By Uyghur Times Chinese Service
TOKYO, Japan The “International Uyghur Forum,” co-organized by the Japan Uyghur Parliamentarian Coalition (JUPC), the Japanese Parliamentary Coalition for Investigating and Taking Action on Human Rights Persecution in China (JPCHC), the World Uyghur Congress, the Japan Uyghur Association, and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), was held during October 30-31, 2023, at the First Members’ Hall of the Japanese House of Representatives. The forum was attended by over 200 attendees, including approximately 30 parliamentarians from Canada, the Czech Republic, Turkiye, and the US, along with nearly 30 Japanese lawmakers. Notable figures, both Japanese and international, include former Japanese cabinet secretary Hitoshi Nakatani and several Canadian MPs.
During the opening ceremony, Keiji Furuya, Chairman of the Cross-Party Group on Investigating and Taking Action on China’s Human Rights Violations and former Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission of the Liberal Democratic Party, stressed the urgency of addressing the persecution of the Uyghur people. Furuya emphasized the importance of conveying the facts about China’s human rights violations and raising awareness on a global level. He also urged nations that share common values to work together to address these human rights issues.
Letip Ahmet, Chairman of the Japan Uyghur Association, highlighted the significance of the first alliance composed of legislators to actively raise the Uyghur issue in their countries and send a strong message that the Uyghur Genocide cannot be ignored or tolerated.
This conference was held with an aim to strengthen cooperation among legislators from around the world to address China’s persecution of the Uyghur people, as highlighted in the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights report from August 2022. This report described the human rights situation in the “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” as “serious human rights violations” with no signs of improvement from Chinese authorities. Dilxat Raxit, the spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress, expressed hope that the international community, especially Japanese society, would continue to be concerned about the Uyghur people, who are currently facing a life-or-death crisis.
Edited by Abdulmuqtedir
