Uyghur activist leads protest at Chinese embassy on 28th Anniversary of Ghulja massacre

Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, led a protest outside the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, on the 28th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre.

The demonstration condemned China’s ongoing human rights violations and the genocide of Uyghurs in the East Turkestan region.

In a post on X on Thursday, Abbas highlighted the brutality faced by Uyghurs in 1997, when those demanding justice were met with violence. “In 1997, Uyghurs who courageously demanded justice were met with bullets and torture. Instead of ending, the oppression has only escalated,” Abbas wrote.

“The price of global inaction is paid in human lives, and every day without accountability reinforces the Chinese regime’s belief that it can commit atrocities without consequence,” he added.

She continued, urging the global community to take action, saying, “Justice delayed is justice denied. Stand with us in our advocacy for Uyghur freedom.”

Recently in a show of solidarity, over 1,200 exiled Uyghurs gathered outside the Chinese Consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the massacre. The tragic event remains a powerful symbol of the Uyghur people’s continued struggle for justice, and calls for accountability against China’s regime are growing louder worldwide.

The Ghulja Massacre, a tragic event in the history of Uyghur resistance against Chinese repression, occurred in 1997. Thousands of Uyghurs gathered in the streets of Ghulja (also known as Ili) in East Turkistan to protest the detention of young Muslim individuals who had been arrested the previous night for observing Ramadan. According to Justice for All, the peaceful protesters faced brutal suppression as Chinese forces opened fire on the crowd, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 people.

In the aftermath of the Ghulja Massacre, hundreds of individuals were sentenced to death or forcibly disappeared. Many survivors have shared harrowing accounts of the brutal torture they suffered while in Chinese detention, as reported by Justice for All. The protests in Ghulja were a direct reaction to the Chinese government’s increasing control over Uyghur religious and cultural practices.