World Uyghur Congress announces pivotal Munich Summit amid global tensions and repression

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has announced the upcoming Third East Turkistan/Uyghur Summit, along with the Uyghur Youth Summit, scheduled to occur from May 23 to May 25, in Munich, Germany, as reported by WUC.

These summits will assemble Uyghur leaders, human rights advocates, community representatives, business experts, youth activists, scholars, and politicians from 20 different nations, in addition to our allies from the Tibetan, Southern Mongolian, Taiwanese, and Hong Kong communities, according to WUC.

The WUC report emphasized that these events are taking place at a pivotal moment when the global landscape is changing rapidly, presenting new challenges as well as opportunities.

“We are witnessing the evolving priorities of the new Trump administration, changes in US-China and US-EU relations, and a world agenda dominated by ongoing conflicts such as the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and the post-Assad situation in Syria. Meanwhile, China’s expansionist foreign policy has further alienated its neighboring countries and NATO member states, internal opposition to Xi Jinping’s regime is growing, and China’s economy is facing recession. These external factors create both challenges and opportunities for the Uyghur national movement”, WUC stated.

“Despite the Chinese regime’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in East Turkistan recognized by 11 parliaments worldwide and confirmed by the Uyghur Tribunal, international responses remain insufficient”, it added.

China’s transnational repression is escalating, particularly with the advancement of AI surveillance technologies. The situation for Uyghur refugees remains one of uncertainty, dread, and unending persecution as they confront the looming threat of surveillance, detention, and forced repatriation to China, where they face the possibility of imprisonment, torture, or worse, as outlined in a WUC report.

During this pivotal moment, marked by rapidly changing international dynamics and a pressing threat to our national existence, the Summit embodies the hopes of our people. The WUC seeks to bring together Uyghur leaders from various sectors, synchronize our efforts with global trends, and create a fresh strategy and roadmap for our future.

This year’s summit will enable direct discussions and consultations on these urgent challenges and prospects, as well as on unresolved organizational matters. The Uyghur Youth Summit will serve as a venue for young individuals, the future of our nation, to actively influence our movement, enhance cooperation, and participate in meaningful dialogue.

WUC urges all Uyghurs in the diaspora to closely monitor the Third East Turkistan National/Uyghur National Summit and the Uyghur Youth Summit while providing intellectual, material, and moral support to ensure its success.