Uyghur activist raises rights issue at UK Parliament

LONDON: Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, attended the UK Parliament’s Iftar at Westminster Hall, where she briefly spoke with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the ongoing repression of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region.

According to World Uyghur Congress report, the event saw the participation of senior British officials such as Lord Speaker John McFall, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Lord Tariq Ahmad, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, and Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani, providing a significant platform to raise awareness of the Uyghur crisis.

World Uyghur Congress stated that during her conversation with Prime Minister Starmer, Abbas condemned China’s efforts to suppress the reality of the Uyghur genocide, accusing the Chinese government of orchestrating a large-scale blackout campaign to divert international attention. She also mentioned that her sister, Gulshan Abbas, remains imprisoned. Abbas stressed that the genocide against Uyghurs is a present-day atrocity being overlooked by the global community.

In a post on X, the World Uyghur Congress stated,” The Chair of the Executive Committee of the World Uyghur Congress Rushan Abbas attended the UK Parliament Iftar event at the historic Westminster Hall, where she had a brief opportunity to speak with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the Uyghur issue.”

Earlier, Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, condemned China’s recent announcement about completing the deepest vertical well in Asia, located in Xinjiang’s Tarim Basin. She criticized the project, labeling it part of China’s broader colonial agenda aimed at exploiting the Uyghur homeland. Abbas’s statements reflect growing international concern over China’s treatment of Uyghurs and its economic and political ambitions in the region.

The Uyghur population in China, mainly in Xinjiang, endures intense repression, such as mass incarcerations in “re-education” camps, forced labor, extensive surveillance, and the suppression of their culture. Authorities focus on restricting Uyghur religious practices, language, and customs under the pretext of counterterrorism measures, resulting in significant human rights abuses and global criticism. (ANI)