Aug 15, 2013

East Turkestan: Call On China To Withdraw Death Sentences


The Spokesperson of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) expressed concern over sentencing Uyghur Muslims in East Turkestan. He has called on the Chinese government to consider an appeal and look at the reasons behind the clashes on 23 April.

Below is an article published by the World Bulletin:

The Spokesperson of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday expressed concern over sentencing Uyghur Muslims in East Turkistan (Uyghur Autonomous Region)

The Spokesperson of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, in a statement, expressed his concern over the report of sentencing two Uyghur Muslims to death penalty and jail terms to three, for the alleged involvement in clashes reported to have taken place in the city of Kashgar of the Uyghur Autonomous Region in China on April 23.

While commenting on close cooperation between the OIC and the government of China, he reiterated once again that the reasons behind protests or clashes need to be addressed.

The spokesperson also urged the government of China to address the root-causes of the situation and respect the desire of the indigenous people to express their cultural, religious and ethical identity, without impediment.

He also expressed his hope that government of China will use its wisdom to reconsider the possibility for an appeal of the court decision and spend more efforts for dialogue and building confidence with the people in the said region.