Opening Ceremony: U.S. Capitol Building Conference: George ...€¦ · Uyghur population and erode...

CONFRONTINGATROCITIESIN CHINA:THE GLOBAL RESPONSETO THE UYGHUR CRISIS

June 6-7, 2019Washington, DC

Opening Ceremony: U.S. Capitol BuildingConference: George Washington University

TheWorldUyghurCongressincooperationwiththeUyghurHumanRightsProject(UHRP),UyghurAmericanAssociation(UAA)andthe

CentralAsiaProgram(CAP)atGeorgeWashingtonUniversitypresent:

CONFRONTINGATROCITIESINCHINA:

TheGlobalResponsetotheUyghurCrisis(EventbriteRegistrationrequired)

OpeningCeremony:June6,9:00-12:30U.S.CapitolVisitorCenter,RoomHVC-201

Conference:June6,14:00-18:00&June7,9:30-18:00ElliottSchoolofInternationalAffairs,1957EStNW(StateRoom)

ConfrontingAtrocitiesinChina:TheGlobalResponsetotheUyghurCrisis

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ConferenceBackground:

TheUyghurpopulationhasfacedhumanrightsabusesatthehandsoftheChinesegovernmentformanyyears,butsince2017,ChinahasoperatedanextensivenetworkofinternmentcampsstretchingacrossEastTurkistan(theXinjiangUyghurAutonomousRegionofChina)thatfunctiontosociallyre-engineertheUyghurpopulationanderodethemostbasicelementsoftheUyghuridentity.ThecampsexistasthelogicalconclusionofdecadesofChinesepolicydesignedtoundermineUyghuridentityandexpression.

Thusfar,despiteextensivecoverageandreportingonconditionsintheregion,theinternationalcommunityhasbeentremendouslycautiousintheirapproachwithChinaontheissue.Althoughsomestatesandinternationalorganizationshavespokenoutstronglyontheabuses,littlebywayofconcreteactionhasbeenachievedwhichwouldforceChinatochangecourse.

TheconferenceincludesspeakersfromvariousbackgroundsanddisciplinestodiscussandaddressanumberofkeyopenquestionsonhowbesttogalvanizefurthersupportforUyghurs,tomountacoordinatedcampaigntopressureChinatoclosethecamps,ensureaccountabilityforthoseresponsibleforongoingabuses,andadoptmeasurestosafeguardfundamentalrights.

Speakerswillbeurgedtotakeasolutions-basedapproachtothequestion:HowcantheinternationalcommunityworktogethertoobligeChinatoclosethepoliticalindoctrinationfacilitiesandmovestowardsrespectingthefundamentalrightsofUyghursandotherTurkicMuslims?

AbouttheOrganizers:

WorldUyghurCongressTheWorldUyghurCongressisaninternationalorganisationthatrepresentsthecollectiveinterestoftheUyghurpeoplebothinEastTurkestanandabroad.TheWUCwasestablishedinApril2004inMunich,Germany,aftertheEastTurkestanNationalCongressandtheWorldUyghurYouthCongressmergedintooneunitedorganisation.ThemainobjectiveofWUCistopromotetherightoftheUyghurpeopletousepeaceful,nonviolent,anddemocraticmeanstodeterminethepoliticalfutureofEastTurkestan.TheWUChasbeensupportedinpartbytheNationalEndowmentforDemocracy.

UyghurHumanRightsProject TheUyghurHumanRightsProjectwasfoundedin2004withasupportinggrantfromtheNationalEndowmentforDemocracyasahumanrightsresearch,reportingandadvocacyorganization.TheorganizationfocusesonpromotinghumanrightsanddemocracyforUyghurslivinginEastTurkistan.

UyghurAmericanAssociationTheUyghurAmericanAssociationisbasedinWashington,DCthatworkstopromotethepreservationandflourishingofarich,humanisticanddiverseUyghurculture,andtosupporttherightoftheUyghurpeopletousepeaceful,democraticmeanstodeterminetheirownpoliticalfuture.TheUAAhasundertakentheUyghurHumanRightsProjectforthepurposeofpromotingimprovedhumanrightsconditionsforUyghursandotherindigenousgroupsinEastTurkistan(theXinjiangUyghurAutonomousRegion),onthepremisethattheassuranceofbasichumanrightswillfacilitatetherealizationofthecommunity'sdemocraticaspirations.

GeorgeWashingtonUniversityCentralAsiaProgramTheCentralAsiaProgram(CAP)atGeorgeWashingtonUniversitypromoteshigh-qualityacademicresearchoncontemporaryCentralAsia,andservesasaninterfaceforthepolicy,academic,diplomatic,andbusinesscommunities.TheCentralAsiaProgramfocusesonthewiderCentralAsianspace,whichincludesthefivepost-SovietCentralAsianstates(Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan&Uzbekistan),Afghanistan,Azerbaijan,Xinjiang,Mongolia,aswellastheVolga-Uralregion,Kashmir,andBalochistan.


