On June 17, 2020, United States President Mr. Donald Trump signed the first East Turkistan-related bill in U.S. history, the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act 2020, which officially passed the bill. The Japan Uyghur Union enthusiastically welcomes this law and thanks the US House of Representatives and President Trump.
The Communist Party of China invaded East Turkistan in October 1949, and has carried out the murder of a plethora of Uyghurs since it carried out the colonial rule in this area. The Uyghurs are the main ethnic group of East Turkestan and are one of the ancient peoples of Central Asia. From taking power in September 2012 as General Secretary of China Communist Party, Xi Jinping feel a great crisis and danger to the presence of Uyghurs, which is the subject peoples of colonial East Turkestan, then he started the ethnic cleansing policy toward Uyghurs since 2014. And in order to implement this policy more aggressively, he transferred his entourage, Chen Quanguo, from Tibet to East Turkestan in August 2016, appointed him as the secretary of the so-called "Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region" Communist Party Committee and secretary of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Communist Party Committee. After then, Chen Quanguo began to contain large numbers of Uyghurs in concentration camps throughout East Turkestan. By the end of 2017, at least 1.8 million talented Uyghurs have been detained. It is estimated that by the end of 2018, the Uyghurs were more widely detained and the number reached 5 million.
Since the 21st century ethnic cleansing of Uyghurs by the Chinese authorities became public in the international community, severe criticisms have been issued by the United Nations Human Rights Council, the European Parliament, the American Parliament and the government. International NGOs such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also published many investigation reports, revealing the crimes against humanity by the Chinese Communist Party authorities. However, the Chinese Communist Party authorities have completely ignored the accusations from the international community, justified the ethnic cleansing policy to the Uyghurs, and have not let down the oppression!
In such a situation, the U.S. Republican Senator Rubio and House of Representatives McGovern led the Uyghur human rights bill and was passed in the House of Senate in September 2019. Three months later, the House further strengthened the bill passed in Senate, and passing by an overwhelming majority on December 4. However, because the contents passed by the House of Representatives were inconsistent with those of the Senate, it returned to the Senate's approval. So the Senate passed unanimously through the enhanced version of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Bill on May 14, 2020 and returned to the House. On May 27, in the House of Representatives, the bill passed in overwhelming majority and was granted to President Trump's signature on June 2. Under US law, if the president does not sign in 10 days, the bill will come into effect automatically. However, during this period, large-scale demonstrations and mayhem occurred in various parts of the country, and President Trump's signature was delayed by several days, but it was officially signed on June 17, and the historic Uyghur human rights policy bill became a law!
With the passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Act in the United States, the tragedy of humankind in East Turkestan became more important in the world, and concrete actions to prevent this tragedy first began in the form of law in the United States.
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Law requesting the US government puts strong pressure to Beijing's human rights crackdown on Uyghurs. At the same time, also request to impose specific sanctions on China Communist Party executives involved in human rights abuses. In accordance with this law, the United States President is required to file a report to the parliament within 180 days and impose sanctions on a Chinese co-executive officer involved in the Uyghur oppression in East Turkestan (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region). Sanctions include freezing of assets, stoping immigration and visa cancellations. The law also requires the US Secretary of State and the United States Department of Administration to submit to the Diet a report on the status of human rights in East Turkestan within 180 days.
The law also includes the use of Uyghur forced labor and some important measures to combat these inhumane acts. To hold U.S. companies involved in forced labor in China accountable and to ensure that their commercial activities are involved in human rights abuses within East Turkistan territory or elsewhere in China. Demanding that the supply chain not be compromised by Uyghur forced labor.
The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act requires stronger protection and support for Uyghurs in the United States. Take action against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies to detain individuals who harass and intimidate Uyghurs in the United States at the direction of responsible officials of the People's Republic of China. At the same time, it calls for expanding the content and capabilities of the Uyghur broadcast in radio free Asian in Washington.
Lastly, the law requires that the US policy towards the People's Republic of China be clearly linked to the situation in East Turkestan. This requirement puts Uyghurs' human rights and crises in the forefront of U.S. relations with China, and puts effective measures in the first place, putting the advantages of traditional trade and economic relations in a secondary position.
The Japan Uyghur Union hopes that the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act will serve as a model for the international community as an effective and substantial measure to end the brutal acts of the Chinese Communist Party government in East Turkestan. Following the United States, Diet members in western countries, including Japan, call for making similar legislative proposals based on the circumstances of each country, and striving to establish them in the Diet.
The Japan Uyghur, on behalf of Uyghurs in Japan and all Japanese support members, to thank again all people, who has been responsible for passing the Uyghur Human Rights Act, including President Trump, US House of Representatives and Senate, and Secretary of State Mr. Pompeo.
Japan Uyghur Union
June 18, 2020, Tokyo