Dear Mr. Emmanuel Macron,

You have given the Uyghur people, who are going through a genocide, a glimpse of hope with your letter to the French Parliament on September 6th, and your speech to call for an international mission at the UN on September 22nd. The audacity of the Chinese government to build concentration camps and commit genocide in the 21st century stems not only from their totalitarian dictatorship, but also from the lack of intervention of the international community.

The Chinese government has used its financial and military influence to buy the silence of many weaker countries, and they seemed confident that they would be able to do the same with European countries as well. You showed the world how the France’s freedom-loving spirit and sense of justice influenced your bold actions against the Chinese government’s tyranny. Your gesture has shown the Uyghur people that the world has not forgotten them, and it warns the Chinese government that they are responsible for their crimes against humanity. The Uyghur people will be forever grateful for your strong words of support during the toughest of times. I thank you personally, as a mother and grandmother with 35 children and grandchildren in the camps and prisons. I also express my deepest gratitude as the Mother of the Uyghur people.

The US, the UK, and France are among several countries that have spoken against the genocide of the Uyghur people. They are not the majority, but your pursuit of justice can be an example for those UN countries that are benefiting from China with their silence. I hope your actions will also motivate Muslim leaders around the world to reconsider their position as well. Your speeches are not only significant for the survival of the Uyghurs, but it is also a display of shared humanitarian value and our collective yearn for world peace.

I believe the actions of the wise world leaders such as yourself, can crush the Chinese government’s despicable plan to gradually exterminate the Uyghurs. For that, I express my gratitude again.

Rebiya Kadeer
The Leader of the Uyghur National Movement