The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) commemorated the 17th anniversary of the 2009 Urumchi unrest on July 5, 2026, accusing the Chinese government of escalating repression against the Uyghur people. In a press release issued from Munich, Germany, the WUC alleged that the events of July 2009 marked a turning point in what it describes as the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs.
Background of the 2009 Urumchi Unrest
According to the WUC, the protests began on July 5, 2009, when thousands of young Uyghurs marched toward People's Square in Urumchi following the killing of at least two Uyghur workers in Shaoguan. The organization claimed that these workers had been transferred from East Turkistan under a state-sponsored labor scheme and were attacked by a mob of Chinese factory workers. The WUC stated that between July 5 and 7, Chinese security forces killed, injured, detained, and forcibly disappeared thousands of peaceful demonstrators who were seeking equal treatment and protection of their rights.
Allegations of Crackdown and Due Process Violations
The WUC alleged that hundreds of armed police officers moved to disperse the protests before they reached People's Square. Subsequently, many Uyghurs were sentenced in proceedings lacking due process, while others disappeared. The organization further claimed that authorities imposed a six-month communications blackout across the Xinjiang region following the crackdown, cutting it off from the outside world.
WUC President's Statement
In the statement, WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun said, "Every July 5th, we commemorate one of the darkest moments in the history of the Uyghur people." He alleged that the 2009 crackdown laid the foundation for what the organization describes as the genocide of Uyghurs taking place today. The WUC said that Uyghur diaspora communities worldwide would hold demonstrations on July 5 to commemorate those who died during the unrest and to call for an end to what it describes as the ongoing persecution of Uyghurs.
International Community Urged to Act
The organization urged the international community to press for transparency regarding the fate of those killed, detained, and disappeared during the 2009 events. The WUC's accusations come amid ongoing international scrutiny of China's policies in Xinjiang, which Beijing rejects as baseless interference in its internal affairs.
