Members of the Uyghur community in New Zealand yesterday sent a letter Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, asking that
genocide be declared about the situation of Uyghurs of Xinjiang, China. This letter was also delivered to all members of
parliament. Excerpts of this letter are now released to media and news providers, in light of parliament addressing the
issue of Uyghur genocide in the house of representatives today and this week, and the worldwide concern for the Uyghur
people. For their safety, this public statement by the Uyghur community is anonymised.
"We are writing to you on behalf of the New Zealand Uyghur community to inform you of the situation of Uyghurs living in
New Zealand, and to request your support for the motion to declare China's oppression of the Uyghurs as amounting to genocide." The New Zealand Uyghur community wrote.
"We believe that this declaration would defend New Zealand’s values, and align New Zealand with our allies to do our part
to stop the horrific crimes against humanity unfolding in Xinjiang (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region [XUAR])."
"We understand that New Zealand is not a military superpower, or a trade superpower, however, New Zealand is a moral
superpower. We can influence the fate of the 20 million Uyghur people suffering back home."
The Uyghur community commeneded Ardern on her willingness to address the issue in face to face meetings with Chinese
Government, and for her awareness of the atrocities.
"We understand from the statements made by the government that you are aware of the atrocities faced by the Uyghur people
in Xinjiang. As one of the smallest ethnic communities in New Zealand, we sincerely appreciate that you have raised this
issue face to face, on the highest level with the Chinese Communist Party."
"However, we are desperate. For those of us in New Zealand, the most painful torture we face is social isolation. It is
not only because our friends, relatives and colleagues back home are either in prisons, concentration camps or subject
to omnipresent surveillance and a total lack of freedom. It is because Uyghurs in the 21st century, no matter where we
are, are living dead."
"Our people have no basic human rights, and we are living in fear. We Uyghurs overseas cannot communicate with our loved
ones, we cannot visit them and they cannot come to visit us. They are not even allowed access to their passports."
"In March of this year, an independent report by a US-based think tank (Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy)
concluded that the People's Republic of China (China) bears state responsibility for committing genocide against the
Uyghurs in breach of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide
Convention). The think tank’s findings were based on an extensive review of the available evidence, and an application
of international law to that evidence."
"It is clear to our community that the Chinese Communist Party seeks to eradicate us." They wrote.
"Dear Prime Minister, we urge you to act. We urge you to do more than condemning the Chinese Communist Party’s actions
as crimes against humanity. Given what we all now know, this term is no longer sufficient. We urge you to support the
motion to declare China’s actions against our people as genocide."