January 12, 2020<\/p>\n
Ambassador Samuel\u00a0D.\u00a0Brownback
\nOffice\u00a0of International Religious Freedom
\nU.S. Department of State
\n2201 C St., N.W.
\nWashington, D.C. 20520<\/p>\n
Dear Ambassador Brownback:<\/p>\n
\nOn behalf of the Uyghur Human Rights Project I wish to extend my sincere gratitude for
\nthe work you have done as the Ambassador-at-Large for Religious Freedom.<\/p>\n
I wish to thank you for being one of the strongest advocates for the cause of human
\nrights for the Uyghur people in the Administration over the past four years. As the scale
\nof the crimes against humanity happening in East Turkistan became clear, you were
\namong the first to speak out. You made it clear that the mass detentions, sterilizations,
\nforced labor regime and establishment of a high-tech police state show the CCP\u2019s
\nintention to annihilate the religious and cultural identity of the Uyghurs and other Turkic
\npeoples.<\/p>\n
The first International Religious Freedom Ministerial in 2018 was an important venue to
\nraise the issue among an international audience of officials. The Office\u00a0of International
\nReligious Freedom was also critical in providing a provide a platform for Uyghur voices
\nat the UN General Assembly in 2019. Stating that the Chinese government\u2019s actions are
\nin no way legitimate \u201ccounter-terrorism,\u201d as you did in your Washington Post op-ed in
\n2019, is a critical point that officials must emphasize.<\/p>\n
I hope that you take the sanctions placed on you by the CCP government as a personal
\nachievement and badge of honor. Clearly your voice has made an impact.<\/p>\n
Again, thank you so much for your solidarity and your leadership. Your name will be
\nremembered by Uyghurs in future generations as a visionary hero in our time of dire
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Sincerely yours,<\/p>\n
Omer Kanat
\nExecutive Director<\/p>\n\n
This post was originally published on UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT BLOG<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" January 12, 2020 Ambassador Samuel\u00a0D.\u00a0Brownback Office\u00a0of International Religious Freedom U.S. Department of State 2201 C St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20520 Dear Ambassador Brownback: On behalf of the Uyghur Human Rights Project I wish to extend my sincere gratitude for the \u2026 Continue reading