The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has urged governments, businesses and civil-society groups to take stronger action against China’s policies in East Turkistan which Uyghurs call their homeland. In its latest weekly brief, the WUC highlighted continuing international efforts to challenge Beijing’s assimilation campaign and advocate for Uyghur rights.
The call comes as concerns grow over China’s newly enacted Ethnic Unity Law, which critics say threatens Uyghur cultural, linguistic and religious identity. The WUC warns that the law also contains provisions that could facilitate transnational repression of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians and Chinese dissidents living overseas.
Four Years After Landmark UN Report on Uyghurs
The WUC marked the fourth anniversary of a landmark assessment by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The 2022 report, issued under then-High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, documented serious violations against Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in Xinjiang.
The UN assessment concluded that the abuses “may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.” The report described arbitrary detention, torture, intrusive surveillance and severe restrictions on religious and cultural life.
Four years later, the WUC says these abuses have continued. The organisation points to the Ethnic Unity Law as another instrument of assimilation, designed to reshape Uyghur identity under the banner of national unity.
Uyghur representation at UNPO
The WUC participated in the 2026 conference on “Reimagining Self-Determination” organised by the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organisation (UNPO). The event also marked UNPO’s 35th anniversary. UNPO was established in The Hague in 1991, with its founding linked to former WUC President Erkin Alptekin, Tibetan representative Lodi Gyari, Estonian independence advocate Linnart Mall and Michael van Walt van Praag an international law adviser to the Dalai Lama.
Following the conference, the Uyghur delegation took part in UNPO’s General Assembly where new organisational leadership was elected. WUC Vice President Zumretay Arkin secured a position on UNPO’s new Presidency maintaining Uyghur representation within the organisation.
This representation matters because it allows Uyghur voices to be heard alongside other communities facing similar pressures. UNPO brings together nations and peoples who lack full representation in international institutions, providing a platform for advocacy and legal support.
Uyghurs: A Call for Diplomatic, Legal and Economic Action
The WUC urged governments to employ diplomatic, legal and economic measures against abuses in East Turkistan. It called on businesses to address forced-labour risks in their supply chains and asked civil-society groups to demand stronger action at the UN Human Rights Council.
These recommendations reflect a broader strategy. Diplomatic pressure can raise the political cost of repression. Legal action can hold perpetrators accountable. Economic measures can reduce the financial benefits of forced labour.
The WUC’s message is clear silence enables abuse. Governments that prioritise trade over human rights send a signal that violations will be tolerated.
Uyghurs: Forced Labour and Consumer Products
Meanwhile, US lawmakers have sought greater enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. They asked the Department of Homeland Security for information on efforts to block goods associated with forced labour in China.
Lawmakers specifically raised concerns over cotton reportedly linked to Uyghur forced labour in the production of Labubu dolls. This example shows how forced labour can reach ordinary consumers through everyday products.
Forced labour is not an abstract issue. It connects detention facilities, surveillance and cultural repression to global supply chains. When consumers buy products made with forced labour, they may unknowingly support the system that oppresses Uyghurs.
The challenge ahead
China rejects allegations of abuse and says its policies are necessary to combat terrorism and extremism. Beijing describes detention facilities as vocational training centres and presents its assimilation policies as development and integration.
However, the UN report, human-rights organisations and survivor testimonies tell a different story. They describe a system designed to control every aspect of Uyghur life movement, religion, language, family and culture.
The WUC’s call for global action is a reminder that the international community cannot treat Uyghur rights as a secondary issue. The fate of the Uyghur people is a test of whether the world will defend human rights when they conflict with economic and political interests.
Governments, businesses and civil society must decide whether to accept China’s narrative or to stand with Uyghurs demanding freedom, dignity and the right to preserve their identity.