Uyghur leader Dolkun Isa’s statement on India’s withdrawal of his visa // India denies visa to Tiananmen activist Lu Jinghua
India
has withdrawn the visa issued to Uyghur leader Dolkun Isa for
attending a conference at Dharamsala scheduled later this month. The government
had earlier issued a visa to Isa, inviting Chinese criticism. The Chinese
government considers Isa a ‘terrorist’ and also used its influence to get a red
notice issued against him by Interpol. Earlier today, Isa
released his statement on the controversy which reads as follows.
NB - For all the muscular noises emanating from the 'Sangh parivar' government; these events show their disdain for the courageous struggle of Chinese dissidents; along with their fear of annoying the leaders of the People's Republic of China. Here is a report on Modi's chest-thumping in 2014: Modi blows hot air at China in a rally in Arunachal . Indian democrats need to learn more about the Chinese people's democratic aspirations and support them whole-heartedly. Didn't the Chinese Communist Part support the Indian revolution in the Naxalite era? - DS
STATEMENT OF UYGHUR
LEADER DOLKUN ISA
“As the Executive
Committee Chairman of the World Uyghur Congress (WUC), I
express my disappointment on Indian authorities’ cancellation of my visa to
attend the annual Interethnic Interfaith Leadership Conference taking place in
Dharamsala, India, from April 30 to May 1, 2016. This conference remains a
vital forum through which ethnic and religious communities in China related
areas, as well as statesmen, scholars and activists are able to meet openly to
discuss and exchange ideas, promote peaceful dialogue, and reinforce bonds
between disparate communities.
India had granted me a
tourist e-visa, but it was cancelled after my visit was widely reported in the
Indian press. Following numerous reports, Indian authorities then proceeded to
rescind the visa on April 23, 2016. I recognize and understand the difficult
position that the Indian government found itself, and regrets that my trip has
generated such unwarranted controversy.
This is not the first
time that I have had faced difficulties in my international travels to
advocates Uyghur rights. In September 2009, I was detained briefly and denied
entry to South Korea while travelling to attend the World Forum for
Democratization in Asia, to which I was an invited
guest. China also has regularly attempted to block or interfere with my human
rights work at the UN in Geneva, in particular. I also reject any comparison or
association to China’s recent veto by the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee
of Pakistani militant leader, Mazood Azhar. Such an unjustifiable comparison
seeks only to delegitimize my decades of impassioned work as a strictly
non-violent campaigner for Uyghur rights.
China’s clear abuse of Interpol’s Red
Notice issuance is also concerning. Historically speaking, the Uyghur community
has maintained friendly ties with the Indian people. The Indian government
hosted our late leader, Isa Yusuf Alptekin and Uyghur refugees after they fled
China in 1949. Finally, I would like to thank the Indian people for their
determined solidarity and commitment to rights activists like myself who wish
to continue to develop and support dialogue among peoples of all faiths and
ethnic backgrounds. I remain disappointed with the final decision, but I am
hopeful that positive steps may be taken to maintain India’s relationship with
the Uyghur community. I therefore wish the conference success and hope that
meaningful dialogue will take place between those who have the privileged of
participating the upcoming conference.”
After withdrawing Uighur leader Dolkun Isa’s
visa to visit Dharamsala for a conference on April 28, the Indian government on
Thursday reportedly denied visa to a well-known Tiananmen activist Lu
Jinghua. New Delhi’s move comes
days after it withdrew Germany-based Uighur leader Dolkun Isa’s visa to visit
Dharamsala for a conference after China raised objections. Isa is branded by
China as a ‘terrorist’.
India’s move to grant
the visa was seen as a retaliatory measure after China blocked the listing of
Jaish-e-Muhammad chief Masood Azhar as an international terrorist at the UN. While
Isa was quick to claim that “Chinese pressure” appeared to be the “main reason”
for India cancelling the visa, officials said that the issue fell between two
stools, the Home Ministry and the Ministry for External Affairs. The government had
earlier issued a visa to Isa, inviting Chinese criticism. The Chinese
government considers Isa a ‘terrorist’ and also used its influence to get a red
notice issued against him by Interpol. MEA officials distanced themselves from
the decision, saying Home was the agency involved and
that they were “not kept in the loop”.
see also
Tom Phillips - Beijing shuts down art exhibition on violence against women
The Crises of Party Culture: by Yang Guang
The Crises of Party Culture: by Yang Guang
