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The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has released its weekly brief, highlighting concerns over repression, surveillance, Beijing's growing influence abroad and China's treatment of Uyghurs.
At the 2026 Copenhagen Democracy Summit held in Denmark from May 12 to 14, representatives from the WUC raised concerns over what they described as the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs in East Turkistan. Gheyyur Kurban, director of the WUC's Berlin office, met political leaders, policy experts, and civil society representatives to discuss allegations of genocide, transnational repression, and the destruction of Uyghur cultural identity. Discussions also focused on China's increasing use of economic and political pressure against democratic institutions. Meanwhile, Uyghur culture was showcased internationally at a major contemporary art exhibition in Istanbul, Turkiye, from May 13 to 17. Kazakhstan-based Uyghur artist Ahmat Akhat displayed paintings depicting Uyghur traditions, architecture, and daily life at the Dr Mimar Kadir Topbas Exhibition and Art Centre. The event featured artists from more than 40 countries and attracted significant public attention. In Germany, the WUC and the Uyghur Centre for Democracy and Human Rights participated in a Turkish cultural festival in Karlsruhe on May 15 and 16, where activists distributed informational material on alleged abuses in East Turkistan, including forced assimilation, detention, and suppression of Uyghur identity. During the event, activist Dolkun Isa also presented the Turkish edition of his book, discussing his campaign against Chinese policies. Concerns over China's surveillance capabilities intensified after The Telegraph published an investigation on May 19 detailing a government-linked monitoring platform reportedly used to track foreigners, journalists, and Uyghurs across China. Researchers said the system combines travel records, surveillance cameras, and digital identification data to monitor individuals in real time. Uyghur groups also marked the birthday of imprisoned scholar Rahile Dawut, renewing calls for her release and condemning what they describe as China's systematic targeting of Uyghur intellectuals and cultural figures. (ANI)
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