Washington DC [US], April 4 (ANI): The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) will solemnly commemorate the 36th anniversary of the Baren Uprising on April 5, paying tribute to what it said were nearly 3,000 Uyghurs who lost their lives during a violent crackdown by Chinese authorities in Akto County, East Turkistan, between April 5 and 10, 1990.
“This year marks the 36th year since the Baren Uprising, which cost the lives of thousands of brave Uyghurs,” WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun said in a WUC press release, adding that the victims must be honoured and accountability sought for those who died defending fundamental freedoms.
The WUC said it planned protest demonstrations on April 5 to mark the occasion and to denounce what it termed China’s ongoing genocide against Uyghurs. Protests are scheduled in front of the Chinese Consulate in Munich from 15:00 to 16:30 at Max-Joseph-Platz, and outside the Chinese Embassy in Berlin from 12:00 to 14:00, calling for justice for Baren victims and for Uyghurs currently facing persecution.
The WUC described the Baren Uprising as an early sign of organised resistance to escalating repression by the Chinese government. According to the press release, on April 5, 1990, about 200 Uyghurs marched to a local government office in Baren, Akto County, protesting policies they said imposed political, religious, and cultural restrictions.
The demonstrations, the WUC said, were triggered by anger over forced abortions and sterilisation policies imposed on Uyghur women, which it characterised as part of broader efforts by Chinese authorities to control the Uyghur population. The WUC alleged Chinese authorities launched a military crackdown, reportedly deploying over 18,000 troops in a town that had a population of around 19,000 at the time. Over the following days, the organisation claimed, thousands of Uyghurs were killed and no independent investigation has been conducted.
The WUC said the Baren Uprising was not isolated but an early indication of increasing state repression against Uyghurs in East Turkistan that has since escalated into what it termed genocide. The press release cited mass detentions of over one million Uyghurs in camps, forced sterilisation and birth prevention measures, widespread forced labour, severe curbs on religious and cultural expression, and alleged transnational repression including harassment, surveillance, and deportations of Uyghurs abroad.
The World Uyghur Congress called on the international community to pursue reparations and justice for Baren victims and urged countries to take concrete steps to hold the Chinese government accountable, the press release said. (ANI)
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