In a press release, published on 14 Jan, The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and the Uyghur American Association/Uyghur Human Rights Project (UAA/UHRP) strongly condemn China´s recent arrest of a Uyghur man for speaking to an American reporter and demand the Chinese authorities to release him immediately. (22-JAN-05)
From the press release:
“We request the government of the People´s Republic of China to immediately release Sitiwaldi
(Dilkex) Tilivaldi,” said Erkin Alptekin, President of WUC. “His arrest violates both Chinese and international laws.”
According to Serene Fang, a reporter for PBS Frontline/World, the Chinese national security agents arrested Tilivaldi for speaking to her in Urumchi on October 19, 2004. Fang said in “China Silenced”, a PBS program aired on January 11, 2005 in the United States., that she interviewed Tilivaldi to find out how the Uyghur people feel being treated by the Chinese government.
Fang asserted that Tilivaldi is neither a dissident nor a human rights activist. He simply came to tell her that Uyghur people want to speak freely.
“Talking to a reporter is not a crime, even in the People´s Republic of China,” said Nury Turkel, President of UAA. “The Chinese authorities have no reason to hold or punish him for exercising his right to freedom of speech guaranteed under the Chinese Constitution.”
At this moment, it is not yet clear where the People´s Republic of China is holding Sitiwaldi
(Dilkex) Tilivaldi and what the People´s Republic of China will do to him. Traditionally, the People´s Republic of China has punished Uyghurs who have failed to toe the communist party line as public examples, to deter others from following in their footsteps. the People´s Republic of China severely punishes those Uyghurs who dare to speak to foreign reporters or government officials because Beijing does not want outside world know how it is violating the fundamental human rights of the Uyghur people since 1949.
In 1999, the People´s Republic of China arrested prominent Uyghur businesswoman Rebiya Kadeer as she tried to meet with a member of a U.S. congressional delegation visiting Urumchi. Although Kadeer never had the chance to meet with the member, the People´s Republic of China sentenced her to eight years in prison in 2000 in order to make her a public example for the Uyghur people. At present, she is being incarcerated in one of the most notorious prisons in Urumchi.
With respect to Tilivaldi, the People´s Republic of China may punish him severely for talking to a foreign reporter in order to silence the entire Uyghur population. It is highly likely that the People´s Republic of China will use him to raise the risk and price of telling the truth about East Turkestan to the outside world, deterring foreign reporters from coming and investigating the real situation, and deterring Uyghurs from talking to them if they come. Therefore, WUC and UAA/UHRP urge the United States, United Nations, and the European Union, as well as international human rights organizations, to pressure the People´s Republic of China to release Sitiwaldi (Dilkex) Tilivaldi as early as possible.
