CRITICAL SITUATION OF UYGHUR AZYLUM SEEKERS
Автор: Dolkun Isa ()
Дата публикации: 07/01/2004
Категория: Уйгуры
Версия для печати
With the collapse of Soviet Union in 1991, the clouds of cold war isappeared.
This historical moment gave birth to a number of independent countries such
as Kazakstan, Krygzystan and Uzbekistan in the neighboring territories of eastern
Turkistan.
The people of east Turkistan were encouraged by this movement. Their long
time suppressed dream of having an independent, democratic nation of their own,
found new source of energy. At least, uyghur people felt that way. As a result,
several uyghur political parties who seek self-determination, вemocracy and
human rights for uyghur people were formed and numerous small underground resistant
groups who are ready to defend their people's interest from terrorist Chinese
government by force if necessary were organized. However, almost all of those
organizations have been engaged with political, historical and religious, as
well as cultural propaganda activities very peacefully. Few of them have chosen
a path which was deviated from peaceful struggle only under the intolerable
circumstances.
Uyghurs are one of the most ancient peoples of famous silk road that well known
to the world by their prosperous empires during their golden times. Unfortunately
now they are the only one nation in this world that left without an independent
state. What uyghur groups above which represent 20 million uygur people trying
to do is to get back uyghur people's political, economic, and social rights
from a tyranny.
China as a member of UN security councils should have replied to uyghur people's
reasonable and legal demands by complying with the relevant UN laws and principles.
China should have negotiated with uyghur people over their political rights
and status of east Turkistan. Instead, China violated the UN charter and abused
own status as a major power in the UN by suppressing uyghur people's peaceful
dissident activities with violent methods. China has destroyed uyghur people's
social, cultural, and spiritual life by banning such activities and prosecuting
those who didn't obey. Nowadays, whole uyghur community is living under a psychological
trauma as a result of China's harsh and violent policy. The notorious cultural-revolution
style political activities that devastated Chinese society has been tormenting
uyghur society even after China made a major stride towards economic reform.
Under different names such as "counter-revolunationary", "local
nationalist", "separatist", "illegal religious figure"
and "fundamentalist" but with one purpose, China has been destroying
very fabrics of uyghur nation. Uyghur elites, intellectuals have been persecuted,
large number of uyghur youth have been arbitrarily arrested, jailed, and shot
to death, and some of them mysteriously disappeared. There is no one to protect
them, no one to trace their whereabouts. There is no one to speak on behalf
of them. This is an unforgettable crime of China. This is a moral sin of democratic
nations.
China is a pragmatic state. Chinese authorities has changed major tactics to
attack uyghur people just after September 11th tragedy by taking advantage of
the US led war against terrorism. This way they wanted to hit two birds with
one stone. In one aspect, they announcement of uyghur people's liberation movement
as one of terrorist was its example. By portraying uyghur people as the followers
of osama bin ladin China very much wanted uyghurs be alienated from the freedom
and peace loving people of the world. In another aspect, they wanted to create
an image that they were a victim of terrorism and they too worth the sympathy
of the world so that they can have a free access to uyghur blood. . Poor China,
the player of sham game, Poor Uyghurs, the double victim of international politics!.
It is shame for a country who strives to be a powerful international player
in the world affairs by hiding the truth and creating a bogus "fact".
It is unfortunate for uyghurs who neither have friends nor supporters both among
the Islamic world and democratic countries. The former consider China as strong
ally, the latter may think muslim uyghurs may not be worth to support. China's
tactics paid off. Chinese authorities have intensified their suppression on
uyghur peaceful uyghur dissident movements and painted them with "terrorist"
or "terrorist groups" labels. Chinese authorities freely arrested
more and more peaceful uyghurs and brutally persecuted them physically and psychologically.
This caused a number of uyghurs who have not been caught yet to escape to
other neigboring nations with legal and illegal channels. Some of them escaped
by getting fake documents, some of them escaped by crossing the dangerous mountainous
routes that lead to Kazakistan, Kirghizistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal.
What makes uyghur people very upset is the treatment of those destined countries
to uyghur refugees. Regardless of the harsh reality they have faced at their
home and regardless of difficult, risky, long journeys, the destined countries
have been returning those political refugees into China even though those uyghurs
sought asylum in the UNHCR at those respective countries. It is just death -
a single bullet to the head that they have been receiving after their forceful
return to China. No neighboring countries have ever given asylum to a single
uyghur refugee. Shame on those countries that their police forces also have
victimized uyghur refugees for their own petty interests, and extradited them
to China. This is absolutely against UN charters and relevant human rights principles.
