China fails to silence Uyghur leader as UN Forum hears plea on oppression and identity

GENEVA: In a powerful intervention at the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva, Dolkun Isa, President of the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights, delivered an impassioned statement highlighting China’s systematic repression of Uyghur people despite an attempt by the Chinese delegation to interrupt and silence him.

“I must reiterate what I just said. Regarding this NGO, which is trying to take advantage of this platform and undermines the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of China”, the Chinese delegation stated.

The Chair of the session, however, allowed Isa to continue, marking a rare moment of open dissent within a UN platform often dominated by diplomatic restraint.

Speaking before global delegates, Isa highlighted how the Uyghur diaspora has rebuilt cultural and civic spaces abroad that were systematically erased in their homeland. “Across the world, Uyghur communities have revived our culture through language schools, artistic initiatives, democratic organising, and civic institutions,” he said. “We preserve our heritage while enriching the societies we live in.”

Condemning the Chinese government’s ongoing persecution, Isa accused China of attempting to “turn Uyghurs into minorities in their own land” and committing genocide through mass detentions, cultural erasure, and political suppression.

He cited the imprisonment of prominent Uyghur intellectuals, including Professor Ilham Tohti, Dr Gulshan Abbas, and others, noting that “these individuals are serving long sentences for contributions that anywhere else would be celebrated.”

Isa’s testimony also drew attention to the dismantling of linguistic and educational rights in Xinjiang, where Uyghur language instruction has been removed from schools. “This undermines the transmission of memory, history, and identity,” he stated, urging UN member states to protect cultural and linguistic freedoms and ensure that “unrepresented voices can contribute without fear, discrimination, or political pressure.”

The confrontation during Isa’s speech, with China’s delegation attempting to halt him, highlighted the deep tensions surrounding global scrutiny of China’s human rights record. (ANI)