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Wednesday,June5Venue:UyghurHumanRightsProject,1602LSt.NW,Suite613,WashingtonD.C.20036

18:00–21:00 ConferenceReception

GuestsandspeakersareinvitedtoareceptionattheUHRPofficesonthe9thfloortospeaktogetherandenjoylightrefreshmentsandUyghurfood.

Thursday,June6(Morning)Venue:U.S.CapitolVisitorCenter,RoomHVC-201

09:30–10:00 Registration

GuestsshouldmeetoutsidetheU.S.CapitolVisitorCenterwheretheywillenteraheadoftheopeningceremony.

10:00–12:30 • DolkunIsa,President,WorldUyghurCongress• DavidRanz,ActingDeputyAssistantSecretaryofStateonbehalfofthe

HonorableAliceG.Wells,AssistantSecretaryofStateforNearEasternandSouthAsianAffairs

• AmbassadorSamBrownback,AmbassadoratLargeforInternationalReligiousFreedom

• CongressmanJimMcGovern• CongressmanBradSherman• CarlGershman,President,NationalEndowmentforDemocracy• PeterChang,Ombudsman,Taiwan• CongressmanChrisSmith[videomessage]• SenatorMarcoRubio[videomessage]• CsabaSógor,formerMemberofEuropeanParliament• NormanBaker,FormerUKMinisterofStateattheHomeOffice• RalphBunche,SecretaryGeneral,UnrepresentedNationsandPeoples

Organization(UNPO)• PaulStrauss,USShadowSenator• Moderator–OmerKanat,Director,UyghurHumanRightsProject

12:30–13:30 Lunch(CongressCanteen)

Thursday,June6(Afternoon)Venue:ElliottSchoolofInternationalAffairs,1957EStNW,Washington,DC20052(StateRoom)

14:00–15:15 SurveyofEvidence


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Thepanelwillservetosetouttheavailableevidenceonthecampsystembasedonacademicresearchandinformationgatheredfromvarioussourcesonthegroundandfromabroad.

• Dr.AdrianZenz,IndependentResearcher• HaraldMaass,Journalist• ShawnZhang(Remote),StudentResearcher• Moderator:RushanAbbas,CampaignforUyghurs

15:15–16:15 ChineseCommunityMobilisation

SpeakerswillfocusonhowtheChineseadvocacycommunityhasbeen,andcouldbe,respondingtotheUyghurissue,tooffersolidarityandamutualapproachgoingforward.

• Xiaorong,Scholar• UerkeshDavlet(Wu'erKaixi),DissidentActivist&TiananmenStudentLeader• BobFu,President,ChinaAid• DarrenByler,Lecturer,DepartmentofAnthropology,UniversityofWashington• Moderator:IlshatHassan,UyghurAmericanAssociation

16:15–16:30 CoffeeBreak

16:30–18:00 AcademicPerspectives

Theacademiccommunity,fromvariousbackgrounds,willspeakfromdifferentperspectivesonthecamps,andworktofleshoutsolutionsgoingforward.

• SeanRoberts,Assoc.Prof.&Director,Int’lDev.Studies,GeorgeWashingtonUniversity

• DonaldClarke,ProfessorofLaw,GeorgeWashingtonUniversityLawSchool• VanessaFrangville,SeniorLecturer,UniversitélibredeBruxelles• TimothyGrose,AssistantProfessorofChinaStudies,Rose-HulmanInstituteof

Technology• Moderator:NicoleMorgret,UyghurHumanRightsProject

19:00–21:00 Dinner – Erkin’s Uyghur Cuisine and Tea Bar (2412 Wisconsin Avenue NWWashington,DC20007)

Friday,June7Venue:ElliottSchoolofInternationalAffairs,1957EStNW,Washington,DC20052(StateRoom)

09:30–11:00 Perspectives&SolutionsfromCivilSociety

VariousrepresentativesfromcivilsocietywillspeakontheirownworkontheissueaswellashowbesttoapproachadvocacyprimarilyinEuropeandNorthAmericagoingforward.

• UlrichDelius,Director,SocietyforThreatenedPeoples• LuciaParrucci,Advocacy&TrainingCoordinator,UnrepresentedNationsand


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PeoplesOrganization(UNPO)• AnnieBoyajian,DirectorofAdvocacy,FreedomHouse• FranciscoBencosme,AsiaPacificAdvocacyManager,AmnestyInternational• LeaPerekrests,DeputyDirector,HumanRightsWithoutFrontiers• Moderator:SophieRichardson,ChinaDirector,HumanRightsWatch


11:15–12:30 WitnessTestimony

Severalwitnesseswilltestifybasedontheirpersonalexperienceswiththecampsystemaswellasrelativesofthosedetainedorgonemissing.

