Thu Sep 19 07:27:33 UTC 2024: ## Japanese Lawmaker of Uyghur Descent Calls for Stronger Action on Xinjiang Crisis

**Tokyo, Japan** – Arfiya Eri, a Japanese lawmaker of Uyghur descent, has urged Japan to take a more assertive stance against China’s human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Eri, a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, argues that the international community, including Japan, must act to prevent the normalization of such egregious violations.

Eri, the first Japanese of Uyghur background elected to the Diet, spoke out about the ongoing crisis in the Uyghur region, highlighting the plight of the 12 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities who have been subjected to severe repression, surveillance, religious restrictions, and mass detention. She emphasized the personal and symbolic weight of her perspective, reflecting the experiences of those directly affected by the abuses.

“The international community, including Japan, must do its part to ensure that we do not set a precedent where such violations go unaccounted for under our watch,” Eri stated, echoing previous remarks at the Sydney Dialogue.

Despite a 2022 resolution by the Japanese Lower House expressing concern over the situation in Xinjiang, Eri believes Tokyo’s stance towards Beijing on this issue remains unchanged. She argues that Japan, as Asia’s strongest democracy, has a responsibility to uphold its values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law by taking more concrete action to promote peace and human rights globally.

Eri, a fluent speaker of English, Japanese, and Uyghur, has previously worked for the Bank of Japan and the United Nations. She is currently engaging with colleagues as a board member of a multiparty alliance on human rights diplomacy in Japan, aiming to foster a more active role in resolving global human rights and humanitarian crises.

Her call for action comes amidst growing demands from Uyghur activists for the international community to hold China accountable for its human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

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