We all can take steps to end the #UyghurGenocide

On Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day, we are reminded of the grave human rights crisis facing the Uyghur people. As Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), aptly stated, “Words of recognition must be backed by concrete, enforceable policies to end complicity in these atrocities.” This solemn occasion is both a commemoration of the lives impacted and a rallying cry for meaningful action to confront one of the most pressing human rights challenges of our time.

The Uyghur Crisis: Ongoing Repression and Cultural Erasure

The Chinese government’s persecution of the Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, is a multifaceted assault on their identity and existence. This repression manifests in mass arbitrary detentions, forced labor, family separations, religious persecution, and systemic efforts to erase Uyghur culture.

Millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims are detained in what China calls “vocational training centers,” which survivors describe as internment camps. These facilities are rife with abuses, including indoctrination, torture, and forced labor. The products of this coerced labor infiltrate global supply chains, implicating industries from textiles to technology. Despite growing consumer awareness and calls for accountability, transparency in these supply chains and enforcement of anti-slavery measures remain insufficient.

Growing Recognition of Genocide

The global community is increasingly acknowledging the severity of the Uyghur genocide. The Uyghur Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal, concluded that China’s actions constitute genocide. Governments and legislative bodies in the U.S., Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Czechia, and Ireland have echoed this determination.

The United Nations has also raised alarms. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that China’s actions in Xinjiang may amount to crimes against humanity. The UN Special Rapporteur on modern slavery found forced labor practices that could amount to enslavement—a crime against humanity under international law. In 2021, UHRP led a coalition of genocide prevention organizations and experts in affirming that China’s actions meet the threshold of genocide as defined by the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.

Moving Beyond Words: The Need for Concrete Action

Recognition alone is insufficient. It must be followed by enforceable policies and coordinated global action. UHRP calls for:

• Enforcement of Import Bans: Governments must rigorously implement bans on goods produced with forced Uyghur labor, ensuring that global markets are not complicit in these atrocities.
• Strengthening Sanctions: Targeted sanctions against Chinese officials responsible for these human rights violations are essential to increasing pressure on the perpetrators.
• Corporate Accountability: Companies must conduct robust due diligence to ensure their supply chains are free from forced labor and sever ties with entities linked to these abuses. Public pressure forced VW to abandon its factories in Xinjiang but too many other companies rely on Uyghur #ForcedLabor (#ForcedLabour). This must end.
• Honoring the Genocide Convention: Governments must fulfill their obligations under the 1948 UN Genocide Convention by taking all necessary steps to end the ongoing genocide.

A Shared Responsibility

Uyghur Genocide Recognition Day is not just about reflection—it is a call to action. Every individual, organization, and government has a role to play in confronting this crisis. By demanding accountability, ending complicity, and standing in solidarity with the Uyghur people, we affirm that the principles of human rights and justice are more than just words—they are commitments to act.

The time for action is now. Let this day serve as a reminder of what is at stake and the power we hold collectively to make a difference.

Actions we all can take today:

Ask your U.S. Representative to Join the Congressional Uyghur Caucus

The Congressional Uyghur Caucus is dedicated to building pressure by Congress to address the severe human rights abuses perpetrated by the Chinese government against the Uyghur people in China.

This bipartisan caucus is co-chaired by Congressmen Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Chris Smith (R-NJ). The caucus will bring together Members of Congress who have been advocating for better policy on the Uyghurs.

Contact your Congress about joining the caucus by going here.

Tell Congress to reintroduce the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act.

Introduced in both the Senate and the House the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act, or UGASA would expand existing sanctions and other measures to hold accountable the Chinese government for its horrific human rights atrocities against Uyghurs and other ethnic minority groups in China. These bills need to be reintroduced. Please let your representatives know that needs happen ASAP.

Contact Congress about this bill by going here.

Tell Shein to stop using Uyghur slave labor.

Sheis one of the largest fast fashion companies on earth. They do not need to reply on #ForcedLabour. Their clothing includes cotton processed by Uyghur slave labor. Public pressure forced VW to leave Xinjiang, let’s make Shein get out of the genocide business as well.  According to a Bloomberg News report:

Laboratory testing conducted for Bloomberg News on two occasions this year found that garments shipped to the US by Shein were made with cotton from China’s Xinjiang region. The results bring new urgency to concerns about the retailer, which stars in endless TikTok “haul” videos with young customers showing off their purchases.

Tell Shein what you think by going here.

Help us keep up our important work by making a donation.

By making a donation today, you can help us:

• Raise awareness of the issue. Companies like VW and Shein rely on people not knowing where their products and the materials for their products come from. It has been estimated that one in five cotton garments are made with cotton from Xinjiang.
• Keep goods made with slave labor off the international market. Earlier this year, thousands of luxury cars made by VW brands were kept out of the United States because they included parts made by Uyghur slave labor. Your actions led to the ban on goods from Xinjiang. Your help will let us keep the pressure on lawmakers to keep goods made by slave labor out of the U.S. and other global markets.
• Raise awareness of the use of #ForcedLaborFashion. So called “fast fashion” companies like Chinese retailed, Shein, rely heavily on Uyghur labor to make the items they sell and for the cotton they produce. You can help us stop this. Take action to get Shein to stop using slave labor by going here.
• Make the U.S. government hold China accountable for the Uyghur genocide. China continues to violate international law and the civil rights of its citizens because the international community allows it to. With your help, we can make Congress and whoever is in the White House in January force them to end this genocide.

With each passing day, thousands of Uyghur families risk losing everything. Your support today can give them a lifeline.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Make a one-time donation: Every contribution brings immediate relief to Uyghurs in need.
2. Become a monthly donor: By providing ongoing support, you help sustain advocacy and humanitarian initiatives long-term.
3. Share their story: Raising awareness is vital. Spread the word with friends and family, and help us make the world aware of this crisis.