Ottawa, September 28th, 2023 — On September 28th, Uyghur and Tibetan advocacy groups joined forces to organize a joint parliamentary event on Parliament Hill, shedding light on the shared challenges faced by the Uyghur and Tibetan communities. The event, which is time with the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), drew activists, parliamentarians, and parliamentary staffers to discuss pressing issues and raise awareness about the plight of the two communities.
In an effort to convey their collective struggle, the Chair of the Canada Tibet Committee (CTC) addressed the need to challenge the misleading narratives surrounding the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) control over the occupied region of Tibet, the process of sinicization affecting Tibetan Buddhism, and the obstacles faced by Tibetans and Uyghurs. Mr. Lhalungpa emphasized the broader significance of their struggle, stating, “ Our struggle is not just about Tibetans and Uyghurs. It’s a colossal, world-changing project that’s going on, and the foundations of the projects are rotten.”
Representing the voice of Uyghurs in Ottawa, Mehmet Tohti, the executive director of the Uyghurs Rights Advocacy Project, addressed various pressing issues. He spoke about forced labor, dictatorship, transnational repression, and parliamentary legislations that support Uyghurs. Tohti also underscored the significance of remembering the collective struggle of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, Mongols, and Chinese, especially on the day when China celebrates its founding anniversary. He expressed, “It’s a day of mourning, not celebration for Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers. We don’t celebrate the founding of the PRC.”
Among the parliamentarians in attendance, MP Sameer Zuberi highlighted the importance of community leaders coming together and finding ways to collaborate. MP Zuberi firmly stated, “We have to believe squarely that it’s about policies. The policy of the government of China can be changed and will be changed. We will see them changed through our work and advocacy.”
MP Garnett Genuis emphasized the critical role played by Tibetan, Uyghur, and other communities in speaking truth to power. He expressed, “Your work in sharing these stories is so important. We share the story with goodwill for all. We hope for a day when all people – Uyghurs, Tibetans, Chinese – will be able to live in freedom, democracy, having fundamental human rights recognized.”
MP Julie Vignola underlined the importance of unity among all communities and supporters. She compared the fight for Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols, and Chinese who desire democracy over a communist government to preserving the richness of a rainbow. She said, “The fight we have to do for Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols, and other Chinese who prefer to have democracy rather than a communist government is a fight we have to do together. If we don’t, it’s just as if we are asking ourselves what color of the rainbow we want to erase, and the answer is none. We don’t want to erase any color from the rainbow. And this is exactly the same with language and culture around the world.”
Event organizers, Kayum Masimov from the Uyghurs Rights Advocacy Project and Sherap Therchin from the Canada Tibet Committee extended their gratitude to the MPs for their support and expressed their commitment to organizing similar events in the future.
The joint parliamentary event on Parliament Hill served as a platform to strengthen the solidarity among Uyghur and Tibetan advocacy groups and to ensure that the struggles of these communities are not forgotten. It was a call for unity, justice, and international recognition of the challenges faced by Tibetans, Uyghurs, and other communities striving for freedom and human rights.