• DolkunIsa,President,WorldUyghurCongress• MihrigulTursun• FerkatJawdat• Moderator:ZubayraShamseden,UyghurHumanRightsProject

12:30–14:00 Lunch(GeorgeWashingtonUniversity)

14:00–15:15

InternationalLegal&PoliticalPerspectives

RepresentativesfromvariousbackgroundswillfocusonthemosteffectivelegalresponsestothetreatmentofUyghursandhowtheinternationalcommunitycansupporttheseapproaches.

• GianniTognoni,SecretaryGeneral,PermanentPeoplesTribunal• MichaelPolak,Barrister,ChurchCourtChambers• KyleMatthews,ExecutiveDirector,MontrealInstituteforGenocideandHuman

RightsStudies(MIGS)atConcordiaUniversity• NuryTurkel,Attorney&UyghurHumanRightsProjectBoardChair

15:15–16:30 MediaApproaches

Giventhatjournalistshavebeenattheforefrontofuncoveringfactsonthegroundintheregion,panelistswillspeakabouttheirexperiencescoveringtheissueandhowbestcivilsocietycanleveragethiscriticalcoverage.

• MarcoRespinti,Director-in-Charge,BitterWinter• HaraldMaass,Journalist• MustafaAkyol,SeniorfellowattheCatoInstitute• MerveSebnemOruç,Journalist• Moderator:AlimSeytoff,Director,RadioFreeAsiaUyghurService


16:45–18:00 ConcludingSession,ConcreteActionsGoingForward

Speakerswillbringtogethermanyoftheideaspresentedthroughouttheconferencefromvariousdisciplinestodevelopastrategicapproachgoingforward.

• ShahrezadGhayrat,ProjectAssistant,WorldUyghurCongress


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• PeterIrwin,ProgramManager,WorldUyghurCongress• RyanBarry,ProjectCoordinator,WorldUyghurCongress• ErkinSedik,Engineer,NASA• Moderator:LouisaGreve,ExternalAffairsDirector,UyghurHumanRights

Project

19:00–21:00 Dinner–Ankara(132019thStreetNW,Washington,DC20036)

SpeakerBiographies:MustafaAkyol

Mustafa Akyol is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for GlobalLibertyandProsperity,wherehefocusesontheintersectionofpublicpolicy,Islam, and modernity. A Turkish journalist and author, he is a regularcontributingopinionwriterfortheNewYorkTimessince2013,andhasbeena regular opinion columnist for Turkish publications such as Hurriyet DailyNews,and for theMiddle-East focusedAl-Monitor.com.Akyol is theauthorofIslamwithoutExtremes:AMuslimCaseforLibertypraisedbyTheFinancialTimes as “a forthright and elegantMuslimdefense of freedom.”He is alsotheauthorofTheIslamicJesus:HowtheKingoftheJewsBecameaProphetoftheMuslimsandofsixbooks inTurkish, includingRethinkingtheKurdishQuestion.

NormanBaker

NormanBakerisaformerministerintheBritishgovernment,firstlyforthreeandahalfyearsattheDepartmentforTransportthenforayearasdeputytoTheresaMay in theHomeOffice. Hewas a Liberal DemocratMP between1997 and 2015. He has a strong interest in both human rights and in theenvironment and has served on the UK Parliament's Human RightsCommittee. Until last year he had formany years been President of TibetSociety, theworld's longest established Tibet support organisation. He is apublished author, a regular columnist and broadcaster, and a singer-songwriterwhohasissuedthreealbums.

FranciscoBencosme

Francisco Bencosme is the Asia Pacific Advocacy Manager at AmnestyInternationalUSA.FranciscohastestifiedbeforeCongressandhasprovidedmedia commentary on multiple outlets including the New York Times,WashingtonPost,andtheWallStreetJournal.In2018,FranciscowasnamedoneofTheHill’sTop2018LobbyistfortheircampaignonMyanmarRohingyaissues.BeforejoiningAIUSA,heservedasaProfessionalStaffMemberontheU.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he assisted DemocraticSenators on issues related to East Asia/Pacific, South Asia, and StateDepartment/USAIDoversight. Francisco also served as the President of theCongressionalHispanicStaffAssociationandasaboardmemberoftheForeignAffairsCongressionalStaffAssociation.FranciscoisalsoaTrumanSecurityFellow,aPenn-KembleFellow,andanInternationalCareerAdvancementProgramalum.FranciscoreceivedhisMasterofScienceinForeignServicefromGeorgetownUniversity,agraduatecertificatefromtheUSAFAirUniversity,andhisB.A.fromWakeForestUniversity.


