Uyghur rights group marks Ghulja massacre anniversary

WASHINGTON (MNTV) — A U.S.-based human rights group has marked the 29th anniversary of the 1997 Ghulja Massacre, describing the killings as an early and largely ignored signal of the large-scale repression that later unfolded in East Turkistan under Chinese rule.

The commemoration was led by Justice For All through its Save Uyghur Campaign, which said the events of Feb. 5, 1997, remain central to understanding the Chinese state’s long-running campaign against Uyghur religious and cultural life.

On that day, thousands of Uyghurs gathered peacefully in the city of Ghulja to protest the detention of young Muslims who had been arrested the previous night for participating in prayers during Ramadan, including Laylatul Qadr, one of Islam’s holiest nights. Witness accounts and rights documentation describe the demonstrators as unarmed and nonviolent.

Chinese security forces opened fire on the crowd, killing at least 100 people, according to rights groups. In the days that followed, authorities carried out mass arrests across the region. More than 200 Uyghurs were later sentenced to death, while an estimated 4,000 were detained. Many of those arrested were never seen again, with families still seeking information decades later.

Survivor testimonies collected by advocacy groups describe widespread torture and lethal detention conditions. Accounts include detainees being held for days in freezing temperatures, repeatedly doused with cold water, and denied medical care. At least 50 people are believed to have died as a result of these conditions alone.

Rights organizations say the massacre marked a turning point in Beijing’s approach toward Uyghur dissent, laying the groundwork for policies that later expanded into mass surveillance, arbitrary detention, forced labor programs, and cultural erasure. 

Over the past decade, these policies have drawn increasing international scrutiny, with several governments and rights bodies describing the treatment of Uyghurs as crimes against humanity.

Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, president of Justice For All, said the Ghulja killings are often overlooked in global discussions about Uyghur repression, despite their historical significance. He said those killed were not militants, but civilians demanding basic religious freedom.

Arslan Hidayat, who leads the Save Uyghur Campaign, said the failure of the international community to respond decisively in 1997 allowed repression to escalate unchecked. He described the massacre as an early warning that preceded the mass detention system that emerged years later.

The group called on governments and international institutions to formally commemorate the victims of the Ghulja Massacre and to press for the release of Uyghurs still held in detention. It said accountability for past abuses remains absent, while repression in East Turkistan continues.