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The Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) has commemorated the twelfth anniversary of the Yarkand Massacre, remembering those killed during the July 28, 2014 crackdown in Yarkand, East Turkistan, and renewing its call for international accountability over what it describes as the continuing persecution of Uyghurs by the Chinese government.
In a press release issued on the anniversary, CFU said the events of July 28, 2014, remain one of the most significant episodes in what it describes as the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) broader campaign of repression against the Uyghur people. According to the organisation, Chinese security forces launched a violent crackdown on peaceful Uyghur protesters in Yarkand, resulting in widespread casualties and arrests. The advocacy group alleged that, twelve years later, Chinese authorities continue to conceal the truth surrounding the incident while expanding policies that, according to CFU, have contributed to the ongoing Uyghur genocide. Citing eyewitness accounts, CFU claimed that Chinese security personnel opened fire on Uyghur civilians, including women, whom it said were targeted for reciting the Qur'an and practising their religion. The organisation further alleged that the violence spread to three nearby villages, where security forces carried out mass arrests, assaults, and killings of Uyghurs. According to the press release, Chinese authorities imposed communication blackouts following the crackdown, restricted access to the affected region, and suppressed information about the incident. CFU said that many families of those killed or who disappeared continue to seek answers and justice. The organisation argued that the Yarkand Massacre illustrates what it described as the Chinese government's broader strategy of repression against Uyghurs through the use of force, propaganda, and discriminatory policies. According to CFU, authorities portrayed Uyghurs as inherently violent and framed peaceful religious practices and expressions of cultural identity as security threats. The press release stated that similar methods have continued in subsequent years through extensive surveillance, arbitrary detention, forced labour, restrictions on religious and cultural practices, and crackdowns on peaceful expressions of dissent. Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, said the anniversary serves as a reminder of what she described as the Chinese government's efforts to dehumanise Uyghurs. "The Yarkand Massacre remains a painful reminder of how the Chinese government has used dehumanising rhetoric to portray Uyghurs as perpetual threats rather than as people deserving of basic rights. By labelling Uyghurs as criminals and extremists, the CCP has continued to justify violence and collective punishment," Abbas said. She further alleged that the same system responsible for the events in Yarkand continues to affect Uyghur families today. Abbas referred to the detention of her sister, Gulshan Abbas, stating that she has been imprisoned since 2018 in retaliation for Abbas' advocacy work in the United States. "My sister, Dr Gulshan Abbas, has been unjustly imprisoned since 2018 in retaliation for my advocacy in the U.S., a personal reminder that the campaign of persecution and Beijing's transnational repression have only expanded. Today, twelve years on, we remember the victims of Yarkand by continuing to demand justice for all Uyghurs suffering under the CCP's system," she said. In its statement, CFU said the legacy of the Yarkand Massacre remains relevant as Uyghurs continue to face what it described as persecution, cultural genocide, forced labour, and transnational repression. The organisation called on governments, international organisations, and non-governmental organisations to hold Chinese officials accountable, strengthen measures aimed at preventing future abuses, and pursue justice for the victims of the Yarkand Massacre as well as those affected by what it describes as the ongoing Uyghur genocide. (ANI)
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