Mr. Speaker, Amnesty International is warning of the assimilation policy the Uyghur community is being subjected to in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China. Apparently, any attempts by the Uyghur people to assert their linguistic, cultural and religious rights are being violently repressed through arrests and brutal detentions.
The Uyghur communities of Quebec and Canada have informed me that the Chinese government has even banned their language from universities and closed their mosques without any warning. They have also reported that a Canadian citizen of Uyghur origin, Hussein Celil, is currently being detained in China for trying to have their rights recognized. He has no access to his family, to legal counsel or to consular assistance.
Rebiya Kadeer, president of the World Uyghur Congress, has met with the Prime Minister in order to inform him of the realities facing her community, but no action has been taken. I invite all parliamentarians to stand in solidarity with these people and to denounce this unacceptable situation.