The latest appeal places the protection of Uyghurs abroad on the agenda ahead of Rubio’s planned Central Asian visit…reports Asian Lite News Desk
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has called on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to press Central Asian governments to protect Uyghurs from what it describes as China’s growing transnational repression.
The organisation said Central Asia had become both a refuge for Uyghurs fleeing persecution in China’s Xinjiang region and a place where they continued to face pressure, surveillance, intimidation, arbitrary detention and the risk of forced deportation.
In a statement, the WUC said Uyghurs living in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries in the region had long faced pressure linked to Beijing’s demands for cooperation against Uyghur political, cultural and religious activities.
The group said Rubio’s planned visit to Uzbekistan presented an opportunity for Washington to reaffirm its support for Uyghur rights and raise concerns about the treatment of Uyghur communities beyond China’s borders.
It urged the US secretary of state to call for an end to the forced return of Uyghurs to China and ask regional governments not to deport, extradite or otherwise transfer them to Chinese authorities.
According to the organisation, those returned to China face serious risks of persecution, arbitrary detention, torture and other grave human rights violations.
The WUC also called on Washington to press Central Asian governments to reject Chinese requests to monitor, intimidate, detain or silence Uyghurs because of their political views, peaceful activism, religious practices or contact with relatives living abroad.
The organisation cited previous US diplomatic efforts to raise the issue. Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo publicly addressed Uyghur rights during a meeting with Central Asian leaders in 2019, urging them not to deport Uyghurs to China. He reiterated the concern during a visit to Kazakhstan in 2020.
The WUC said Rubio had a “rare opportunity” to continue that approach and strengthen US advocacy for Uyghur communities across the region.
Last month, the organisation also called on US President Donald Trump and his administration to raise concerns about the alleged genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the treatment of diaspora communities during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States on September 24.
“Xi’s visit to Washington is a strategic moment to move beyond words of condemnation on the Uyghur genocide,” WUC president Turgunjan Alawdun said.
He added that the United States had been a vocal supporter of the Uyghur people and urged Trump to use the diplomatic engagement to demonstrate continued support.
The latest appeal places the protection of Uyghurs abroad on the agenda ahead of Rubio’s planned Central Asian visit, with the WUC seeking stronger diplomatic pressure against alleged cross-border intimidation and forced returns.
