Uyghurs in Austria protested in front of the Chinese Embassy in Vienna, Austria, demanding the end of persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in China.
In the demonstration organised to commemorate the massacre which occurred on July 5, 2009 in Urumqi and to raise voice against the ongoing genocide in East Turkestan (Xinjiang province of China), around 50 Uyghurs from Austria gathered in front of the Chinese Embassy and raised slogans against the genocidal actions of the Chinese government. Many of these Uyghurs have lost their loved ones in this massacre and it is important for them to remember this heinous act of Chinese government to gain strength in their continued fight against the Chinese oppression.
The protest was led by Mevlan Dilshat, President of the Uyghur community in Austria. Uyghurs from various provinces of Austria participated in this protest in huge numbers. They called upon the international community to not to remain silent and to take action against this genocide.
About 200 people died and 1,700 were injured in three days of violence between ethnic minority Uyghurs and Han Chinese that began on July 5, 2009, in Xinjiang’s largest city, Urumqi. These are Chinese official figures. The real numbers of dead and injured were much higher. This day became a turning point and the beginning of the genocidal ethnic cleansing policy of CCP. The persecution accelerated in 2016/2017 when Xi Jinping started to consolidate his power within China. He used Uyghurs as pawns to further his self-interest.
An estimated 1.8 million members of these groups have been held in internment camps, where detainees who were later freed reported widespread maltreatment, including severe human rights abuses, torture, rape and forced labor. Many didn’t return back and their whereabouts are not known.