WorldPosted at: Oct 17 2026 7:23PM


Uyghur group urges Rubio to raise China’s repression during Uzbekistan visit

Washington, Oct 17 (UNI) The World Uyghur Congress has urged US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to raise concerns about China’s alleged transnational repression of Uyghurs during his planned visit to Uzbekistan next week.
The organisation said Uyghurs in Central Asia faced surveillance, intimidation, arbitrary detention and the risk of being forcibly returned to China, where they could face persecution.
Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, have provided refuge to Uyghurs fleeing China’s Xinjiang region but have also faced pressure from Beijing to curb Uyghur political, cultural and religious activities, the group said.
The World Uyghur Congress urged Rubio to press regional governments not to deport, extradite or otherwise transfer Uyghurs to Chinese authorities, warning that those returned could face torture and other serious human rights violations.
It also called on Washington to urge Central Asian governments to reject Chinese requests to monitor, intimidate or detain Uyghurs over their political views, religious practices, peaceful activism or contact with relatives abroad.
The group said Rubio had an opportunity to build on previous U.S. diplomatic efforts to protect Uyghurs in the region.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo raised the issue with Central Asian leaders in 2019, urging them not to deport Uyghurs to China. He reiterated the concerns during a visit to Kazakhstan in 2020, the organisation said.
The appeal comes amid continued international scrutiny of China’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and allegations that Chinese authorities target members of the diaspora outside the country.
Beijing has rejected allegations of systematic human rights abuses in Xinjiang, saying its policies in the region are aimed at promoting security and economic development.
Last month, the World Uyghur Congress called on US President Donald Trump and his administration to raise the issue of what it describes as the Uyghur genocide, as well as alleged repression of diaspora communities, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the United States on September 24.
“Xi’s visit to Washington is a strategic moment to move beyond words of condemnation on the Uyghur genocide,” WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun said at the time, urging Trump to demonstrate continued support for Uyghur rights.
The group said Rubio’s visit to Uzbekistan offered Washington an opportunity to press for stronger protections for Uyghurs across Central Asia.UNI AAB
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