Uyghur groups warn of expanding repression beyond China’s borders

BERLIN, Germany (MNTV) — Uyghur advocacy groups are raising fresh concerns about what they describe as an expanding campaign of repression targeting Uyghurs and their supporters both inside East Turkistan and across international borders.

According to a weekly brief by the World Uyghur Congress, a delegation led by its president Turgunjan Alawdun held meetings with political leaders in Germany and Belgium to press for stronger protections against what rights groups describe as transnational repression.

Discussions in European capitals focused on alleged surveillance networks, pressure on diaspora communities, and calls for governments to cut ties with entities linked to forced labor systems in East Turkistan, the region widely known internationally as Xinjiang.

The advocacy push comes amid growing scrutiny of China’s policies toward Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority, with multiple governments and human rights organizations accusing Beijing of systemic abuses, including mass detention and labour transfers—allegations China denies.

The WUC brief also highlighted the sentencing of 19 Kazakh activists who had taken part in peaceful protests drawing attention to alleged abuses in East Turkistan. The organization said the penalties reflected a broader pattern of shrinking civic space and criminalization of dissent linked to Uyghur advocacy.

Beyond Europe, the group raised alarm over developments in Southeast Asia, including the reported detention and deportation of Uyghur advocate Abdulhakim Idris from Malaysia.

According to the brief, he was denied entry without clear explanation, disrupting his academic and advocacy work. Rights organizations have increasingly warned that such actions signal growing pressure on governments to restrict Uyghur activism abroad.

The report further pointed to recent testimony by a former Chinese police officer, which it said described evolving forms of repression, including institutionalized detention practices and continued forced labor transfers. While such accounts are difficult to independently verify, they have added to mounting international concern over conditions in the region.

The World Uyghur Congress called for coordinated global action, urging governments to strengthen accountability mechanisms and provide greater protection to Uyghur communities facing risks both within China and in diaspora settings.

The developments reflect a widening international dimension to the Uyghur issue, as advocacy groups seek to push governments beyond statements of concern toward concrete policy responses.