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AnnieBoyajian

AnnieWilcoxBoyajian isDirectorofAdvocacyatFreedomHouse,and leadsFreedom House’s advocacy to the U.S. government and collaboration withAmerican human rights groups. Prior to joining FreedomHouse, she spentsevenyearsonCapitolHill,workinginboththeSenateandtheHouse.Duringher timeon theHill, Boyajian focusedon foreignpolicy, human rights, andappropriationsissues, andservedmostrecentlyasaLegislativeDirector.Shehas worked extensively on freedom of expression and freedom of religionissues, and holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs: U.S. ForeignPolicy from American University’s School of International Service. HerMaster’sresearchprojectfocusedonChina’sinfluenceonAfricanmedia.

DarrenByler

Darren Byler is a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at theUniversity of Washington. His research focuses on Uyghur dispossession,culture work and "terror capitalism" in the city of Ürümchi, the capital ofChinese Central Asia (Xinjiang). He has published research articles in Logic,Asia-PacificJournal,ContemporaryIslam,CentralAsianSurvey,theJournalofChinese Contemporary Art and contributed essays to volumes onethnographyof IslaminChina, transnationalChinesecinemaandtravelandrepresentation. He has provided expert testimony onUyghur human rightsissuesbeforetheCanadianHouseofCommonsandwritesaregularcolumnon these issues for SupChina. In addition, he has published Uyghur-Englishliterarytranslations(withMutellipEnwer)inGuernicaandPaperRepublic.HealsofoundedandeditsthedigitalhumanitiesartandpoliticsrepositoryTheArtofLifeinChineseCentralAsia,whichishostedatlivingotherwise.com.

DonaldClarke

DonaldClarkeisaprofessorattheGeorgeWashingtonUniversityLawSchoolinWashington,D.C.,wherehespecializes inChinese law. Inaddition tohisacademic work, he founded and maintains Chinalaw, the leading internetlistservonChineselaw,andwritesaboutChineselawatTheChinaCollectionblog.HeisamemberoftheCouncilonForeignRelations.

UlrichDelius

Ulrich Delius is Director of the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), aGermany based international human rights organization, promoting therightsofethnicnationalitiesandreligiousminorities.AformerSTPAsiaDeskofficer, he has been working for more than three decades on ethnicnationalityissues,religiousfreedomandhumanrightsinChina.Hestartedinthe 1980ies to promote a dialogue between the Chinese democracymovementandUyghurs,TibetansandMongolians.Hehaspublishedmanyhuman rights reports on the situation of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Tibetans,Mongolians, Falun Gong, the Chinese Democracy Movement, internetfreedomandwritersinprison.


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VanessaFrangville

Vanessa Frangville is currently Senior Lecturer and Chair holder in Chinesestudies at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium. She is also thedirector of EASt, centre for East Asian Studies at the ULB. Her previousresearch dealt with discourses on ethnicity and nation building inmodernand contemporary China, with a special focus on cinema and “ethnicminority” film.She iscurrentlyworkingononlineandofflineUyghuryouthactivisminEurope.

Dr.BobFu

Dr. Bob Fu is a life member of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) andfounder/presidentofChinaAid(est.2002).ChinaAidisaninternationalNGOwithamissiontoadvancereligiousfreedomandruleoflawforallinChina.AcampusstudentleaderduringtheTiananmenSquareDemocracymovementin 1989. He has a Ph.D in the field of Religious Freedom from St. John’sCollege, Durham University in the United Kingdom. His autobiography iscalledGod’s Double Agent. He is editor in chief of Chinese Law& ReligionMonitor Journal. As president of CAA, Bob has testified before bothchambers of US Congress, US Commission on International ReligiousFreedom (USCIRF) and the Congressional-Executive Commission onChina(CECC). He has testified before the United Nations Commission onHumanRights,UKandDutchParliamentsaswellastheEUParliament.HeregularlybriefandadviseboththeExecutiveandLegislativebranchesofUSandotherwesterngovernmentsaboutreligiousfreedomandhumanrightsinChina.

TimotheyGrose

Timothy Grose, PhD is an assistant professor of China Studies at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. His research on Uyghur ethno-nationalidentities and their expressions of Islamic piety has been published in theChina Journal, Journal of Contemporary China, and Foreign Policy andfeatured in the Economist, the Atlantic, and CNN. His book on Uyghurboarding schools, Negotiating Inseparability, was published by Hong KongUniversityPressinOctober2019.

