During the 2024 Geneva summit on human rights and democracy, Uighurs, Tibetans, and Chinese political prisoners vehemently criticized Beijing’s oppressive policies.
Uyghur linguist and poet Abduweli Ayup asserted, “The actions amount to genocide through population displacement. The Chinese government forcefully relocates Uyghurs to various provinces as laborers. Around 900,000 Uyghur children are currently enrolled in boarding schools, tearing them away from their families and heritage.”
Ayup further accused China of enforcing forced sterilization and abortions among Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, stating, “Up to 3 million individuals have been detained in camps where women undergo sterilization. This constitutes systematic genocidal sterilization.”
Advocating for international action, Ayup urged a boycott of products tied to Uyghur forced labor and cautioned against economic dealings supporting Chinese enterprises. “We must cease accepting Chinese funding and awarding infrastructure projects to Chinese firms. It’s unacceptable to enrich dictators who perpetrate genocide against the Uyghur people,” he emphasized.
Tibetan-Canadian human rights activist Chemi Lhamo underscored the biased nature of Chinese documents on Tibet, noting, “Any documentation from China regarding Tibet reflects the oppressor’s perspective. These documents are riddled with lies propagated by the Chinese government and Xi Jinping.”
Lhamo spotlighted Tibet’s dire situation, where the freedom score has plummeted to zero. Expressing gratitude to India for sheltering Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, she said, “As a Tibetan raised in South India, I appreciate the Government of India. His Holiness the Dalai Lama resides in Dharamshala, and I hope India’s support for Tibet’s and India’s security remains steadfast.”
Ri Xia, a 27-year-old Chinese dissident and human rights activist, recounted her harrowing detention experiences. She disclosed, “I endured solitary confinement twice, once for 37 days and then for 28 days, merely for peacefully advocating freedom of expression.”
Xia condemned China’s treatment of Uyghurs and Tibetans, labeling Xinjiang as “the world’s largest open-air prison” and condemning widespread censorship across China.
Collectively, activists called for global intervention to halt China’s human rights violations against Uyghur and Tibetan communities.
