Uyghur representatives meet Norwegian leaders, seek Xinjiang genocide recognition
May 07, 2022
Oslo [Norway], May 7 : Representatives from the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), including its President Dolkum Isa met with Norwegian lawmakers and officials in Oslo, during a two-day visit to the country on May 5-6, and called for the recognition of the 'Uyghur genocide' in China's Xinjiang over the past many years.
The Uyghur delegation consisted of WUC President Dolkum Isa and Uyghur Canadian Activist Zumret Arkin. They met members of the Norwegian parliament from various parties, including Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide of the Conservative Party, Dag Inge Ulstein of the Christian Democratic Party, and Ola Elvestuen of the Liberal Party.
The delegation also met Norwegian politician Rasmus JM Hanson, Author and Politician Carl Johansen, and Politician and Advisor in the Ministry of Petroleum Heidi Lundeberg.
During the meeting, WUC impressed upon the Norwegian Politicians to raise the Uyghur Issue in Norway's Parliament, and create awareness about the Uyghur issue among the various Parliamentarians and also Policy Makers of Norway.
The Uyghur delegation also met members of Amnesty International's Norwegian chapter. Amnesty International is a UK-based, non-governmental organisation that functions as a human rights advocacy group.
"Amnesty has been an important voice and we hope it will continue its important work to focus on the situation of Uighurs Nationally and around the world," the Norwegian Uyghur Committee said in a tweet.
WUC President Dolkum Isa has also called for a "large and historic demonstration" in front of the UN High Commissioner's office on May 13.
More than 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities are believed to be held in a network of detention camps in Xinjiang since 2017.
Beijing has said that the camps are "vocational training centres" and has denied widespread and documented allegations that it has violated the human rights of Muslims living in the region.
The Chinese government has publicly refuted any reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, however, China has been rebuked globally for the crackdown on Uyghur Muslims by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities, and sending members of the community to undergo forced indoctrination.
