By Ilham Tohti Institute 28th September 2019
Two days before announce the European “Václav Havel Human Rights Prize” 2019 for three nominees including Uyghur Professor Ilham Tohti whom sentenced for life in prison by Chinese government for his campaign for equal rights before China’s law for his fellow Uyghur people, we have successfully held a “Conference on Uyghur crisis and professor Ilham Tohti” in Utrich, Netherland, organised by Ilham Tohti Campaign (ITC) and hosted by East Turkistan Education Centre in Europe.
Many thanks for the organisers, and presenters whom gave impressive presentations including president of Ilham Tohti Institute, Enver Can, Aziz Isa Elkun, Secretary of Uyghur PEN Centre, writer and intellectual Abduweli Ayup and Asiye Uyghur, presenter Enver Memet!
During the conference, all presenters talk about Ilham Tohti’s promoted ideas, and how do understand, inherit and continue his campaigns in the days of biggest crisis that Uyghur nation is facing when Chinese government detained over 3 million innocent Uyghurs and other Turkic people and committing ethnic and cultural genocide in Uyghur homeland.
Ilham Tohti was Professor of economics at Central University of Nationality, China (中央民族大学) .
What he said before he’s arrest regarding to the existing Uyghur crises which we have to always remember:
“At the same time, these serious social problems have become a forbidden subject for study, creating a discursive void. Few dare to touch upon these problems directly, let alone conduct systematic social investigations and analyses in search for solutions. On the one hand, the Uighurs’ social problems lead to increasing dissatisfaction and distrust of the government and of Han people; on the other, discriminatory ideas against the Uighur people among members of Han society especially in the interior of China- grow deeper.”
“I knew that there would be an intense clash of opinions, but I believe that confronting differences is not frightening. What is truly frightening are silenced suspicions and hatred.”
28th September 2019
Utrecht, Netherland