US Congress Holds Hearing on China's Human Rights
Situation
From: Information <info@mail.uyghurinfo.com>


  
Washington, May 16 (UIA) -- A congressional hearing on
China's human rights situation was held on Tuesday at
U.S. House of Representatives, at which a prominent
Uyghur dissident testified the current situation of the
Uyghur people as well as the treatment of a famous
Uyghur businesswoman in a Chinese prison.

Sidik Rozi, husband of prominent Uyghur businesswoman
Rabiye Kadir who was sentenced to eight years by China
on charges of "leaking state secrets", testified before
U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus on behalf of his
wife and the Uyghur people.

Tom Lantos and Frank Wolf, two powerful Republican
Congressmen who are the current chairmen of U.S.
Congressional Human Rights Caucus chaired the hearing.
Both congressmen, who are highly critical of China's
human rights violations and disfavor Beijing to hold
2008 Olympic Games, listened to the testimonies from
representatives of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Falungong members
as well as detained Chinese scholars in China.

In the first panel of the hearing, Mike Parmly, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State, touched on the general
human rights situation of China and highlighted the
current persecutions the Uyghurs, Tibetans and
Falungong members by the Chinese government.

Recognizing the East Turkistan republic and the
suffering of the Uyghur people in the hands of
communist China, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Mike Parmly said, "Since Han-Chinese communist forces
conquered semi-independent republic of East Turkistan
in 1950, the Chinese have treated the Uyghurs harshly,
fearing separatist activities by some Uyghurs."

Parmly, while criticizing Chinese persecution of the
Uyghurs as a people, said, "The entire Uyghur community
sometimes wrongly associated with separatists. Security
concerns involving a small number becomes a pretext for
persecution of the entire population".

Elliot Abrams, chairman of U.S. Commission on
International Religious Freedom, spoke at the second
panel on Chinese persecution of Uyghur Muslims, Tibetan
Buddhists, and Falungong followers. Abrams specifically
noted, "There is a tightening of control among the
Uyghurs. It looks that Uyghurs are the only citizens of
China who are subject to capital punishment for
political crimes."

"According to Human Rights Watch, at least 24 Uyghurs
were executed in 2000. Chinese prison officials
tortured many of them to death."

At the end of his speech, Abrams recommended, "U.S.
government should raise the profile of the Uyghur
Muslims by addressing religious freedom and human
rights concerns in bilateral talks with Chinese, by
increasing the educational opportunity available to the
Uyghurs, by increasing radio broadcasts in Uyghur
language".

Sidik Rozi, husband of Rabiye Kadir, testified at the
third panel with an opening statement highlighting the
suffering of the Uyghur people with the wrongful
accusation of his wife by the Chinese government.

"My wife has committed no crime. She has broken no
Chinese law. China arrested her solely in retaliation
of my activities in the United States," Rozi
said, "China never hesitates to persecute one's entire
family even if only one member of the family is
considered dangerous. China now holds my wife and
children accountable for what I did in U.S. This is a
great example on how China persecutes the Uyghur people
who dare to voice a different opinion other than that
of the official line".

Focusing on the present situation of the Uyghur people,
Rozi said, "At present, the human rights situation of
the Uyghur people is worst in China. China's Strike
Hard campaign, which was launched in April, has already
become a political campaign to persecute Uyghur
political and religious dissidents who don't
necessarily agree with what China is doing at the
expense of the Uyghur people."

"Currently, the Uyghur people don't enjoy any kind of
political or religious freedom. Those Uyghurs who hold
different political opinion or private religious
studies are arrested, sentenced and in some cases
executed. Uyghurs have no right to assembly. The only
thing these days the Uyghurs can come together as a
people is wedding and funeral."

At the end of his testimony, Rozi reiterated, "In light
of Rabiye Kadir and the Uyghur people's sufferings, I
sincerely hope the U.S. government continue to uphold
the human rights of the Uyghur people and press China
to get all the Uyghur political and religious prisoners
along with Rabiye Kadir released."

"My wife is innocent. She doesn't belong to a dark and
cruel Chinese jail. She belongs to her family. And we
are looking forward to her earliest release."

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