MEDIA STATEMENT

UNWARRANTED STATE VIOLENCE AGAINST UIGHUR PROTESTERS IN URUMQI

The People’s Justice Party deplores the violent incident recently, involving Uighur Chinese citizens in Western China.

The peaceful demonstration was broken up by the use of an unwarranted level of brutality by the police, resulting in the tragic deaths of more than 150 Chinese citizens. Over 1,000 more were arrested for an activity which is deemed lawful according to universal principles of human rights.

As an emerging superpower, China should adopt and adhere to international norms of human rights, and grant all its citizens fair and equal opportunities and rights. This includes, also, respecting the identity and culture of its ethnic minorities, including the Uighurs. We would urge the Chinese government and people to embrace plurality, to see it not as a threat to national unity, but rather as a potential source of greater enrichment and strength for the Chinese nation.

Finally, with regard to the Chinese government’s announcement today that it would execute the protest organizers, we strongly urge the authorities to refrain from further punitive measures against the protesters – suppression will not provide a solution, but will instead only create deeper wounds which will erupt again and again.


MUSTAFFA KAMIL AYUB
Chairman of the International Affairs Bureau
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People’s Justice Party)