Washington DC [US], January 24 (ANI): The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the British government to use the upcoming official visit to China in the first week of January 2026 to directly raise the issue of the Uyghur genocide and press Beijing on accountability for human rights violations, as stated in a WUC press release.

According to the WUC, the prospect of deeper engagement with China has generated serious concern among Uyghur communities and human rights advocates, given that there have been no meaningful policy changes in East Turkistan since the last UK prime ministerial visit in 2018. The group highlighted that United Nations experts working with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights recently expressed alarm over the widespread use of forced labour in China, warning that such practices may amount to crimes against humanity, including forcible transfer and enslavement. The WUC said more than one million Uyghurs and around 650,000 Tibetans have been affected by forced labour policies, while millions of Uyghurs remain forcibly interned.

WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun said the visit presents a critical opportunity for the UK to engage China directly on human rights and set clear expectations. He noted that while the UK has consistently raised concerns in multilateral forums, it should also do so firmly in bilateral talks with Beijing.

The press release also drew attention to cases of transnational repression faced by Uyghur and human rights activists in the United Kingdom. The WUC cited a 2025 incident in which Sheffield Hallam University terminated a research project on Uyghur forced labour after staff involved were interrogated by Chinese state security officers in Beijing, followed by legal action from a Chinese company. It added that academics in the UK researching China-related or politically sensitive subjects have repeatedly faced intimidation and harassment linked to the Chinese state, while many Uyghurs living in the UK have been subjected to threats against themselves or their families, in violation of British laws and sovereignty.

Highlighting the UK's past record, the WUC noted that Britain has played a significant role in drawing global attention to the repression of Uyghurs. A UK government assessment published in July 2025 concluded that Uyghurs are likely to face a real risk of persecution or serious harm from the Chinese state both in East Turkistan and abroad. British MPs have also voted to recognise that China is committing genocide against Uyghurs, and an independent tribunal based in the UK concluded in 2021 that the Chinese government was committing genocide beyond reasonable doubt.

Despite these steps, the WUC stressed that far more action is needed. It said millions of Uyghurs remain detained in camps and prisons, Uyghur women have been subjected to forced sterilisation, labour transfer programmes have expanded, and Uyghur language and religious practices have been systematically suppressed. The organisation also cited the destruction of mosques, shrines, graveyards and homes, the separation of children from their families, and continued efforts by the Chinese Communist Party to forcibly assimilate Uyghurs and erase their identity. It further accused Beijing of attempting to intimidate and silence Uyghur diaspora communities abroad.

Describing these acts as atrocities that require a coordinated international response, the WUC said the UK now has a chance to take a principled stand. It called on Prime Minister Starmer to raise the Uyghur genocide substantively and meaningfully during discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping and other officials, and to demand an end to human rights violations as a condition for normal relations.

In its statement, the WUC outlined specific demands, including raising the Uyghur genocide and individual cases in all bilateral engagements, pushing for binding legislation banning the import of goods produced through forced labour, ensuring full protection for peaceful protest and human rights advocacy in the UK, and pressing China to end repression in East Turkistan and fully implement international labour conventions it has ratified, including key International Labour Organization conventions on forced labour. (ANI)