DolkunIsa

DolkunIsaisthePresidentoftheWorldUyghurCongressandVicePresidentof theUnrepresentedNations and PeoplesOrganization (UNPO).Hewas aformer student-leader of pro-democracy demonstrations at XinjiangUniversity in1988and foundedtheStudents’ScienceandCultureUnionattheuniversity in1987workingonprogramstoeliminate illiteracy,promotescience and lead other students in East Turkestan. Hewas then dismissedfrom university. After enduring persecution from the Chinese government,IsafledChinain1994andsoughtasyluminEurope,andbecameacitizenofGermany in 2006. He has since been presenting Uyghur human rights issues to the UN Human RightsCouncil, EuropeanParliament, Europeangovernments and international human rightsorganizations.HehasworkedtomobilizetheUyghurdiasporacommunitytocollectivelyadvocate for their rightsandtherightsoftheUyghursinEastTurkistan.


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Wu’erKaixi

Wu’erKaixi,aUyghurnational,wasborninBeijing,ChinaonFebruary17th,1968. In 1988 he was admitted to Beijing Normal University, where hestudied education administration. In April 1989, he was instrumental ininitiating a Beijing student movement for democracy and freedom thatgalvanized the world. One of the most influential student leaders, hemaintainedaleadingrolethroughoutwhatbecameknownastheTiananmenStudentMovement,andwhichendedwhenitwasbrutallysuppressedbytheChinese government on June 4th. His impassioned meeting with ChinesePremier Li Peng before the crackdown was watched on televisionsthroughout China and theworld,makingWu’er Kaixi a household name inChinaanda representative student leader internationally.After the June4thmassacreWu’erKaixiwaslistedNo2onChina'slistof21mostwantedstudentleaders.WiththehelpofsympathizersinChinaandHongKong,heescapedfromChinaviaHongKongtoFrance.InParisWu’erKaixiandhiscolleaguesinexilefounded the Federation for a Democratic China (FDC), of which he was elected as the founding vicepresident.WithhisTiananmencolleagueShenTong,Wu'erKaixicontinueshispro-democracyactivitiesasCo-ChairmanoftheDemocracyforChinaFund(DCF).HenowlivesinTaiwan,wherethroughhismagazineandnewspapercolumnsandregulartelevisionappearanceshehasbecomeapoliticalcommentatorandsocialactivist.

HaraldMaass

HaraldMaassisaGerman-basedjournalistfocussingoninternationaltopics.For more than a decade he covered China and North-East Asia as acorrespondent for major German newspapers. He studied Journalism andSinologyinMunich,BeijingandHongKongandholdsaPhDinInternationalPoliticsfromBerlinUniversity.Herecentlypublishedaninvestigativereportaboutthesurveillancestateandre-educationcampsinXinjiang,forwhichhetravelledthreeweeksthroughtheregionandinterviewedformerinmatesofcampsandtheirrelatives.ThereportwaspublishedinGermany,SwitzerlandandUK.

KyleMatthews

Kyle Matthews is the Executive Director of the Montreal Institute forGenocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia University. HejoinedMIGSasLeadResearcheroftheWilltoInterveneProjectin2008andwasappointedSeniorDeputyDirectorin2011.AtConcordiahefoundedtheRaoulWallenberg Legacy of Leadership project as well as the DigitalMassAtrocityPreventingLab,whichworkstocounteronlineextremismandstudyhow social media platforms are being used as a weapon of war. His workfocusesonhumanrights,internationalsecurity,theResponsibilitytoProtect,globalthreats,andsocialmediaandtechnology,andglobalcities.HeworkscloselywiththeCanadianAll-Party ParliamentaryGroup for the Prevention ofGenocide and has advisedMembers of Parliament onissues related to international peace and security. He previously worked for the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees, where he was posted to the Southern Caucasus (Tbilisi), the DemocraticRepublicof theCongo(Kinshasa)andSwitzerland(Geneva).PriortothatheworkedforCARECanada inAlbania and later at its headquarters in Ottawa, where he managed various humanitarian responseinitiativesandpeace-buildingprojectsinAfghanistan,Sub-SaharanAfricaandtheMiddleEast.


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MerveSebnemOruc

Merve Sebnem Oruc is a political commentator and a columnist mostlyfocusingoninterstaterelations,MiddleEastpolitics,Turkishforeignaffairs,MuslimworldandTurkicpeoples.ShecurrentlylivesinTurkey.ShepensacolumnforEnglish-languageDailySabahregularlysince2014.ShewastheHead of Online of Turkish state-owned TV channel TRTWorld, which isestablished in 2015. She founded the channel’s online division. She haswritten columns, articles, analyses for several newspapers and web sitesbothinEnglishandTurkishforfiveyears.

