I listened to the July 6 United Nations General Assembly debate on the Responsibility to Protect with hope that the voices of the Uyghur people would finally be heard. Instead, I was heartbroken by the silence.
The July 6 meeting was dedicated to preventing genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. Yet one of the world’s most documented cases of mass repression against an ethnic and religious minority was absent from the discussion.
For years, Uyghur families have been torn apart. Millions have lived under mass surveillance, arbitrary detention, forced labor, restrictions on their religion and language, and the separation of children from their parents. The United Nations’ own human rights office has documented serious human rights violations in Xinjiang. The suffering of the Uyghur people should never be forgotten simply because it is politically difficult to discuss.
The principle of the Responsibility to Protect must be universal. It cannot depend on the size of a country’s economy, its political influence, or its position in international affairs. If some victims are remembered while others are ignored, the credibility of the international community is weakened.
I do not question the importance of discussing Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, or other crises. Every victim deserves justice and protection. But the Uyghur people also deserve to be seen and heard. Human rights are not be a competition, and compassion should never be selective.
I respectfully ask Member States to reflect on what was missing from the July 6 debate. Silence does not protect victims. Silence only gives hope to those who believe they can commit abuses without international scrutiny.
I urge governments to continue raising the plight of the Uyghur people at the United Nations and in every international forum. The promise of “Never Again” must apply to every people, without exception and without political calculation.
History will judge not only those who committed atrocities, but also whether the international community had the courage to speak when it mattered most.
Rebiya Kadeer
Leader of Uyghur National Movement