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The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) paid tribute to the victims of what it described as one of the deadliest crackdowns in East Turkistan since the 2009 Urumchi unrest, marking the 12th anniversary of the Yarkand massacre, according to a press release issued by the organisation.
According to the WUC, on and after July 28, 2014, Chinese security forces violently suppressed what it described as a peaceful protest in Yarkand County, resulting in the mass killing of Uyghur civilians. The organisation stated that the full extent of the incident remains unknown because of what it called a complete blackout on information surrounding the events. The WUC stated that the violence, which coincided with the first day of Eid al-Fitr, began after a Uyghur family of five was allegedly killed by police during a house search. In response, residents reportedly fled to nearby Elishku Township and staged demonstrations against state violence and restrictions imposed during Ramadan. According to the WUC, instead of responding to those grievances, Chinese authorities used overwhelming lethal force. While Beijing has maintained that 96 people, including 59 Uyghurs, were killed during what it described as a "premeditated terrorist attack", Uyghur sources cited by the WUC claim the death toll was significantly higher, estimating that as many as 3,000 people were either killed or disappeared. The organisation further alleged that authorities suspended internet and mobile communication services in the region following the incident, preventing families from obtaining information and hindering any independent investigation. "Every year, we remember the victims of Chinese state violence, but the Yarkand massacre remains the single deadliest event in recent memory," said WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun. "For 12 years, families have been denied answers, justice, and dignity. The international community cannot continue to look away from atrocity crimes and the ongoing Uyghur genocide," he said, as quoted in the WUC press release. The WUC further alleged that the Chinese government has consistently used counter-terrorism narratives to justify widespread repression of the Uyghur population. It said China's 2016 Counter-Terrorism Law, which has been criticised by UN experts for its broad and vague definitions, has served as a legal basis for policies including mass surveillance, arbitrary detention and cultural erasure. According to the WUC, religious practices in East Turkistan are criminalised, independent journalism has been eliminated, and residents continue to live under constant surveillance and fear. The organisation stated that the Yarkand massacre was not an isolated event but an early indication of what it described as genocidal policies that later expanded on a much larger scale. The World Uyghur Congress called on the Chinese government to disclose the identities, whereabouts and fate of those who were killed or disappeared during the Yarkand incident. It also urged independent international investigations into the massacre and broader accountability for what it described as crimes committed in East Turkistan. The organisation further appealed to the international community, governments, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and multilateral institutions to take coordinated and concrete measures to end what it described as the Uyghur genocide and to ensure that similar incidents do not occur again. The WUC also announced that it will organise a protest outside the Chinese Consulate in Munich on July 28 from 4 pm to 5:30 pm to mark the 12th anniversary of the Yarkand massacre. The organisation said the demonstration aims to press its demands for accountability and invited members of the Uyghur community and supporters to participate. (ANI)
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