The World Uyghur Congress submitted a report to the UN detailing China's transnational repression of Uyghurs abroad, including surveillance and forced returns. The group also raised concerns over Chinese tech and commemorated the Ghulja Massacre.
WUC Details Transnational Repression in UN Submission
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has raised fresh concerns over China's expanding campaign of transnational repression, surveillance practices, and ongoing human rights violations, according to a detailed press release issued by the organisation. As noted by the WUC report, on January 30, the organisation submitted an extensive briefing to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Committee on Enforced Disappearances.
The submission outlines how the Chinese government allegedly employs transnational repression to silence Uyghurs and other dissidents living abroad. The briefing documents practices such as unlawful deportations, misuse of INTERPOL Red Notices, passport restrictions, digital surveillance, and coercion through family members in East Turkistan to intimidate activists and force returns. WUC warned that Uyghurs in exile face a heightened risk of enforced disappearance due to coordinated pressure involving host governments, international policing systems, and opaque bilateral agreements. According to the WUC report, the submission highlights cases from Egypt, Thailand, Turkiye, and other countries, where Uyghur students, refugees, and activists were arbitrarily detained, deported, or rendered stateless, often disappearing after being returned to China.
Concerns Over Chinese Surveillance Technology
The press release also referenced an investigation by The Guardian, which reported that surveillance cameras manufactured by Chinese companies Dahua and Hikvision are being used to guard globally significant democratic and cultural landmarks, including the Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral and the Parthenon in Greece. WUC expressed alarm, noting that these firms have been linked to mass surveillance and repression of Uyghurs, and that their technologies have also reportedly been exploited during Russia's war in Ukraine. The organisation said it was deeply troubling that tools associated with repression are deployed to protect symbols of freedom, justice, and the rule of law.
Advocacy at International Religious Freedom Summit
WUC further highlighted its participation in the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2026, which began on February 1. As an official partner of the summit, WUC said it ensured that the Uyghur case and broader concerns around religious repression remained central to discussions. During the summit, WUC Vice President Zumretay Arkin spoke on the Action Track, sharing collaborative strategies to defend freedom of religion or belief, drawing on Uyghur advocacy as a case study.
On the second day, Rushan Abbas, Chair of the WUC Executive Committee, delivered a keynote address detailing the human cost of transnational repression and warning that China's persecution of Uyghurs and other dissidents extends beyond its borders. The WUC delegation also held high-level discussions at a reception hosted by the Embassy of Hungary to strengthen international partnerships.
Calls for Due Diligence on Tech Firms
According to the WUC press release, the organisation has also formally urged Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) to address human rights and security concerns related to the participation of Hikvision and Dahua at ISE 2026. WUC called for a documented due-diligence review, citing independent investigations linking both companies to mass repression in East Turkistan, including arbitrary detention, forced labour, and biometric surveillance. The group also noted cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the firms' products, their continued operations in Russia since 2022, and their designation by Ukraine as "international sponsors of war." Several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, have already imposed restrictions on their technologies.
Commemoration of Ghulja Massacre
The press release also marked the 29th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre, commemorated on February 5, 2026. As cited by WUC, Uyghurs worldwide remembered the events of February 5, 1997, when peaceful protests in Ghulja against religious repression and discrimination were met with violent crackdowns by Chinese authorities, involving mass arrests, torture, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. The massacre is described as a pivotal moment in modern Uyghur history and a precursor to the current genocide.
In response to WUC's call, commemorative protests and vigils were held across multiple countries, including Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and the United States. Demonstrators honoured the victims and renewed demands for accountability, justice, and decisive international action to end the ongoing persecution of the Uyghur people, the WUC report stated. (ANI)
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