The Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Uyghurs has been established in the Australian Parliament. The group aims to amplify the voice of Uyghurs and urge the Australian government to take concrete actions to support Uyghurs.
On February 11, 2025, the official launch ceremony and discussion event for the AAPPGU were held at the Australian Parliament building. The event was co-hosted by the group’s co-chairs, MPs Tony Zappia and Andrew Wallace, along with the Australian Uyghur Tengritagh Women’s Association.
The event gathered MPs from various political parties who are members of the group, representatives of Uyghur civil society organizations operating across Australia, and a large number of attendees, including Uyghurs.
Speaking at the ceremony, MP Tony Zappia, co-chair of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Uyghurs, emphasized the significance of the group and stated:
“Today, the Uyghur Friendship Group has been officially established in our parliament. This is a significant step not only for the Uyghurs living in Australia but for Uyghurs around the world. Our group aims to listen to the voices of Uyghurs in Australia and help amplify the voices of those in their homeland. By doing so, we hope to contribute to the Australian government’s understanding of the situation of Uyghurs both here and East Turkistan.”
Ramila Chanishev, President of the Australian Uyghur Tengritagh Women’s Association, emphasized in her speech that this development is of vital importance, particularly for Uyghurs who are victims of genocide and face the threat of cultural, linguistic, and identity erasure. She also outlined three key demands that Uyghurs are presenting to the Australian government through this parliamentary group:
- Sanctioning Chinese officials directly responsible for the Uyghur genocide under the Magnitsky Act.
- Implementing strong legislation to prevent the entry of goods into Australia that are produced through the forced labor system targeting Uyghurs.
- Protecting and resettling Uyghur refugees, particularly those in Thailand, and urging Australia to accept more Uyghur asylum seekers.
Chanishev called on the members of this parliamentary group to take action to ensure that Uyghurs’ demands are addressed by the Australian government and that concrete steps are taken. She also emphasized the urgent need for humanitarian aid for Uyghurs facing the threat of deportation to China in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco. Referring to Canada’s announcement that it will accept 10,000 Uyghurs, Chanishev stated, “I believe Australia can do even more.”
Veteran activist Enver Can congratulating the formation of the group in Australian Parliament, says:
“It’s an exemplary development which should be followed by other diaspora Uyghur organizations trying to establish more such parliamentary groups in their respective countries.”
Similar Uyghur parliamentary groups have previously been formed in the United States, Canada, France, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, and the European Union.
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