BILL: Should We Defend Uyghur Human Rights? - Uyghur Policy Act of 2023 - H.R.2766

The Bill

H.R.2766 - Uyghur Policy Act of 2023

Bill Details

• Sponsored by Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.) on April 20, 2023
• Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced companion legislation in the Senate
• Committee: House - Foreign Affairs
• House: Not yet voted
• Senate: Not yet voted
• President: Not yet signed

Bill Overview

• A bicameral, bipartisan bill that supports the human rights of the Muslim Uyghur minority group who reside primarily in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. There are about 11 million ethnic Uyghurs in the region, frequently subject to cultural repression, forced labor, and government crackdowns.
• Both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have confirmed that the Chinese government has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs.
• Creates a comprehensive, multilateral strategy to raise international awareness and direct the State Department to effectively respond to human rights challenges. 
• Directs the U.S. Department of State to include Uyghur human rights activists in its U.S. Speaker program to speak at public diplomacy forums in Muslim-majority countries about the repression of Uyghurs and other minority groups in Xinjiang. 
• The Uyghur Policy Act passed the House with overwhelmingly bipartisan support last Congress.

What's in the Bill

Vocally pushes back against repression 

• Pushes back on efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to silence Uyghur voices and advocates for improving the conditions of Uyghurs in China who suffer human rights abuses.
• Support U.S. efforts to raise Uyghur issues at the United Nations, including by supporting the appointment of a special rapporteur for human rights violations.
• The Chinese government has imprisoned more than one million people since 2017 and subjected those not detained to intense surveillance, religious restrictions, forced labor, and forced sterilizations.

Mobilizes the State Department

• Equips the U.S. with the tools needed to support the fundamental human rights and distinct identities of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. 
• Direct the U.S. Agency for Global Media to disseminate information concerning Uyghurs and other minority groups to Islamic-majority countries.
• Require the State Department to offer Uyghur language training to Foreign Service Officers and to assign a Uyghur-fluent officer to a U.S. diplomatic or consular mission in China.

Creates a Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues within the State Department

• The Special Coordinator will maintain close contact with religious, cultural, and political leaders of the Uyghurs, including seeking regular travel to Xinjiang and to Uyghur settlements in Central Asia, Turkey, Albania, Germany, and other parts of Europe and lead coordination efforts for the release of political prisoners.
• Consults with Congress on policies relevant to the Uyghurs.

Pressures the PRC to close detention centers

• Call on the U.S. government to develop a strategy, in coordination with like-minded countries, to pressure the PRC to close all detention facilities and push for the immediate release of those detained.

What Supporters Are Saying

• Rep. Young Kim, Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, said:

"Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities – just because of their identity – are repeatedly silenced, detained, imprisoned, tortured, and brainwashed in concentration camps led by the Chinese Communist Party. We must say no to Uyghur genocide and the CCP's repeated disinformation, coercion, and abuse."

• Sen. Rubio said:

"The CCP is carrying out a disgusting campaign of genocide and human rights abuses committed against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups. The United States cannot be silent in the face of such horrific abuse. I'm proud to re-introduce legislation to increase awareness and advocacy for Uyghurs, and I urge my colleagues to quickly pass this bill."

• Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Indo-Pacific, said:

"Despite widespread international condemnation, the Chinese Communist Party continues to target Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region for their culture and beliefs. Our nation has a responsibility to lead by example and work closely with the global community to defend and advance human rights and freedoms. The Uyghur Policy Act reaffirms America's commitment to defending democratic values abroad and bolsters our response to these atrocities by ensuring interagency cooperation and providing the State Department with the resources to effectively respond to this crisis."

What Opponents Are Saying

• China has denied any crimes on the international stage. However, in May 2014, the Chinese government launched the "Strike Hard Campaign against Violent Terrorism" to target the Uyghurs.
• Maisumujiang Maimuer, a Chinese religious affairs official, wrote of the Uyghurs on a Xinhua Weibo page on Aug. 10, 2017:

"Break their lineage, break their roots, break their connections, and break their origins. Completely shovel up the roots of "two-faced people," dig them out, and vow to fight these two-faced people until the end."

Tell your reps to support or oppose this bill

-Emma Kansiz

(Photo Credit: Canva)