On November 12, more than fifty Uighurs rallied in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., to protest the Chinese government’s oppression of the Uighurs in Xinjiang and to celebrate the unity the Uighurs have shown in their movement.
Parts of Xinjiang were briefly established as the Republic of East Turkestan on November 12, 1944, a day of great significance to many Uighurs.
Former World Uyghur Congress President Rebiya Kadeer said, “The message we want to send to the world, mainly to the Chinese Communist Party, is that we will one day, in our land, East Turkestan, which was occupied by the Chinese Communist Party, we will definitely establish an independent state and will gain peace and independence.”
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Forced Uyghur Labor Prevention Act in September. The Uyghur American Association (UAA), the rally’s organizer, said it is actively lobbying the U.S. Congress to get the bill passed in the Senate as soon as possible.
The association also said that as a result of the group’s efforts, Virginia Congressman Delaney submitted a proposal to the state legislature to designate November 12 as “Uighur-American Friendship Day” in recognition of this special day and the contributions of Uighurs to the United States.
This is the beauty of the country we live in,” said Kuzat Altai, president of the Uyghur American Association. This is the beauty of recognizing respect for humanity. We have rights here, even if we weren’t born here, we came to the United States as refugees and are now naturalized citizens, but our voice, even if we were born in China, the government here is supportive of us. Here, we are able to make our voices heard. That’s what the world needs to learn. That’s why America will thrive and the Chinese Communist Party will fall.”
Max Gilbert, the association’s program director, said he grew up Jewish in Florida but felt the warmth of the Uighur people deeply on a trip to Xinjiang, which led him to devote himself to the ambition of speaking out for the Uighur people. Justice, he emphasized, will prevail in the end.
The Americans stand with you,” he said. Americans stand with us and with the struggle of the Uighurs, a struggle for respect, dignity, the most basic human rights, and the ability to live a decent, happy, and secure life back home. Time will prove that we are on the right side of history, and we will continue to fight for you, every day.”
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