There are some examples. Kazakstan government has forcefully returned Hkamit
Memet, Qasim Mekhpir, Iliyas Zordun to China in February of 1999 without a heed
to Amnesty international's warning to Kazakstan Government. Those 3 uyghur youth
had participated the famous February fifth ghulja peaceful demonstration that
held in Ghulja city to protest China's brutal violation of basic uyghur human
rights. China wanted to arrest them for their participation to the demonstration.
They had escaped to Kazakstan due to that reason and sought a political asylum.
After their return to China, as uyghurs expected, those 3 youth had been shot
to death. Kazakistan government had arrested 4 uyghur adults (two of them were
religious scholars) and 4 children, total of 8 people, subsequently, They were
returned to China. The Kazakh government has extradited more than 20 uyghur
political asylum seekers to China publicly or covertly since 1997.
Krygizstan government followed the footsteps of Kazak government. They have
returned Jelil Turdi in April, 2000 and Memet Yasin, Memed Sadiq in may 8, 2001,
and Rehmutul along with two other people to China in 2002. Those countries did
so even though there was a strong protest and warning from Al and other Human
right Organization. Kryzgstan government persecuted Askar Tohti, Ahmet Gonen
ve Berhemjanlargha with death and AN Mahsum with 25 years jail term in May,
2001 at the request of Chinese government. Kayser Jalal, Ablimit ve Tohti Niyaz
were jailed to 25, 16 and 17 years Accordingly by krygyz government in December
31, 2002 because of their obscure "Establishing illegal Eastern Turkistan
Organization". Excluding these known facts, it is perceived that there
are more uyghurs have been extradited by those governments to China for persecution.
It was widely reported in 1997 that Pakistan government extradited 12 uyghur
political asylum seekers to China in may 1997, whom China Immediately shot to
death. Those were innocent young uyghurs that fled to Pakistan in pursuit of
spiritual wisdom and a freedom from political and religious persecution. Pakistani
Government has returned llham Tohti (born in november15, 1971),Abdul Latif Abdulqadir
(Born in Feb, 1972) Enver Davut in April, 2002 to China.
Their fate was unknown. From May 2000 to April 2002, a total of 16 uyghur arrived
in Nepal in pursuit of refugee status. All of them had been active in eastern
turkistan that Chinese state security apparatus ordered them to be arrested
due to their political related activities. Although their case was accepted
by UNHCRin Nepal, and they have been waiting for to be sent to host countries,
With China's intervention, Nepal returned Xir AN, Abdulla Satar, Abdulhakim
to China in Feb, 2002. We don't know what happened to them since then. Hashim
AN was returned to China by Nepal government in May, 2002, and we were told
that he was being persecuted in Urumchi. According to credible sources, he too
may get a death sentence. 5 of the 12 asylum seekers who stayed in Nepal crossed
into India and repeatedly sought political asylum.
It is such a dishonorable thing to do for Pakistan, Kazakistan, Kirghizistan,
Nepal governments to arrest uyghur asylum seekers for China to kill. Because
those governments are UN member countries, most of them have signed relevant
UN human rights declaration and relevant resolutions. In Fact those countries
have been making double mistakes. First, They are refusing uyghur political
refugees' asylum requests, which was clearly defined in UN charters. As member
countries they should have granted asylum to those uyghurs and should have protected
them. Second, they are sending uyghurs Who have already landed in their territory
safely to death, which is a violation of universal human rights.
Therefore, uyghurs who escaped from Chinese territory, are being forced to
make their way into democratic countries in north America and Europe and seek
political asylum. There is no guarantee for the life of any uyghur who sought
political asylum in any country in case he or she is forcefully returned to
China. If democratic countries ever do this, then it is equal to killing uyghurs
not by Their own hand, but by China's hand. The recent asylum seekers in Those
democratic countries are uyghurs Who came from eastern Turkistan via central
asian states. It is estimated that there are more than 1 million uyghurs in
3 central asian states (Kazakistan, Uzbekistan, Kirghizistan). After the establishment
of Shanghai-5 in 1997, those member countries made agreements with China that
they would return uyghur asylum seekers and they would accomplice with China
and suppress their own citizen uyghurs' activities. Fact proved that those five
gangs' agreements came into effect.
