Xinjiang
(Washington, D.C)—On the tenth anniversary of the protests and violence that took place in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the Chair and Cochair respectively of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the following statement urging immediate action to address the high-tech surveillance and mass internment of over a million Uyghurs, Kazakhs and others in the XUAR.
(Washington D.C.)—The Commission’s 2017 Annual Report highlighted intensified restrictions on religious freedom and oppressive security controls, particularly in ethnic minority regions, including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The situation has only further deteriorated since the Report’s release in October. Today, Senator Marco Rubio and Representative Chris Smith, the chair and cochairman respectively of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (the Commission), expressed alarm about the human rights crisis in Xinjiang.
As President Obama prepares to host Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 24-25, 2015, the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) will hold a hearing to examine the critical human rights and rule of law issues that deserve frank and robust discussions during the planned state visit.
Congressional-Executive Commission on China | www.cecc.gov
October 1, 2014
(Washington DC)—The Chairman and Cochairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) condemn the September 23 conviction and life imprisonment of Uyghur scholar and rights advocate Ilham Tohti and call for his unconditional release.
Congressional-Executive Commission on China | www.cecc.gov
August 1, 2014
(Washington, DC)—Uyghur scholar and rights advocate Ilham Tohti was indicted recently on charges of “separatism,” which can carry the death penalty in China. The Chairman and Cochairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) today commend Ilham Tohti’s efforts to build understanding and dialogue between ethnic minority groups and urge the Chinese government to drop all charges against him.
Chinese officials have cracked down on independent rights advocacy, detaining large numbers of individuals for peacefully advocating on issues ranging from combating official corruption and protecting the rights of ethnic minorities to ensuring educational equality for migrant children and seeking greater freedom of the press. Those detained include Ilham Tohti, a scholar and an advocate for the Uyghur ethnic minority, who sought to build bridges between Uyghurs and the majority Han population. They also include individuals from the New Citizens’ Movement, who have called for social justice, rule of law, and citizen rights.