U.S. State Department takes significant step by recognizing Uyghur genocide

Jewish World Watch applauds the U.S. State Department’s crucial declaration that the Chinese government is committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China.

“Today is a momentous day for the Uyghur people,” said Jewish World Watch Executive Director Serena Oberstein. “We will continue to advocate to ensure that this critical determination is followed by impactful steps to end these human rights abuses. Jewish World Watch’s supporters have fought on behalf of the Uyghur people to contribute to this important declaration, and we urge Secretary Designate Antony Blinken to go even further and include the persecution of the Rohingya people who have also been suffering at the hands of their government.”

More than one million Uyghurs have been forced to live in internment camps throughout the Xinjiang region since 2017. Today’s announcement is a significant step toward justice for the Uyghur people, but there is much more work to do. The Biden administration and Congress must quickly impose stronger sanctions against the individuals and entities complicit in these horrendous acts of genocide and re-introduce and pass into law the Uyghur Forced Prevention Act, which got stuck on the Senate floor in 2020.

“Families have been torn apart, including my own, hundreds of thousands have been forced into labor, and many women have been sterilized to destroy Uyghur identity. This determination will hopefully lead to further action by the U.S. government and international community to deter further genocidal acts against my people,” said Nurnisa Kurban, Board member of Uyghur Los Angeles.

Jewish World Watch will continue to work with local elected officials, our human rights organization partners, the diaspora community, and the administration of President-elect Joe Biden – who called the policies by Beijing “genocide” last year.

January 19, 2021, 11:30 a.m. PST For Immediate Release: Serena Oberstein (818) 674-2836; Jeff Hensiek (818) 501-1836