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The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has called on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to address the growing vulnerability of Uyghurs in Central Asia to China's transnational repression during his upcoming visit to Uzbekistan, where he is scheduled to participate in the C5+1 Ministerial alongside a delegation of more than 200 American business executives.
According to a press release issued by the WUC, Rubio's visit presents an important opportunity for Washington to ensure that expanding economic and strategic ties with Central Asian countries go hand in hand with respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. During the visit, Rubio is expected to meet the foreign ministers of the five Central Asian states and lead a major US commercial delegation. The WUC stated that Central Asia has become both a refuge for Uyghurs fleeing persecution in East Turkistan and a region where Uyghur communities continue to face risks of surveillance, intimidation, arbitrary detention and forced returns to China. According to the organisation, Uyghurs living in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other parts of Central Asia have long faced pressure linked to Beijing's demands for cooperation against Uyghur political, cultural and religious activities. The WUC also highlighted previous US diplomatic efforts to raise concerns over the treatment of Uyghurs in the region. Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the issue publicly in 2019 during a meeting with Central Asian leaders, urging them not to deport Uyghurs to China. He reiterated his concerns in 2020 during a visit to Kazakhstan. The organisation said Rubio now has an important opportunity to follow that precedent and demonstrate US government support for Uyghur rights across Central Asia. In its press release, the WUC outlined several measures it wants the US Secretary of State to pursue during his engagement with regional leaders. The organisation urged Washington to demand an end to the forced return of Uyghurs to China, warning that deportation, extradition or other transfers to Chinese authorities could expose them to persecution, arbitrary detention, torture and other serious human rights violations. It also called on the United States to confront China's transnational repression by pressing Central Asian governments to reject requests to monitor, intimidate, detain or silence Uyghurs because of their political opinions, peaceful activism, religious practices or contact with relatives abroad. The WUC further stressed the need to protect Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers by ensuring fair asylum procedures and effective safeguards against refoulement, the forced return of individuals to places where they face a serious risk of persecution or other grave harm. It maintained that the safety of Uyghurs must not be compromised for diplomatic or economic relations with Beijing. Additionally, the organisation called for human rights protections to become an integral part of deeper US partnerships with Central Asian countries. It urged Washington to link expanded trade, investment, security cooperation and diplomatic engagement with measurable commitments to prevent transnational repression and protect Uyghurs and other vulnerable communities. (ANI)
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