Uyghur activist raises human rights issue at UK Parliament

Uyghur activists were also invited to the UK Parliament’s Iftar program. Rushan Abbas, who took the floor at the event attended by the British Prime Minister, spoke about the Uyghur genocide.

Rushan Abbas, the Chair of the Executive Committee of the World Uyghur Congress and the Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, attended the UK Parliament’s Iftar at Westminster Hall on Mart 4, 2025. During the event, she briefly spoke with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer about the ongoing repression of Uyghurs.

According to a report by the World Uyghur Congress, senior British officials such as Lord Speaker John McFall, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, Lord Tariq Ahmad, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, and Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani were also present, providing a significant platform to raise awareness of the Uyghur crisis.

In her conversation with Prime Minister Starmer, Abbas condemned Pekin’s efforts to suppress the reality of the Uyghur genocide, accusing the Chinese government of orchestrating a large-scale blackout campaign to divert international attention. She also mentioned that her sister, Gulshan Abbas, remains imprisoned and emphasized that the genocide against Uyghurs is a current atrocity being overlooked by the global community.

In a post on X, the World Uyghur Congress highlighted Abbas’s participation at the UK Parliament Iftar, describing it as an opportunity to bring the Uyghur issue to the attention of key British leaders.

Earlier, Abbas condemned Pekin’s announcement about completing the deepest vertical well in Asia, located in East Turkistan’s Tarim Basin. She criticized the project as part of a broader colonial agenda aimed at exploiting the Uyghur homeland. Her statements reflect growing international concern over Pekin’s treatment of Uyghurs and its economic and political ambitions in the region.

The Uyghur population continues to endure severe repression, including mass incarcerations in so-called “re-education” camps, forced labor, extensive surveillance, and the suppression of their culture. Authorities focus on restricting Uyghur religious practices, language, and customs under the pretext of counterterrorism measures, leading to significant human rights abuses and global criticism.