Uyghur activist shares personal loss, calls for action amid China's crackdown

Munich [Germany], March 25 (ANI): Germany-based Uyghur activist and former President of the World Uyghur Congress, Dolkun Isa, took to social media to share his family's suffering, which has spanned years due to China's alleged oppressive policies toward the Uyghur people.
In an emotional post on X, Dolkun Isa disclosed the devastating truth about his brother's fate. He wrote, "Today is my younger brother Hushtar Isa's 52nd birthday. But he has been missing since 2016. In 2021, reports revealed that he had been sentenced to life in a Chinese prison. I still don't know where he is being held or what his so-called "crime" is. His only crime? Being Uyghur and being my brother."
Dolkun Isa's message shed light on the immense personal toll his activism has had on his family. He continued, "My family is being punished for my activism. My mother died in a camp. My eldest brother has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Hushtar has spent the last 9 years marking his birthday behind bars. In a desperate call for global awareness and action, Isa concluded, "I call on the world: Help me find out where he is and if he is still alive. Don't stay silent!"
In response to Isa's post, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) called on the Chinese government to disclose information about the whereabouts of missing family members and to release all Uyghurs who have been arbitrarily detained.
The Uyghur population in China has faced severe repression, particularly in the Xinjiang region, where reports of widespread human rights abuses have emerged. The Chinese government has been accused of implementing a policy of forced assimilation, including mass surveillance, arbitrary detentions in "re-education camps," and suppression of religious and cultural practices. According to several reports, Uyghurs have been subjected to forced labour, family separations, and forced sterilizations. International organisations and governments have condemned these actions, describing them as efforts to erase Uyghur identity. (ANI)