LuciaParrucci

Ms.LuciaParruccigraduatedfromtheUniversityofBolognainInternationalRelations and Diplomatic Affairs at completed her master’s degree inDevelopmentand InternationalCooperationat theUniversityof Sienawithfirstclasshonours.Since2018,sheisamemberoftheSteeringCommitteeofthePoliticalandInternationalScienceDepartmentofUniversityofSiena.Ms.ParrucciservedasacollaboratorfortheLaogaiResearchFoundationItalyformore thanayearandstarting fromJanuary2016,hasbeenworkingat theUNPO(UnrepresentedNationsandPeoplesOrganization)mainlyfocusingonhumanrightsviolationsinChina.

LeaPerekrests

As the Deputy Director of Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF), LeaPerekrests has worked on Chinese human rights issues for the past threeyears. She has specifically worked with Chinese religious communitiesincludingFalunGongpractitioners,UyghurMuslims,ChurchofAlmightyGodmembers,aswellasChristiansfromhousechurches.Inadditiontothiswork,Lea and the HRWF team have compiled a 'Freedom of religion or beliefprisonersdatabase'whichcurrentlydetails the legalcasesofapproximately2,000prisonersinChina.

MichaelPolak

Michaelpractices incriminal law,public law,andhumanrights law, inboththe international and domestic spheres. As well as defending in trials forserious criminal offences in the domestic courts, Michael also carries outprivateprosecutions,auniquespecialismwhichallowsthosewhohavebeenthe victim of crimes to hold those responsible to account when theauthoritiesfailtoact.Michaelhasconductedresearchonacasesbeforeaninternationalcriminal tribunal in theHagueaswellasspending timeat theKhmerRougeTribunal inCambodia.Michael internationalpracticefocusseson international legal assistance, the assistance of foreign nationals andlawyerswhoget into troublearound theworld. In thisareaMichaelhas representedclients inBelarus,Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the Middle East. Michael’s international practice also includes publicinternational law where he has advised marginalised tribal groups who have had their human rightsinfringed.Healsohasexperiencemakingapplicationstoremove INTERPOLRedNoticesandhaswrittenforWestlaw on the law in this area aswell as advisingUK based human rights organisation about thecurrentuniversaljurisdictionprovisionsinEnglishlaw.


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MarcoRespinti

MarcoRespinti is an Italian professional journalist, essayist, translator, andlecturer. He has contributed and contributes to several journals andmagazinebothinprintandonline,bothinItalyandabroad.Oneofhisbooks,published in 2008, concerns human rights in China. A Senior fellow at theRussell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, a non-partisan, non-profit U.S.educationalorganizationbased inMecosta,Michigan,he is alsoa foundingmember as well as Boardmember of the Center for European Renewal, anon-profit,non-partisanpan-EuropeaneducationalorganizationbasedinTheHague, TheNetherlands. He serves as Director-in-Charge of The Journal ofCESNURandBitterWinter.InMay2019,attheInternationalBookFairofTurin,Italy(thesecondlargestbook fair inEurope),he received theannualFIRMA(InternationalFestivalofReligions,Music,andArts)mediaawardforajournalismpromotingreligiousliberty.

SeanRoberts

Sean R. Roberts is an Associate Professor of the Practice of InternationalAffairs and Director of the International Development Studies program atThe George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs.Dr.RobertsisananthropologistbytrainingandwrotehisdissertationattheUniversity of Southern California on the Uyghurs of Kazakhstan and theirinteractionwith China’sUyghurs. In addition to his academicwork, he hasdonesubstantialworkinthefieldofinternationaldevelopment,primarilyondemocratizationandhumanrightsintheformerSovietUnionandespeciallyin Central Asia. Dr. Roberts has published numerous articles in academicjournals,editedvolumes,andinpolicy-orientedpublications,bothaboutpoliticaldevelopmentinCentralAsia and about theUyghurs. He also frequently provides commentary tomajor newsoutlets on thesesubjects,andheiscurrentlywritingabookontheimpactofthewaronterroronUyghurs.

