Munich [Germany], July 26 : The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Yarkand massacre, a tragic episode where Chinese security forces suppressed a large peaceful protest, killing numerous Ughur people.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Yarkand massacre. The WUC members recalled the victims of the massacre and highlighted the continued struggle for justice and transparency.
WUC President Dolkun Isa, said at the event, "Ten years later, the situation on the ground hasn't improved; it has drastically deteriorated over the past few years."
"The Yarkand massacre marks the deadliest episode since the Urumchi massacre in July 2009," he added.
The protests in Yarkand began in response to the Chinese government's actions in Bashkent Township, where a Uyghur family of five was extrajudicially killed during house-to-house searches.
This led many Uyghurs to flee to nearby Elishku Township, where they participated in the protests.
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}🗞️PRESS RELEASE🗞️
The WUC marks the 10th year anniversary of the #YarkandMassacre.
''The Yarkand massacre marks the deadliest episode since the Urumchi massacre in July 2009,'' said WUC President @Dolkun_Isa.https://t.co/8JDO6TFSaj pic.twitter.com/Msx68sIrAB
— World Uyghur Congress (@UyghurCongress) July 26, 2024
Chinese state media labelled the incident a "premeditated terrorist attack on a police station in Xinjiang." Notably, despite the attack occurring on July 28, state media took a full day to release any official reports.
Uyghur groups, however, rejected the claims, and said the residents were protesting against the "Chinese security forces' heavy-handed Ramzan crackdown and extrajudicial use of lethal force in recent weeks."
According to the statistics of the Chinese government, 96 civilians, including 59 Uyghurs, were killed when police and security forces clashed with protesters.
But, the Uyghur sources estimate that up to 3,000 Uyghurs might have been killed during and after the protests. To this day, the full number of those arrested, killed, and disappeared remains unclear due to a lack of transparency and judicial accountability.
On the 10th anniversary of the Yarkand massacre, the WUC has called for international solidarity to honour the victims.
The World Uyghur Congress has renewed its demands for the Chinese government to immediately and transparently disclose the whereabouts and fate of the missing and deceased to their family members and the wider Uyghur community.
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