Geneva [Switzerland], November 30 (ANI): 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 on China’s systematic repression of the 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. However, the Chair of the session allowed Isa to continue, marking a rare moment of open dissent within a UN forum typically characterized by diplomatic restraint.
Speaking before global delegates, Isa described 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 organizing, and civic institutions,” he said. “We preserve our heritage while enriching the societies we live in.”
Condemning ongoing persecution, Isa accused Beijing of trying 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 and Dr. Gulshan Abbas, noting that these individuals are serving long sentences “for contributions that anywhere else would be celebrated.”
Isa also highlighted 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 said, urging UN member states to safeguard cultural and linguistic freedoms and ensure that “unrepresented voices can contribute without fear, discrimination, or political pressure.”
The confrontation during Isa’s address, with China’s delegation attempting to stop him, underscored the deepening global tensions over China’s human rights record. (ANI)
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