Washington DC [US], January 1 : Uyghur-American activists have hailed the inclusion of critical measures in the 2025 US defence spending bill, which aims to address the ongoing repression of Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang region, according to a report by Radio Free Asia.
The bill, officially known as the 2025 National Defence Authorization Act (NDAA), was passed by Congress on December 18 and signed into law by President Joe Biden on December 22.
According to Radio Free Asia, the bill includes provisions that mandate the US government to monitor human rights abuses in Xinjiang and impose sanctions on Chinese officials linked to the oppression of Uyghurs.
The NDAA, which allocates USD 895 billion for US defence spending in 2025, also incorporates the bipartisan Uyghur Human Rights Policy Reauthorization Act of 2024. This act, co-sponsored by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), extends the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act passed in 2020 under Donald Trump.
Originally set to expire in 2025, the renewed legislation will now remain in effect until 2030. It authorises targeted sanctions against Chinese officials accused of committing atrocities against Uyghurs, which the US government has labelled as "genocide."
Omer Kanat, executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, praised the passage of the bill, calling it "a gift of hope for Uyghurs."
He expressed gratitude to both Republican and Democratic lawmakers for their bipartisan efforts to keep the pressure on China over its treatment of Uyghurs. "Congressional leaders stand with the Uyghur people to dial up the pressure to end the atrocities in our homeland," Kanat added.
The measures are seen as a strong signal of continued US commitment to addressing human rights abuses in Xinjiang, where millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities have been subjected to mass detentions, forced labour, and other repressive tactics by the Chinese government. The inclusion of these provisions in the defence bill reflects ongoing concerns in the US over China's human rights record and its policies in the region.
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