Opinion: The Spirit of Ilham Tohti: An Inspiration to the Uyghur People

The spirit of Ilham Tohti reflects inspiration—“Ilham” itself means inspiration in Uyghur.

By Tahir Imin

Ilham Tohti has long been an inspiration to the Uyghur people through his views, writings, activities, personal conduct, public stance, and life ideals.

Before judging Ilham Tohti, one must first understand him. First and foremost, Ilham Tohti is a Uyghur. He is also an economist and a professional scholar.

When evaluating Ilham Tohti’s stance and life, any widely recognized human value—such as the rule of law, human dignity, humanitarian concern, ethics, compassion, family responsibility, social service, civic responsibility, and concern for one’s people—only elevates his moral and intellectual standing.

In today’s globalized information environment, where a person’s background, character, and life history are widely visible and difficult to conceal, Ilham Tohti nevertheless earned broad respect among advocates of justice and human rights. Even sustained state-led accusations and defamatory campaigns failed to undermine his credibility outside official propaganda channels.

Ilham Tohti is first and foremost a professional economist. He published academic research in respected scholarly journals and served as a university lecturer. In a highly competitive academic field, he established himself professionally while maintaining a stable family life.

Within the limits of what was possible, Ilham Tohti consistently made strong efforts to contribute constructively to society.

His detention and eventual imprisonment became part of a broader pattern of tightening political control following the July 2009 events. During that period, Ilham Tohti was publicly accused by state authorities and gained international attention. Due to international pressure, including concerns raised by foreign governments and intellectuals, he was released at that time. However, repression in the region continued to intensify afterward.

Following 2009, the Chinese authorities increasingly framed Uyghurs as a security concern and accelerated policies of surveillance, control, and restriction.

Ilham Tohti was among the first Uyghur intellectuals to establish a Chinese-language platform to communicate Uyghur perspectives to broader Chinese society. He sought to uphold journalistic principles such as factual accuracy, legality, credibility, and multiple sourcing. He responded to stereotypes and misinformation, explained the social context behind criminalization narratives, and emphasized the dignity and humanity of the Uyghur people.

Through his work, he influenced segments of Chinese intellectual society and engaged younger generations of Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian scholars in discussion about ethnic relations, law, and justice.

Via the website Uyghur Online, Ilham Tohti systematically addressed issues faced by Uyghurs, particularly the problem of laws existing on paper but not being implemented in practice. He analyzed the causes of this gap and publicly discussed it in ways that were rare under existing political constraints.

He also raised the issue of ethnic inequality and argued that unequal application of the law and lack of institutional accountability were central structural problems.

Ilham Tohti further addressed pressures placed on Uyghur language, culture, and religious life, and examined policies such as labor transfers and demographic engineering from an economic and social perspective, arguing that they were harmful and unsustainable.

When incidents of violence occurred, Ilham Tohti rejected simplistic official narratives that framed all resistance as terrorism. He argued instead that unresolved grievances, denial of legal rights, and lack of lawful channels for expression contributed to instability. His views were frequently cited by international journalists seeking balanced analysis.

His calm but firm position drew hostility from nationalist and hardline voices. Some labeled him an “enemy of the state” or accused him of extremism. Such accusations circulated widely within official discourse but were not accepted by international academic, media, or human rights communities.

Ilham Tohti expressed his arguments in a way that aligned with internationally recognized norms and legal language. Rather than inflammatory rhetoric, he relied on reasoned analysis, data, and legal principles.

Although many people are aware that Uyghur regions are governed under highly centralized and coercive policies, few governments openly describe the situation using the language of occupation or colonialism in diplomatic settings. Nevertheless, the existential concerns of the Uyghur people—their rights, dignity, culture, and survival—remain urgent and demand attention from scholars, policymakers, artists, and civil society.

Ilham Tohti fulfilled his personal responsibility to speak within his capacity, often at great personal risk.

He once said:

“China is powerful and highly strategic. At present, this situation can only be addressed using internationally accepted rules and language. We must understand those rules and engage the global public accordingly. This path is difficult and dangerous, but I am mentally prepared and have no intention of retreat.”
(Beijing, Minzu University, November 2012)

He also observed:

“The greater your influence, the more the authorities fear you. That is why meaningful work must be done seriously and with impact.”

Ilham Tohti consistently criticized state policy, stating that Uyghurs were not treated equally under the law and that promised legal rights were not honored. He emphasized that his work focused on universal human rights, not hostility toward any people.

He demonstrated that meaningful struggle is not about attacking one another, but about defending the oppressed, speaking truthfully, and using reason, evidence, and moral clarity.

Ilham Tohti stands as a living example that the pursuit of freedom requires intellect, integrity, perseverance, sacrifice, and courage. His spirit of principled struggle reflects the resilience of the Uyghur people.

The spirit of Ilham is an inspiration to Uyghurs.

Although many Uyghur intellectuals and professionals have been imprisoned, Ilham Tohti was distinctive in articulating a systematic, publicly accessible analysis of the broader structural issues facing Uyghur society.

He genuinely cared for Uyghur students and community members, not only through writing and lectures, but also through practical support and personal mentorship. He spoke with pride about Uyghur history and culture, and with visible pain when discussing contemporary suffering.

The cultural events, forums, discussions, and educational initiatives he organized in Beijing inspired many young people, even though such spaces later became impossible under tightened controls.

Ilham Tohti could have chosen silence, professional comfort, and personal security. He could have focused solely on his career and family. Instead, he chose to speak openly, despite repeated warnings, pressure, and threats.

As a result, he now serves a life sentence under extremely harsh conditions. Beyond his own suffering, his family continues to endure emotional hardship and separation.

Through his case, international awareness of the Uyghur issue expanded significantly. His imprisonment became a reference point in asylum cases, human rights advocacy, parliamentary hearings, and international reporting.

Ilham Tohti’s work and sacrifice exposed contradictions between official narratives and lived reality, forcing sustained international attention and scrutiny.

His struggle was not driven by impulse or chance, but by deep understanding of Uyghur history, culture, language, society, and political conditions.

His nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Sakharov Prize highlights his impact, but he truly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize to fully honor his vital voice for the Uyghur people during their most critical times.

As I have once said to Aljazeera: “His spirit of humanism and love for his nation and sacrifice always teaches us to continue to fight against injustice whatever is the cost.”

His legacy continues to influence how the Uyghur issue is understood globally.

This article was written by me in 2018 and originally published under the pen name Afrasiyap (and some people shared it under the name Yash Uyghur). It was later republished on the Uyghur Agency News website.