On the morning of June 27, at 11 AM, Deputy Secretary-General Chang Yu-jung of the Legislative Yuan, representing President Daniel K.Y. Han, attended the founding ceremony of the Taiwan Parliament Group for Uyghur initiated by Legislator Puma Shen. Distinguished guests included Legislators Chuang Jui-hsiung, Huang Jie, Lee Kuen-cheng, and Kuo Yu-ching. Also present were Ilham Mahmut, Chairperson of the Uyghur Refugee Support Fund and Founding President of the Japan Uyghur Association; Ho Chao-tung, President of the Taiwan East Turkestan Association; Tashken Davlet, Outreach Officer of the Uyghur Human Rights Project; Sky Fung, Secretary-General of Hong Kong Border Youth; Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, Chairperson of the Tibet Religious Foundation of HH the Dalai Lama; and Tashi Tsering, Secretary-General of the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan.
The ceremony commenced with an opening speech by Deputy Secretary-General Chang Yu-jung on behalf of the Legislative Yuan. Deputy Secretary-General Chang stated that global concern for the Uyghur people has long centered on human rights issues. In April 2024, the US Department of State released the 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, highlighting the ongoing forced labor atrocities faced by Uyghurs in Xinjiang. This issue has become a focal point of international human rights concerns. In recent years, the international community has increasingly taken concrete actions to support Uyghurs facing various forms of persecution. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken specifically pointed out that the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang is facing a crisis of genocide. Several European parliamentarians have also publicly called on European countries to recognize and defend the fundamental human rights of the Uyghur people. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has condemned China's violations of the basic rights of the Uyghurs, including their human rights, language, and culture, and has called on the Beijing government to immediately release the detained human rights defenders.
Deputy Secretary-General Chang expressed his special gratitude to Legislator Puma Shen for taking the initiative to establish the Legislative Yuan's 11th Taiwan Parliament Group for Uyghur. He emphasized that, as a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan is committed to upholding the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights. He hopes that through the power of parliamentary diplomacy, Taiwan can unite with democratic countries to collectively safeguard these universal values. Deputy Secretary-General Chang assured that if the Taiwan Parliament Group for Uyghur requires any administrative assistance in the future, the Legislative Yuan will provide full support.
Following Deputy Secretary-General Chang's remarks, the event continued with a speech by the initiator, Legislator Puma Shen. He then invited the distinguished guests present to take a group photo and listen to the congratulatory message from the Japan Uyghur Association on the establishment of the Taiwan Parliament Group for Uyghur. Subsequently, attendees watched a congratulatory video recorded by Dolqun Eysa, Chair of the World Uyghur Congress. The event concluded with the adoption of the organizational charter and the election of the chairperson and vice-chairperson.
Following the opening ceremony, congratulatory speeches were delivered in succession by Ilham Mahmut, Chairperson of the Uyghur Refugee Support Fund and founding president of the Japan Uyghur Association; Ho Chao-tung, President of the Taiwan East Turkestan Association; Tashken Davlet, Outreach Specialist of the Uyghur Human Rights Project; Sky Fung, Secretary-General of the Hong Kong Outlanders; Kelsang Gyaltsen Bawa, Chairperson of the Tibet Religious Foundation of HH the Dalai Lama; Tashi Tsering, Secretary-General of the Human Rights Network for Tibet and Taiwan; and Legislator Chuang Jui-Hsiung. After the speeches, the guests engaged in further sharing and discussions, followed by another group photo session. The inaugural meeting concluded successfully after approximately 40 minutes.
