Dolkun Isa, the President of the World Uyghur Congress, has called upon the United Nations to establish a special rapporteur dedicated to investigating and holding accountable those responsible for transnational repression, particularly China’s involvement in this illegal practice.
Transnational Repression (TNR) is a method employed by the Chinese government to suppress individuals critical of their regime who reside outside of China. The FBI defines it as “when foreign governments stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States.” This practice extends to various forms of harassment and intimidation tactics used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its United Front operatives and agents against Uyghurs living abroad.
Reports reveal instances where Chinese authorities have used social messaging apps to monitor and intimidate individuals. Some have received threatening phone calls aimed at extracting personal information, while those who dared to voice their dissent were met with direct threats. In some cases, Uyghurs have been coerced into becoming informants for China. This pervasive transnational repression, orchestrated by Chinese police, is both far-reaching and extensive.
One of the most prominent cases of transnational repression is that of Dolkun Isa, the President of the World Uyghur Congress. He has lived for two decades with the serious label of being a “terrorist” wanted by INTERPOL, leading to his arrest, detention, interrogation, and humiliation at numerous country borders, including within the European Union.
Transnational repression is a tool employed by authoritarian regimes worldwide to silence dissident voices completely. The international community must unequivocally condemn this practice, and appropriate measures must be taken to address the rising issue affecting many dissident communities.
On the occasion of his book launch, titled “Freedom Trap: My Life on the Run,” held in Westminster, Dolkun Isa called for the establishment of a special rapporteur on transnational repression at the United Nations. Such a rapporteur would be tasked with investigating and holding accountable those responsible for these illegal practices, shedding light on the pressing issue of transnational repression globally.
