Leaders from U.S. House Select Committee on China hear from victims of Uyghur Genocide

The United States Congress took another important step to show solidarity for the victims of the Uyghur Genocide. On February 27, Chairman of the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, a new committee created to investigate and develop policy to respond to US economic, technological, and security competition with the CCP, Mike Gallagher and co-chair Raja Krishnamoorthi attended a panel hosted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington DC. Abdulhakim Idris, Executive Director of the Center for Uyghur Studies, Tursunay Ziawudun, a camp survivor, Chinese student leaders who took part in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989, and other community representatives were present at the panel.

In his remarks, Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris talked about how he lost contact with his parents since April 2017.  He also highlighted the case of imprisoned Uyghur Doctor Gulshan Abbas, the sister of his wife Rushan Abbas, the Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs. Idris stressed that the Uyghur Genocide in East Turkistan, carried out by CCP is systematic and has not stopped. Idris also reiterated that the international community should take tangible actions to stop the genocide. In his remarks, Idris pointed out that Beijing‘s biggest fear is to hear the truth about the Uyghur Genocide. Therefore, this newly established Select Committee has an important mission. Idris suggested that the Select Committee should hold hearings on Uyghur Genocide and platforms should be given to the survivors of the Uyghur Genocide, especially Uyghur women who were forcibly sterilized, subjected to forced labor and families whose children were taken away.

Tursunay Ziyawudun, a camp survivor who was held in concentration camps for a long time talked about the torture she was subjected to while in the camp. Ziyawudun noted that she represents one of the many Uyghur women who were systematically raped in these concentration camps.

After new Speaker Kevin McCarty took office in the House, he established the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Republican Representative Mike Gallagher was elected as Chairman of the Committee and Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi was elected as Vice Chairman.