World Human Rights Day: December 10th, A Reminder of the ongoing Uyghur Genocide

After the Second World War, the United Nations was established to promote peace, security, and human rights globally. In this spirit, a group of lawyers and experts drafted a document that enshrines the fundamental values of freedom, equality, and dignity for all people. This milestone, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948, marking a historic commitment to universal human rights.

In May 2014, the Chinese government launched the “Strike Hard Campaign against Violent Terrorism” (严厉打击暴力恐怖活动专项行动), marking the beginning of increasingly brutal policies targeting Uyghurs. By 2017, satellite imagery revealed an extensive network of concentration camps and detention facilities, bringing international attention to the dire situation in East Turkistan. These camps have not only imprisoned millions but also paved the way for a range of egregious human rights abuses, including forced labor, organ harvesting, mass arrests, political indoctrination, and pervasive surveillance. These crimes flagrantly violate every article in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as well China’s own constitution, exposing the state’s disregard for both international norms and its legal framework.

The Uyghur Tribunal, an independent people’s tribunal based in the UK, concluded in December 2021 that the Chinese government had committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population. This historic judgment highlighted evidence of mass detentions, torture, forced sterilization, and measures to reduce Uyghur birth rates, characterizing them as genocidal under the UN Genocide Convention.

The Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) played a role in the Uyghur Tribunal by providing evidence and data for the tribunal’s investigations. UTJD’s research and documentation efforts helped amplify the voices of Uyghur victims and substantiated claims of the Chinese government’s systematic oppression. This, makes the UTJD more committed to archiving and documenting credible and verified accounts of human rights abuses practiced upon the Uyghurs by the Chinese regime.

The tribunal’s judgment resonates profoundly with Human Rights Day on December 10. This day celebrates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, serving as a reminder of the global commitment to upholding human dignity.

This day reminds us of the ongoing violations of Uyghurs’ rights and the challenges nations need to encounter by taking concrete steps to prevent future atrocities. The Human Rights Day underscores the necessity of international accountability and renewed dedication to upholding basic rights of every individual globally.