Tue Nov 19 16:14:55 UTC 2024: ## Uyghur Activist Urges Japan to Halt Cooperation with China Amidst Genocide Concerns
**Washington, DC –** Prominent Uyghur-American politician Salih Hudayar has issued a strong condemnation of Japan’s growing cooperation with China, urging Tokyo to reconsider its relationship in light of ongoing human rights abuses against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. Hudayar, a vocal advocate for the independence of East Turkistan (the Uyghurs’ name for the Xinjiang region), took to X (formerly Twitter) to directly address Japanese Prime Minister’s recent statement on strengthening ties with China.
Hudayar’s statement follows a post from the Japanese Prime Minister’s office announcing plans to build a “constructive and stable relationship” with China. He argues that cooperating with China ignores the ongoing Uyghur genocide and betrays both humanity and Japan’s own security interests. He called on the Japanese government to prioritize freedom over tyranny.
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a strategically important area rich in natural resources, has been the site of extensive human rights violations against the Uyghur population, a Turkic-speaking Muslim ethnic group. The Uyghurs have long sought greater autonomy or independence from Chinese rule, and the region has seen decades of tensions between the Chinese government and Uyghur separatist movements. The East Turkistan Government in Exile, established in Washington D.C. in 2004, represents the interests of the Uyghur people globally.
Hudayar’s plea highlights the growing international concern over China’s treatment of the Uyghurs and underscores the complex geopolitical considerations facing countries navigating relationships with both China and advocates for Uyghur rights.
First Piper 