The leader of Uyghuristan liberation movement based in kazakstan, Mr.Hashir
Vahidi was murdered with brutal methods by unknown people at his home in 1997.
The chairman of Uyghur unity based in kryzgyzstan, Mr.Nighmet Bosakup was shot
to death by unknown people in march28, 2000.
The chairmen of Uzbekistan uyghur writer's association, the well-known writer
Eminjan Osmanuv was murdered by unknown people in march, 2001.
The Chairwoman of "Nuzugum Fondi" in Kazakstan, Ms.Dilbirim Samsakova
was murdered by unknown people in July, 2001.
Unfortunately, Uyghurs couldn't wage a war against those terrorists due to their
weak status. Terrorists who committed those crimes against uyghur people have
not been found, have not been punished for their crimes. They are still alive
and they are not in the caves, but in palaces and trying show themselves as
defenders of human rights. It has had negative impact on
uyghur people's life who have recently fled to Central asia and even those uyghur
citizens of independent central asian states. They feel that their life is under
threat. Therefore, They are too forced to come to Democratic nations.
There are approximately 800 uyghurs who sought asylum in Belgium and More
than 99% of their application was rejected. Now, they are living under a constant
threat that someday they may be forcefully returned to their country of origin.
Mr. Rinat Iskender who was an uyghur committed to suicide since he faced to
deportation to Kazaksitan in jan, 10, 2001. since then, The Belgium government
has stopped the forceful return of uyghurs, However, the government didn't grant
asylum to uyghurs either.
Total Uyghur refugees including A.S.A, Canada and Europe are around 2500 and
nearly 500 refugees in North America, and rest of the Numbers are living in
different Countries of Europe.
Acceptance rate of Uyghur Refugees in North America is more than 90%, while
this figure Europe is not more than 40%. Thus, 60% of rejected Uyghur Claimants
are facing and living in extremely high pressure of being returned back Among
those rejected cases, there are more than 100 Cases of Uyghur Refugees in Germany.
50 rejected Claimants are in very dangerous situations, and however, they have
been waiting hopelessly in fear of being returned. Those Uyghur refugees, fled
to neighbouring Central Asian States from China, have been strongly critical
of Chinese Violation of their basic human rights and actively involved peaceful
opposition movement against Chinese political system when they were in China.
. They have hardly escaped from China to Central Asia just for survival, since,
and after Central Asian States came under heavy Chinese political influences
by various treaties and organizations lead by China, such as Shang Hai-5, they
could not stay there in safe either. Some of the luckiest Uyghur Refugees in
small numbers came to European Countries to make their Claim. They have participated
all kinds of peaceful demonstrations in front of China's Embassies in Europe
and joined Uyghur organizations here in Germany such as Eastern Turkistan (
Uyghuristan National Congress), World Uyghur Youth Congress since their arrival.
In present situation in China today, it is very dangerous for them to go back
to China since they have no any legal protection. Most shocking situation here
in Germany is, those Rejected Uyghur Asylum Seekers are being asked by German
Immigration to bring a proof from China's Embassy if it is dangerous for them
to go back to China. Some of the previously rejected Uyghur refugees, are being
held in detention because they have not got enough financial power to pay to
Lawyers to re-submit their Cases. Abdurazak Mi4min's ( born in October 3, 1981)
Case has been rejected after he made his first refugee claim in March 2002,
and now he has been held in detention since November 2002 in Munchen, Germany.
Even it is hard to believe, reality is that Uyghur refugees in Germany are being
interrogated, threatened by Chinese authorities and German immigration together.
April 2, 2003 Uyghur Refugee Claimant Tursungul has been thoroughly searched
and interrogated in Chinese agency by German immigration officer, German polices
and Chinese security polices. Most of the rejected Cases of Uyghur Refugee Claimants
are happening in Bayern Province of Germany and many Uyghurs believe that, it
is a direct result of latest economic and Political ties between China and Bayern
Province. It is obvious that China's side is using this ties as a advantage
to crackdown the democratic voice of oppressed Uyghur in Germany.
