UHRP applauds US House passage of Uyghur Policy Act, calls for urgent Senate approval

Washington DC [US], September 7 : The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) commends the US House of Representatives for approving the Uyghur Policy Act (HR 2635) today and urges the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to advance the bill for markup and approval, as stated in UHRP's release.

"The Uyghur Policy Act makes it US policy to recognise and protect the distinct ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghurs, and authorises more tools to end the atrocities," said UHRP Executive Director Omer Kanat.

"Uyghurs are grateful for the bipartisan leadership of Representative Young Kim and Representative Ami Bera, the sponsor and cosponsor of the bill. We urge the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to act quickly to move this critical legislation forward", as quoted by the UHRP release.

On the House floor, Members of Congress spoke powerfully to urge passage of the bill, condemning the ongoing atrocity crimes and calling for stronger US action.

"The Chinese Communist Party continues to deny its genocide against the Uyghurs. But we know that forced sterilisation, forced labour, brainwashing and torture are rampant," said Representative Young Kim (CA), Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific.

"We must leverage US soft power, garner international support for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, and equip the State Department with the tools that it needs to effectively fight against Xi Jinping's genocidal campaign", as cited by UHRP release.

"In the last few years, the Congress and the House Foreign Affairs Committee have prioritised this issue, including marking up and enacting the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, thanks in large part to Representative Jim McGovern and Speaker Pelosi's leadership. But our work is far from done because Beijing's repression continues," said Representative Joaquin Castro (TX).

"The legislation before us today is a strong, bipartisan bill. I'm proud to champion the protection of Uyghurs. The Chinese Communist Party continues to commit genocide against the Uyghur people," said Representative Michael Baumgartner (WA). "This is not just about abuse; it's a systemic campaign of genocide.

The Uyghur Policy Act pushes back. It directs the Secretary of State to prioritise support for the Uyghurs and other persecuted groups. And to work with allies to pressure China to close these camps. America must lead with moral clarity, we must stand for human rights, and against genocide", stated the UHRP release.

The legislation instructs the State Department to synchronise policies, programs, and initiatives aimed at aiding Uyghurs and other Turkic communities. Significantly, it establishes the preservation of the unique ethnic, religious, cultural, and linguistic identity of the Uyghurs as a goal of US policy.

The legislation requires maintaining ongoing communication with the Uyghur diaspora, robust efforts to secure the release of political prisoners, a plan to avert transnational repression against Uyghur Americans, as stated by the UHRP release.

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