We need your help! 

 200  Uyghurs from the Xinjiang  Uyghur  Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China have been detained by Kazakstan authorities as of October 12, 2000. 

From: TudiH@aol.com

Dear friends, according news from Kazakstan, 200 hundred Uyghurs were  detained by Kazak government to be returned to China. As we all know, their   lives will be in danger if they be returned to China. Your help migh make a   difference for them. Please  email or fax the following letter to Kazakstan  Embassy in your country (http://www.un.int/kazakhstan/embas.html), your    contry’s Embassador in Kazakhstan, and the Kazak government officials whose
address are attached at the end.  If you live in US, you may send it  to your   congressmen or to the US Congres officials whose email adress and Fax numbers   are attached as well.  You just need to add the recepient’s name to the   greeding and modify the last paragraph and sign your name.    Thanks,
Huji Turdi
Uyghur American Association
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Dear _____

According to sources in Kazakstan, about 200 Uyghurs from the Xinjiang Uyghur    Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China have been detained by    Kazakstan authorities as of October 12, 2000.  These people are to be   forcefully returned to China.
The sources said Chinese authorities have exerted pressure on Kazakstan to   sign an agreement to return Uyghurs who are Chinese citizens to China.  As a   result, Kazakstan police began a nationwide search for Uyghurs from China.   They have searched Uyghur homes randomly, and stopped Uyghurs on the street   to check ID.  Many Uyghurs with Kazakstan citizenship complained about the
police harassment.  Kazakstan police have rounded up about 200 Uyghurs since  they started the search in late September.  Many of these Uyghurs have  expired passport or visa, and have been living in hiding for fear of forceful   return to China where they are sought by the authorities for their political   or religious opinion or suspected involvement in nationalist opposition   activities.   It is well known that China persecutes Uyghurs returned by other countries.   Three Uyghurs, Hemit Memet, Kasim Mahpir and Ilyas Zordun who were forcefully  returned to China by Kazakstan in February 1999 were executed by Chinese  government.   Amnesty International reported in 1999 that eight East Turkistanis, four men   and four children were forcibly returned from Kazakstan in September 1998.  The children were held for eighteen days and the men are feared to have been
tortured to learn how they escaped. More recently, the Taldikorgan Court in   Kazakstan has refused to grant political asylum to 10 Uyghurs on  March 20,   2000. These ten men initially filed for political asylum in August 1999 after   being detained by Kazak security forces while escaping the Xinjiang Uyghur  Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the People's Republic of  China.  An Amnesty International report published in 1999 has documented a pattern of   gross violations of human rights in the XUAR. These violations include   prolonged arbitrary detention in communicado, severe torture of political
suspects, unfair trials, and arbitrary and summary executions of 210
political prisoners. The report said XUAR is the only region of the PRC where  political prisoners are known to have been executed in recent years.   Repression of suspected political opponents and Muslim religious leaders  branded as "separatists" still continues and is getting worse today. These  200 Uyghurs will definitely face serious human rights violations, including  arbitrary imprisonment, torture and possibly the death penalty, if they are  forcibly returned to the People's Republic of China.The forcible deportation  of these people violates Kazakstan's obligations under international law, in  particular the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of a
person to a country or territory where they might face serious human rights  violations.  I urge your government not to return these 200 Uyghurs to China where their  lives would be in clear danger. They are clearly the victims of political  persecution. We urge the Kazakstan government to grant them political asylum  or allow them to seek asylum in a third country. 

Sincerely,

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Embassy of the Republic of Kazakstan
Tel: 202/232-5488
Fax: 202/232-5845 email: Kazak@intr.net
Official: Ambassador: The Honorable Bolat K. Nurgaliyev
Charge d'Affaires: Mr. Kayrat Abuseitov
Commercial Attache: Mr. Askar Tazhiyev

Kazakstan Mission to the United Nations
Address: 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 586
New York, NY 10017
Tel: 212/230-1900
Fax: 212/230-1172  email: kazakhstan@un.int
Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Kazakstan at
the Kazakstan Mission to the U.N.:
Her Excellency Dr. Madina B. Jarbussynova

Consulate of the Republic of Kazakhstan in New York
866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 586A, New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 888-3024  Faz: (212) 888-3025   email: Kzconsulny@un.int

Procurator General of Kazakstan Yuriy Khitrin,
Respublika Kazakhstan, g. Astana, pr. Pobedy, 31,
Prokuratura Respubliki Kazakhstan
Generalnomu prokuroru Khitrinu Yu.
Telegrams: Generalnomu prokuroru, Astana, Kazakstan
Faxes: (7 3172) 33 39 28
Salutation: Dear Procurator General

President of Kazakstan Nursultan Abishevich NAZARBAYEV
Respublika Kazakhstan, g. Astana, Apparat Prezidenta
Prezidentu Respubliki Kazakhstan NAZARBAYEVU N.A.
Telegrams: Presidentu Respubliki, Astana, Kazakstan
Faxes: (7 3172) 32 72 93 (Att: Imangali Tasmagambetov, Head of Presidential
Administration)
or (7 3172) 32 61 72 (Att: First Assistant to the President)
Salutation: Dear President

COPIES TO:
Chairman of the Presidential Human Rights Commission Zhabaykhan Abdildin,
Respublika
Kazakhstan, g. Astana, Komissiya po pravam cheloveka pri Presidente
Respubliki Kazakstan,
Predsedatelyu Abdildinu Zh.
Fax: (7 3172) 32 72 93 (Att: Imangali Tasmagambetov, Head of Presidential
Administration)
or (7 3172) 32 61 72 (Att: First Assistant to the President) or tel/fax: (7
 3172) 32 17 67 (Att: Secretary
to the Commission Bolat BAIKADAMOV)

Minister of Internal Affairs Kairbek SULEYMENOV
Respublika Kazakhstan, g. Astana, ul. Manasa, 4
Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del Respubliki Kazakhstan
Ministru SULEYMENOVU K.
Fax: (7 3172) 34 17 38

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasymzhomart Kemel-uly TOKAYEV
Respublika Kazakhstan, g. Astana, ul. Mira, 10
Ministerstvo inostrannykh del Respubliki Kazakhstan
Ministru TOKAYEVU K.K.

Fax: (7 3172) 32 42 64
We ask that you write a letter/fax to the following US officials:

Benjamin A. Gilman, Chairman
House International Relations Committee
2170 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington DC 20515
HIRC@mail.house.gov

Jesse Helms, Ranking Republican Member
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
403 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3301
(202) 224-6342
(202) 228-1339(FAX)
jesse_helms@helms.senate.gov

Joseph Biden, Ranking Democratic Member
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
221 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Phone: 202-224-5042
Fax: 202-224-0139
senator@biden.senate.gov