Campaign for Uyghurs Organizes Training Program for Activists in Japan

The Campaign for Uyghurs organized a two-day training program in Tokyo, focusing on methods to effectively advocate for the Uyghur cause on international platforms.

On January 18–19, 2025, the Campaign for Uyghurs held a training program for Uyghur activists in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The event included presentations and lessons on strategies for effectively advocating for the East Turkistan cause to international audiences, including governments, media, and relevant public institutions.

The training, attended by many Uyghur activists living in Japan, covered topics such as analyzing Japan’s political climate and media landscape to adapt to current circumstances and implementing tactics to enhance efficiency with fewer resources.

During the two-day program, prominent speakers included Kelley Currie, former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues; Prof. Dr. Sean Roberts, Director of the International Development Studies Program at George Washington University and an expert on Central Asia; Örkesh Dölet, Secretary of the Human Rights Committee of Taiwan’s Parliament; Mukerrem Kurban, President of the Uyghur Association of Alberta, Canada; and journalists.

Speaking to RFA about the purpose of the event, Campaign for Uyghurs President Rushan Abbas stated, “Our people are enduring the greatest suffering in history. The Uyghur diaspora is doing everything in their power to save their homeland and nation. We don’t know when East Turkistan’s independence will come, but we must continue the struggle. We organized this event to train Uyghur activists on how to effectively highlight our nation’s plight and make meaningful progress in the countries where Uyghurs reside. I believe it has been impactful.”

Commenting on the program, Mukerrem Kurban told RFA, “The men, women, and youth who attended this course stated that they found the two-day training highly beneficial. They also expressed that they gained a lot of new knowledge and planned to use what they learned in their advocacy for the cause.”

In addition to the two-day event, a documentary screening on the Uyghur issue was held at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo.

Galib Mijit, a representative of the Japan Uyghur Association who participated in the training course, noted that he learned a great deal from the two-day workshop and emphasized that such training programs should continue worldwide.

To date, the Campaign for Uyghurs has organized training courses for Uyghur youth in 15 countries, including Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, and Turkey. Additionally, on February 11–12, 2023, the Campaign for Uyghurs organized a training program in Tokyo specifically designed for Uyghur women and girls.