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On August 1, five prominent Uyghur organizations, including the Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU), the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), the Uyghur American Association (UAA), the Uyghur Academy, and the Center for Uyghur Studies (CUS), were represented at a press conference in Washington, D.C., where they welcomed the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act (UGASA), as reported by Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU).
This significant legislation, introduced by Senator Dan Sullivan, who chairs the Congressional Executive Commission on China (CECC), alongside CECC Co-Chair Congressman Chris Smith and Congressman Tom Suozzi, Co-Chairs of the Bi-Partisan Congressional Uyghur Caucus, and Senator Jeff Merkley, a CECC Commissioner, enhances U.S. capabilities to address the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity committed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against Uyghurs and other Turkic populations. Congressman John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, also co-sponsored the bill, according to the release by Campaign for Uyghurs. UGASA imposes sanctions on individuals and organisations involved in forced labour, mass surveillance, and forced organ harvesting. It prohibits the U.S. government from acquiring goods associated with Uyghur forced labour, mandates regular public reporting on atrocities, provides support for survivors, and calls for accountability regarding the missing and detained relatives of Uyghur Americans. Furthermore, the bill enhances oversight of U.S. companies and institutions that could be complicit in repression through investments or technology transfers. The press conference featured Piero Tozzi, senior staff to Rep. Chris Smith and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and Tejkaran Kaur Bains, senior staff to Rep. Tom Suozzi, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Uyghur Caucus. It underscored the strong and united backing for UGASA, the Uyghur diaspora, and the Uyghur people facing genocide, as highlighted by the CFU release. "This legislation compels the U.S. to seek answers from Beijing and place a priority on reuniting Americans with their missing or detained family members. This holds significant meaning for me and thousands of Uyghur Americans as our relatives continue to endure wrongful detention and imprisonment at the hands of the CCP," stated Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of CFU. "UGASA represents a crucial step toward holding accountable those responsible for the ongoing Uyghur genocide," she added, as quoted in the release. Campaign for Uyghurs calls on the House and Senate to promptly pass the Uyghur Genocide Accountability and Sanctions Act. (ANI)
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