East Turkestan advocate meets Malaysian authorities during diplomatic outreach
Holds discussions with government officials, religious leaders, civil society groups, and UNHCR representatives
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (MNTV) — A senior Uyghur human rights advocate has concluded a week-long visit to Malaysia during which he met government officials, religious leaders, civil society organisations, and representatives of the United Nations refugee agency to discuss issues affecting Uyghur communities and refugees in the region, reports TRP.
Abdureşid Eminhaci, president of the East Turkestan Human Rights Watch Association and a board member of the International East Turkestan NGOs Union, arrived in Malaysia on June 11 for what his organisation described as a civil-diplomacy mission.
He held meetings with officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, a Foreign Ministry adviser, and UNHCR representatives in Malaysia.
The visit coincided with the 3rd International Religious Leaders Summit, organised jointly by Malaysia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Muslim World League, where Eminhaci also participated in a workshop on the role of youth in shaping the global order.
The trip brought the Uyghur issue into discussions at a major Islamic multilateral platform, providing advocates with an opportunity to engage policymakers, religious leaders, and civil society organisations on concerns surrounding the predominantly Muslim Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang region — referred to by many Uyghurs as East Turkestan.
International rights groups and several Western governments have accused Beijing of mass detentions, forced labour, and restrictions on religious and cultural practices in the region. China has repeatedly denied these allegations.
Eminhaci’s engagements also included meetings with prominent Islamic civil society organisations — ABIM, Global Peace Mission, IKRAM, and WADAH — all of which have been active in advocating for Muslim minority rights and voicing concern over the treatment of Uyghurs.
Among the key topics discussed was the situation of Uyghur detainees in Thailand, where groups of Uyghur asylum seekers have been held for years after fleeing China through Southeast Asia.
Human rights organisations have repeatedly called for third-country resettlement for those still in detention, an issue reportedly raised with both UNHCR representatives and Malaysian foreign policy officials.
Malaysia occupies a sensitive position on the issue, balancing close economic ties with China against its role as a Muslim-majority nation within the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Past governments have facilitated the transit of Uyghurs to third countries including Türkiye while rejecting requests for their return to China, though rights advocates have criticised some decisions involving the detention or deportation of Uyghur activists.
Observers noted that the breadth of meetings secured during the visit reflects growing engagement between Uyghur advocacy groups and Malaysian institutions, particularly within religious and civil society networks.
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