost impossible.

A message …

“To all Amnesty activists and supporters,

Thank you for standing with the Uyghur people at a time when our language, culture, faith, and very identity are under systematic attack. The recent testimony of former Chinese police officer Zhang Yabo has once again confirmed what Uyghurs have long tried to tell the world: in today’s Uyghur homeland, almost anyone can become a target — writers, poets, musicians, artists, intellectuals, religious figures, and ordinary people simply trying to preserve who they are. Songs are banned, the Uyghur language is criminalised, faith is weaponised against believers, and even memory itself is treated as a threat.

Beyond the camps and prisons, the repression follows Uyghurs across borders through intimidation, surveillance, disinformation, and relentless transnational repression designed to silence us and isolate us from the world. Many Uyghurs are afraid even to speak publicly, fearing consequences for loved ones back home.

That is why your solidarity matters so deeply. Every voice raised, every campaign organised, every act of compassion tells Uyghurs that we have not been abandoned or forgotten. In the face of fear and erasure, solidarity becomes a form of protection, dignity, and hope.

Please continue to stand with us, support the work of Stop Uyghur Genocide, and help amplify Uyghur voices by following and sharing our work on social media. Your support truly makes a difference.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Rahima Mahmut
Executive Director
Stop Uyghur Genocide”

Responses

We are delighted to report that the response to our earlier posts on the Uyghur Solidarity Month have been good. Our post made top ranking on Startpage’s search engine today. Most pleasing is the number of views from China and Hong Kong which together were second and third in the rankings. Amnesty is banned in China so this is encouraging.

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