Out of 82 Uyghur refugee Claimants in Holland, only 15 Cases have been accepted
and rest of the rejected Uyghur Asylum Seekers are facing danger to be returned
back to China. Out of those total rejected 67 Cases, 15 of them are being in
very dangerous conditions and therefore, 8 of them had to go second European
Countries to find shelter, and rest of the 4 Asylum Seekers asked the protection
from the Church.
Similar situation is also going on In Switzerland. Out of total 44 Uyghur Refugee
Claimants, just 14 cases have been accepted and rest of the 30 Asylum Seekers
are facing danger to be returned to China.
Out of total 25 Uyghur Asylum Seekers, only 4 Cases have been accepted in England
and rest of the rejections are waiting the decision of Refugee Board.
In Sweden, although Acceptance Rate of Uyghur Refugee Cases are relatively
higher than other European Nations, but final fate of 7 Uyghurs who have been
escaped from Eastern Turkistan due to pure Political reasons, are being in very
critical stage.
Finally, in Belgium, out of nearly 800 Uyghur Refugee Claimants, only 10 cases
have been accepted as a refugee, and rest of 790 Uyghur Refugees are living
in dangerous situation to be returned back to China where they may face execution
by the Communist Authorities.
Annual Human Rights Report of U.S State Department, Various Reports of Amnesty
International and other Human Rights Watch Organizations, have clearly indicated
and condemned China's government using the September 11th and fight against
international terrorism as an excuse to arrest of thousands of innocent Uyghur
dissidents and urged the China's authorities to halt such illegal prosecutions
of Uyghur people in Eastern Turkistan. Another hand, China's government has
extended their crackdown campaign to international level by labelling all legal
and democratically established over-seas Uyghur Organizations as an " Terrorist
Organizations and all its members are "terrorists". It has to be clear
that all officially registered Uyghur Organizations abroad have been established
for the purpose of preservation the unique Uyghur Culture, Uyghur Identity and
improving the human rights situation of Uyghur People in Eastern Turkistan under
the China's Communist Regime. We are deeply regretting the fact that those European
Countries who have been in the front line of defending the freedom and human
rights since the centuries, presently facing the great challenge whether to
return back those Uyghur refugees to China, Kazakhstan or to Kyrgyzstan where
they face prosecution without any legal protection or, to keep them and give
them a chance of fair trial in those democratic European countries. If those
Uyghur refugees to be returned to China, Kazakhstan or to Kyrgyzstan, final
victims of this judgement will not be Uyghurs, but the great Human values that
whole Europe stands for and Freedom and fundamental Human rights that defended
by centuries. At the same time, It is the signal of great victory of brutal
China's Regime over the basic Human Rights and its defenders. . Uyghurs cannot
be, should not be the victims of Sino-European trade. We should be on the side
of Human Rights Victims, not with the Human Rights Violators. As a fact, most
of the Uyghur Refugees that had previously returned back to China, either have
they been executed without any trial, or sentenced for long term imprisonment
without given the right of defend themselves. Also as it is documented by the
Amnesty International, that great number of Uyghur Refugees has been disappeared
since their forceful returning to China. Amnesty International underlined the
harsh reality on Uyghurs saying that, "in today's China, Uyghurs are the
only nationality who has been executed for their political and religious demands".
We cannot ignore the serious warnings of Amnesty International and other Human
Rights Watchdog Organizations since we have common responsibilities to make
the world more safe and secure on the bases and standards of human values and
human freedoms.
If should those Uyghur Refugees to be returned to those dictator States including
China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, they will be harshly prosecuted with at least,
long term imprisonment and even, they will be executed by the Authorities. However,
all those Uyghur Refugees are the Members of Uyghur Democratic Organizations
around the world, and actively participating anti-China demonstrations each
year. Even they did nothing; their political asylum could be reason of severe
prosecution by the China's Authorities, as it is documented by the English Section
of Amnesty International Canadian Branch.
We have described the reasons for uyghurs to seek asylum in various democratic
countries and provided you with the statistical data about uyghur asylum seekers
and their status. World Uyghur Youth Congress as a Legal representative body
of Uyghur Cause internationally, is strongly urging all respective and concerned
European States to consider the Case of Uyghur Refugees more seriously and to
take necessary steps to insure their rights on the base democracy and human
rights and urge them not to accomplice with China's gross human rights violations.
Dolkun Isa.
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