Abim lauds Uyghur tribunal findings, wants world to 'open its eyes'

 

Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz has lauded the Independent Uyghur Tribunal which found that there was an element of genocide committed by the Chinese government against the Uyghur minority.

He said that Abim deplores the atrocities committed by the Chinese government upon the Muslim Uyghur Ethnic in Xinjiang and other ethnic minorities in China and hopes that this judgement from the independent tribunal will be an eye-opener for all international communities.

"As a non-governmental organisation, Abim urges the whole community to continue and expand awareness campaigns around the world to enlighten the public about the atrocities and oppressions committed against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities.

"The world needs to firmly unite and voice our solidarity as this is a blatant violation of humanity and human rights," he said in a statement today.

The Uyghur Tribunal is an independent people’s tribunal. Its verdict is not legally binding. The tribunal was chaired by British lawyer Geoffrey Nice, known for his role as prosecutor in the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević for crimes against humanity.

Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (Abim) president Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz

The tribunal was established in June 2020, following the request of World Uyghur Congress president Dolkun Isa, to investigate crimes against humanity and genocide under international law, allegedly perpetrated by the Chinese state against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in north-western China.

Abim highlighted that the judgment was made after going through the hearing process by taking evidence of the victims' families who were mistreated by the Chinese government, including testimony from expert witnesses in the field of human rights and international law.

"In the judgment issued, the tribunal explained there was an element of genocide committed by the Chinese government against the Uyghurs when there was an attempt to systematically prevent the childbirth of that ethnicity.

"These include, when Uyghur women in custody being forced to take medicines by mouth or by injection that affected reproductive functioning of women, pregnant women, in detention centres and outside, were forced to have abortions for early pregnancy and termination of pregnancy at the last stages of pregnancy and forcing Uyghur women to endure removal against their will of wombs and to undergo effective sterilisation through surgical means.

"At the same time, the tribunal confirmed the heavy persecution and atrocities committed towards Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province. Among the persecutions include Uyghur people being detained and separated from their families in camps and some were killed.

"They prohibit the wearing of hijabs, growing beards, performing prayers and studying religion which are the basis of Islam," said the Abim leader.

China has said that the tribunal is a lie and it was nothing more than a political tool of China's enemies.

Meanwhile, the US House of Representatives passed legislation on Tuesday to ban imports from Xinjiang over concerns about forced labour, part of Washington's continued pushback against Beijing's treatment of the Uyghur.

The measure passed by unanimous voice vote, after lawmakers agreed on a compromise that eliminated differences between bills introduced in the House and Senate. - Mkini