Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign Commemorates the 10th Anniversary of the July 28th Yarkand Massacre

Washington, D.C. — July 28, 2023

For Immediate Release

Contact: Hena Zuberi

hena@justiceforall.org

(202) 922-5878

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Yarkand Massacre, a brutal killing and display of extreme violence that martyred thousands of Uyghurs. Justice For All‘s Save Uyghur Campaign honors both this day and those who lost their lives in pursuit of justice. The anniversary of the Yarkand Massacre is a reminder of the persecution the Uyghur people are facing, as well as the battle for freedom raging in East Turkistan. 

On July 28, 2014, Chinese security forces violently suppressed a largely peaceful protest in Yarkand County, resulting in the killing and detainment of thousands of Uyghurs by the Chinese regime. The events that unfolded are considered the deadliest episode since the Urumchi massacre in July 2009. Reports from Uyghur sources on the ground suggested that at least 2,000 Uyghurs may have been killed during and after the initial protests, with thousands arrested and an unknown number disappeared. Many of those who participated in the protests were allegedly gunned down by police and security personnel, with further extrajudicial fatalities occurring during house-to-house searches that followed.

The major impetus for the initial protests, according to a Radio Free Asia (RFA) article, was a harrowing incident in Beshkent village. During house-to-house searches in the area, an entire Uyghur family of five was extrajudicially killed. “Police shot dead the family, including a 7-year-old boy and his 72-year-old grandfather, after one policeman was injured during a quarrel triggered by police screening of women wearing headscarves at a house,” prompting the flight of many Uyghurs to nearby Elishku Township where they joined demonstrations against the oppression. Furthermore, according to Alim Adurshit, a local security official interviewed by RFA suggested that “there has been a lot of pent-up frustration over house-to-house searches and checking on headscarves [worn by Uyghur women] during this Ramadan.” 

Eyewitness accounts and credible evidence indicate that Chinese police and security forces responded brutally and without restraint. Aside from the first day, during which upwards of 100 Uyghurs were killed, hundreds, and possibly thousands more, were systematically killed by police in the days that followed. The true scale of the violence remains shrouded in secrecy. Chinese media, however, claim that only 96 civilians were killed and hundreds more injured, including 59 Uyghurs who were labeled as terrorists.

The Chinese regime attempted to justify the bloodshed under the guise of terrorism, claiming that the Uyghur ‘attack’ was “organized and premeditated,” and “in connection with the terrorist group East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM).” The regime has frequently used the ETIM as a boogeyman to justify its brutal crackdown on innocent Uyghurs, falsely affiliating their victims with this group. In 2020, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revoked ETIM’s terror designation, noting in a directive that “for more than a decade, there has been no credible evidence that ETIM continues to exist.” Despite this, the Chinese government persists in leveraging ETIM’s former designation to rationalize the indiscriminate killings and detentions of Uyghurs, painting all dissent as terrorism.

To commemorate this tragic day, Imam Malik Mujahid, President of Justice For All, said “We stand in solidarity with the brave Uyghur people who were killed seeking justice. The courage they displayed fuels us, pushing us forward in our journey towards ending this genocide.” 

Save Uyghur lead Arslan Hidayat said “the brutality and violence seen on this occasion is a painful glance into everyday life in East Turkistan. Events such as this one are not isolated; they have repeated in the past and will continue to repeat in the future, unless the global community becomes more involved and speaks out against the genocide being committed by the Chinese regime.” 

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign honors the sacrifices of the brave protestors and families who, on this day 10 years ago, gave their lives to fight for freedom. We condemn the Chinese regime for these horrific crimes and genocidal actions, and remind the public that silence only allows the Chinese regime to continue erasing Uyghur culture and people. Thus, we urge the global community to call upon governments around the world and demand swift and immediate action against the regime’s actions.