Protesters in Berlin voice solidarity with Uyghurs

By Cuneyt Karadag

BERLIN (AA) - A protest demonstration was held in front of the Chinese Consulate in Berlin to voice solidarity with Uyghur people.

The protest was attended by representatives of World Uyghur Congress, East Turkestan Union in Europe, Berlin Alperenler Association and Berlin Turkish Community.

In a joint statement, the groups condemned the human rights violations against the Uyghur Turks, noting that they were subjected to oppression, atrocities, torture and assimilation.

"They [Uyghurs] live deprived of all kinds of human rights. Almost a genocide is being practiced; their religious duties are forbidden, they are forced to migrate, their daughters are taken from them and forced to marry Chinese men and their natural resources are exploited," the statement read.

It was noted that the homeland of Uyghur Turks was transformed into an "open-air prison", and they were subjected to assimilation through torture in the prison camps.

The statement said scores of states and organizations, including the UN, demanded visit to the region but they were refused.

"Muslims' problems are our problems, we will never give up on condemning the cruelty our kin suffers. We seek that they live in peace and tranquility and the Chinese government behaves in accordance with the [international] human rights [law]," it added.

Some 100 people gathered for the protest chanting "Freedom to East Turkistan" and "Stop the massacre!" slogans.

In August, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in a meeting held in Geneva, stated that the Uyghur individuals, who the local administrators accuse of having unfavorable political thought, in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region were held in political training centers.

The UN body’s representatives stated that up to 3 million people have been detained without any judicial decisions.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) had previously announced that the Chinese government was conducting a "mass, systematic campaign of human rights violations against Turkic Muslims" in China.

* Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this story from Ankara