Uyghur tribunal judgment

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC’s) apparent long-term desire to eliminate the Uyghurs as a group was well known; but no nation and no international body dared to say as much about such a big and powerful state. In 2020, at the request of the World Uyghur Congress, the Uyghur Tribunal of nine members, none expert or having particular interest in Uyghurs or China, was established to investigate ongoing atrocities and possible genocide against the Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Turkic Muslim populations in Xinjiang. A large body of evidence including where favourable to the PRC was gathered and 72 victim and expert witnesses were heard in three hearings. The PRC was invited on several occasions to participate but failed to respond. The Tribunal was supported by independent Counsel. The Tribunal demonstrates the capacity and inclination of citizens everywhere to do what needs to be done without reward if their national and international institutions fail them. The Tribunal approached its task with proper caution in making factual findings, only applying the law where there was complete clarity of the law and only making findings of fact and law when satisfied beyond reasonable doubt. The Judgment found the PRC to have committed torture, crimes against humanity, and, by the imposition of measures to prevent births done with ‘intent to destroy a significant part of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang as such’, genocide. The Judgment has been considered around the world assisting several parliaments to determine that the PRC has committed genocide of the Uyghurs - and has not been subject to substantive challenge. The Tribunal members have done their work. Governments could easily have done what the Tribunal did – but didn’t.