“We will stand up for human rights and dignity, even if it means we sacrifice economic opportunities!”
This call came from MP Erin O’Toole of Canada’s Parliament during its Friday discussion of the Uyghur situation. On Monday, this sentiment was agreed to by all MPs, who unanimously passed a motion recognizing the Uyghur tragedy as a genocide.
Yes, there is a price for greatness, nobility, and humanity, and it is giving up certain interests when necessary. With its vote, Canada’s Parliament fulfilled this condition of humanity and taught the world’s dictatorial regimes, including the one in China, a proper lesson in greatness. And with this vote, China’s oppressed Uyghur minority feels the warmth of the human family. On behalf of the Uyghur people, I express my sincere gratitude to Canada’s Parliament!
The Uyghur genocide is no secret to any nation, and there is no further need to investigate, as satellite images show hundreds of concentration camps in East Turkistan (the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region). In addition, independent media outlets have disclosed secret Chinese documents that clearly state genocidal intent. For the last four years, thousands of Uyghur migrant families have lost contact with relatives in their homeland, and more than 50 witnesses to the camps have testified continuously in the media, begging for international support.
What is needed is not facts to prove the Uyghur genocide, but the will to acknowledge those facts. What remains unknown is not the extent of the Uyghur tragedy, but whether there will be a sense of justice sufficient to stand up to it. China wants to take advantage of the global lack of will and sense of justice to keep secret and continue unhindered the Uyghur genocide, which is an insult to all of humanity. Canada’s Parliament has taught the world a humanitarian lesson about a sense of justice and the will to enact it. For that, I pay my respects to the people of Canada and their great Parliament.
Rebiya Kadeer
Leader of the Uyghur National Movement