Dr.ErkinSidick

Dr. Erkin Sidickwas born in the city of Aksu in East Turkistan (aka XinjiangUyghur Autonomous Region), located in the north-western part of China .AfterearninghisBSdegreeinElectricalEngineeringatXinjiangUniversity,heworkedasateacherandaresearchassociateinChinaandJapanuntil1988.Dr.Sidickearnedhismaster'sdegreeinPhysicsinMay1990fromCaliforniaStateUniversityatNorthridge,andhisPhDdegree inelectricalengineeringwith an emphasis on nonlinear optics in 1995 from the University ofCaliforniaDavis.AfterengaginginresearchatUCDavisandSandiaNationalLaboratories (CA)asapost-docforoneandahalfyearson lasertrapsandnonlinearopticaldevices,heworkedin3differenthigh-techcompaniesinSiliconValleyofCaliforniainResearchandDevelopmentaswellasinmanagerialrolesinvariousfieldsofoptics,especiallyonpassiveopticalcomponents.HejoinedtheNASAJetPropulsionLaboratoryinJanuary2004.HeiscurrentlyworkingasaSeniorOpticalEngineeronvariousspacetelescopeprojects.Hehasco-authoredover100publications including journalpapers,bookchapters,andconferencepresentations,andhas3patents.

GianniTognoni

Doctorofmedicineandsurgery,since1969hehasundertakenbasic,clinical,epidemiologicalandpublichealthresearchinsomeofthemostcriticalfieldsofmedicine,suchascardiology,intensivetherapy,neurology,psychiatryandoncology,publishingresultsinmorethan600articlesinthemostprestigious


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internationaljournalsandbeingresponsibleforleadershipinvariousdepartments.AmonghisactivitiesheisaWHOconsultantfortheselectionofessentialmedicines,foundingmemberoftheinternationalsocietyforindependentinformationonpharmaceuticals,coordinatorofprojectsoncommunityepidemiologyincountriesinCentralandLatinAmerica,aswellassomeinAfrica.FromhiscollaborationwiththesecondRussellTribunaltoscientificactivitieshehasactivelyworkedinthefieldsofhumanrights,righttohealth,andrightsofpeoples. Since itsestablishment in1979,hehasbeenSecretary-generalofthePermanentPeoples’Tribunal.

AdrianZenz

AdrianZenzisanindependentresearcherandsupervisesPhDstudentsattheEuropean School of Culture and Theology, Korntal, Germany. His researchfocusisonminorityeducation,publicrecruitmentandstatesecuritizationinTibetandXinjiang.

ShawnZhang

Shawn Zhang is a recent graduate of University of British Columbia lawschool JD program. He also holds aMaster's degree in East Asian StudiesfromWashingtonUniversity inSt.LouisandaBachelor'sdegree inChineseliteraturefromPekingUniversity.

ModeratorBiographies:RushanAbbas

Founder and Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, Rushan Abbasstartedheractivismworkwhileshewasastudent,participating in thepro-democracydemonstrationsatXinjiangUniversityin1985and1988.Sinceherarrival in the United States in 1989, Ms. Abbas has been an ardentcampaigner for thehuman rightsof theUyghurpeople.Ms.Abbaswas theVicePresidentofUyghurAmericanAssociationfortwotermsandtheformerreporteratRadioFreeAsia. Underherorganization,Ms.Abbas introducedandledthe“OneVoiceOneStep”Uyghurwomen’smovement.

LouisaGreve

Ms. Louisa Greve serves as UHRP’s director for external affairs. She is anexpertonhumanrightsinChinaandanexperiencednon-profitadvisor.HerfirstvisittoEastTurkestanwasin1988,andshehastraveledandworkedinChina since 1980. She is currentlyWashington Fellow for CSW, aUK-basedadvocacygrouppromoting freedomof religionorbelief forallpeoplesandfaiths. Ms. Greve was formerly Vice President for Programs and East AsiaDirector at the National Endowment for Democracy, with previousexperience at Special Olympics International, the Corporation for National


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and Community Service, and the United Nations Development Program.Ms. Greve has served on theAmnestyInternationalboard,theVirginiaAdvisoryCommitteeoftheU.S.CommissiononCivilRights,andtheInternationalAdvisoryCommitteeoftheCoalitiontoEndTransplantAbuseinChina.SheistheauthorofseveralbookchaptersonethnicissuesandhumanrightsinChina,andhastestifiedbeforeCongressondemocracyinAsia.

IlshatHassanKokbore

President of the Uyghur American Association; records informationmanagementprofession,whocurrentlyworksforthefederalgovernmentasacontractor.BeforehecametotheU.S.IlshatH.KokborewasalectureratShiheziTechCollegeinShihezi,EastTurkistan(XinjiangUyghursAutonomousRegion,inChinese).IlshatH.KokboreGraduatedfromDalianTechUniversity1988withamajorinchemicalengineering.HehasbeenaUyghurlanguageandchemicalengineeringsubjectlecturerfor15yearsinShiheziVocationalTeacher Training College. He published academic articles in localnewspapers,magazines;andgivinglecturesinmedicalcollege,adulteducationcollege;hewasacertifiedChineseUyghur language interpreter/translator inUyghurregion;havedonenumerouscourt, legislativetranslation and interpreting assignment.Due to political prosecution hewas forced to flee for survival,leavingbehindelderlyparents,andfamilywithateenagesonin2003.

