Sep 03, 2009

UNPO Press Release on Kadeer's Hearing at the European Parliament


Rebiya Kadeer addresses Human Rights Committee at EP On Tuesday 1 September 2009, the WUC President Rebiya Kadeer addressed the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights, explaining Uyghurs' situation in Urumqi and expressing Uyghurs' desire of establishing a peaceful dialogue with China.
Below is a Press Release issued by UNPO: PRESS RELEASE             FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ___________________________________________________________________________________
Rebiya Kadeer Addresses the
Subcommittee on Human Rights of the European Parliament
Thursday, 3 September 2009 European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium
Rebiya Kadeer’s statement on Uyghurs’ situation has called on European Union to act for the establishment of an international and independent investigation into the Urumqi incidents of July 2009. She also called for pressure to be put on Beijing to open a meaningful dialogue with the Uyghur people. During the hearing, MEPs admitted that the Uyghurs’ situation needed greater worldwide attention and they called on China to address the grievances of its different ethnic groups.       

During the subsequent Press Conference, Ms. Heidi Hautala MEP supported Ms. Kadeer’s desire for an independent investigation on the events of July 2009 and confirmed that human rights in China will remain a permanent topic on European Parliament’s agenda. Ms. Kadeer answered questions about China’s unfulfilled promises on East Turkestan autonomy and the ongoing crackdown on Uyghurs since the Urumqi incident. She restated the Uyghur's desire to engage in dialogue with Beijing as part of their commitment to building peace and stability in a secular East Turkestan.  

For Rebiya Kadeer’s Statement, please see: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/droi/dv/droi_20090831_8speechkadeer_/droi_20090831_8speechkadeer_en.pdf 

For the Video of the Subcommittee Session, please see:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europarl-internet/frd/vod/player?eventCode=20090901-0900-COMMITTEE-DROI&language=en&byLeftMenu=researchcommittee&category=COMMITTEE&format=wmv 


Notes to editors

Ms. Kadeer was jailed for six years because of her nonviolent activism on behalf of Uyghurs and many of her children that remain in East Turkestan have been the target of retribution. Her life and struggle has been documented in a film, ‘The 10 Conditions of Love’ and Ms. Kadeer was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Rafto Memorial Prize for Human Rights in 2004.

UNPO is an international, nonviolent, and democratic membership organisation. Its members are indigenous peoples, minorities, and unrecognised or occupied territories who have joined together to protect and promote their human and cultural rights.

WUC is an international organization representing the collective interests of the Uyghur people, both in East Turkestan and abroad. Its objectives are to promote democracy, human rights and religious freedom for the Uyghur people, through peaceful, nonviolent, and democratic means.


For more information please contact the UNPO Secretariat (Brussels)
Telephone: +32 (0)254 83923  -  Email: [email protected]

For a copy of the UNPO Document on Human Rights Situation of Uyghur Ethnic Group, please click here .