DELEGATION ADVOCATES UYGHUR RIGHTS AND AWARENESS

IUETO calls for refugee status for Uyghurs in India, emphasising their need for safety and support.

- SAURABH SHARMA

East Turkistan, also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, lies in the very heart of Asia, situated along the ancient Silk Road which was a prominent hub of commerce for more than 2,000 years. China's claims of sovereignty over East Turkistan and the assimilation policies it implements are seen as a part of its expansionist policy which has become more brutal after the rise of President Xi Jinping.

Over the last few years, reports of mass detentions, subjection to intense surveillance, forced labour, and involuntary sterilisations, among other human rights abuses by China have created an outcry from the international community. Last month, on September 7, a three-member delegation of International Union of East Turkistan Organisations (IUETO) from Turkey came to India for a 10-day visit.

IUETO is dedicated to restoring the freedom of East Turkistan from the ongoing colonisation by China since 1949. While many organisations focus on the human rights violations against Uyghurs, IUETO believes that these violations must be addressed not only from a human rights perspective but also from the perspective of regional security.

During their stay in India, the delegation met scores of people including the parliamentarians, academicians and civil society groups in order to raise awareness about the atrocities committed by China on Uyghur Muslims.

The delegation included the President of the Union, Hidayet Oguzhan, General Secretary, Abduresid Eminhaci, researcher Yusuf Tosun, and Wasim Abdullah, the President of the newly established Indian UyghurSocietyand the Union's representative in India.