NicoleMorgret

Nicole Morgret is the Uyghur Human Rights Project’s Project Coordinator.Shehasextensiveexperiencelivingoverseas,andabackgroundthatincludesworkonpoliticalcampaigns, inNGOsandasateacher.BeforejoiningUHRPshe spent four years in China, including several in Nanjing earning herMaster'sdegreefromtheHopkins-NanjingCenter.HerundergraduatedegreeisfromtheAmericanCollegeofThessaloniki.

SophieRichardson

SophieRichardsonistheChinadirectoratHumanRightsWatch.Agraduateof the University of Virginia, the Hopkins-Nanjing Program, and OberlinCollege, Dr. Richardson is the author of numerous articles on domesticChinese political reform, democratization, and human rights in Cambodia,China,Indonesia,HongKong,thePhilippines,andVietnam.Shehastestifiedbefore the European Parliament and the US Senate and House ofRepresentatives. She has provided commentary to the BBC, CNN, the FarEastern Economic Review, Foreign Policy, National Public Radio, the NewYorkTimes,theWallStreetJournal,andtheWashingtonPost.Dr.Richardsonis the author of China, Cambodia, and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (ColumbiaUniversityPress, Dec. 2009), an in-depth examination of China's foreign policy since 1954's Geneva Conference,includingrareinterviewswithpolicymakers.

AlimSeytoff

Alim Seytoff is the Service Director for Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur Service,previously the Executive Director for the Uyghur Human Rights Project. In1999, he started his career at RFA as a Production Coordinator andBroadcaster. Alim has written many articles on China’s human rightsviolations of the Uyghur people. He has been published in a number ofprominentnewssources,includingTheWallStreetJournal,AlJazeera,WorldPolicy Institute, Asia Times, TheHuffington Post, Index on Censorship, and


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China Rights Forum. He has been frequently interviewed and/or quoted by CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, FoxNews, PBS, Voice of America, TheNew York Times, TheWashington Post, Foreign Policy, The ChristianScience Monitor, and the newswires. He has testified several times before the US Congress and hasbriefedbothWhiteHouseandStateDepartmentofficialsonChina’shumanrightsviolationsoftheUyghurpeople.AlimholdsaBAinChineseStudiesfromXinjiangUniversityandaBAinBroadcastJournalismfromSouthernAdventistUniversity. Hehasamaster'sdegree inPublicPolicy from theRobertsonSchoolofGovernmentatRegentUniversity.AlimreceivedhisJurisDoctordegreefromRegentUniversitySchoolofLawin2006andisalicensedattorney.

NuryTurkel

NuryTurkelisaU.S.-basedUyghurrightsadvocateandattorneyatCovington& Burling LLP in Washington D.C., where he specializes in litigation,governmentenforcement,and regulatory compliance.Turkelwasborn inare-education camp in China’s Xinjiang region, and has been advocating fortherightsoftheUyghurpeopleintheregion.Turkelistheformerpresidentof theUyghurAmericanAssociation (UAA) aswell as the former executivedirectoroftheUyghurHumanRightsProject(UHRP),anorganizationthatiscommitted to promoting human rights and democracy. Turkel serves as aprominentvoicefortheUyghurpeoplebyurginginternationalactionagainsttherepressionoftheUighurpeople, such as international sanctions against Chinese government officialswho actively participate intheabuseofhumanrights.TurkelholdsaJ.D.fromAmericanUniversityWashingtonCollegeofLaw,andhasbeenfeaturedinvariousmediaoutletssuchasBBC,FinancialReview,andPRIaswellasforeignpolicyforums.

Accommodation:Forthoseprearrangedandtravellingfromoutoftown,youwillbestayingfromJune5-8attheVirginianSuites,1500ArlingtonBlvd,Arlington,VA22209.Phone:+1703-522-9600.

AirportPick-UpContacts:Forthosetravellingfromoutoftown,wehavearrangedanairportpickupservice.ThecontactpersonforthisservicewillbeAblikimIdris:+1(650)450-1950whowillmeetguestsatIAD,DCAorBWI.

AboutEerkin’sRestaurantOnJune6,speakerswilleatatoneofseveralUyghurrestaurantsintheDCarea, Erkin’s Uyghur Cuisine and Tea Bar. The restaurant serves Uyghurfood prepared by Uyghur chefs with a great deal of knowledge aboutancientrecipesfromUyghursstretchingbackcenturies.

AdditionalContactInformation:

PeterIrwin(forallinquiries)Email:[email protected]:+4915733920670(WhatsApp/Signal)

OmerKanat(forallDCinquiries)Email:[email protected]:+12027901795

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