Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign Commemorates the 36th Anniversary of the Baren Massacre

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 3, 2026

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign solemnly commemorates the 36th anniversary of the Baren Massacre, honoring the courageous Uyghur protesters who were martyred on April 5, 1990, in Baren, Akto County near Kashgar. This tragic event remains a defining moment in the Uyghur struggle for freedom and justice, and a reminder of the long-standing repression faced by Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan.

The Baren Massacre was preceded by years of systematic oppression under Chinese Communist Party rule, including forced assimilation, religious restrictions, and coercive population control measures. Tensions reached a breaking point when reports emerged that approximately 250 Uyghur women in the area were subjected to forced abortions under state policy. In response, local Uyghurs organized protests and acts of self-defense, igniting a rebellion led by Zeydin Yusup.

Chinese authorities responded with overwhelming and indiscriminate force. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was deployed to suppress the uprising, targeting unarmed civilians with heavy weaponry and, according to accounts, airstrikes. Thousands were killed in the violence, and more than 7,000 individuals were detained in the aftermath, many subjected to long prison sentences or execution. To this day, the full scale of the massacre remains obscured, with families still seeking truth and accountability.

“This anniversary is not just about remembering the past; it is about confronting an unbroken pattern of oppression that has only intensified,” said Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, President of Justice For All. “From Baren to the present day, the Uyghur people have faced a sustained assault on their identity, faith, and basic human rights. The world must not allow this oppression to continue in silence.”

Arslan Hidayat, Team Lead of the Save Uyghur Campaign, emphasized the lasting significance of the massacre: “Baren represents both immense loss and enduring resistance. The courage of those who stood against forced abortions, occupation, and injustice continues to guide our work. Thirty-six years later, the repression has only intensified, evolving into a full-scale genocide. Remembering Baren is not just about the past, it is a call to act now.”

Justice For All calls on governments, international institutions, and civil society to:

• Recognize and formally acknowledge the historical and ongoing atrocities committed against Uyghurs

• Hold perpetrators accountable through legal and diplomatic channels

• Support efforts to preserve Uyghur culture, faith, and identity

• Provide protection and asylum pathways for Uyghur refugees

As the world reflects on the legacy of Baren, Justice For All urges individuals and communities to stand in solidarity with Uyghurs and all oppressed peoples, and to raise their voices against injustice wherever it occurs.

Media Contact:

Contact Information: Arslan Hidayat, Save Uyghur Team Lead

Email: arslan@justiceforall.org. Phone: 202-908-JUST

Website: https://www.justiceforall.org/save-uighur/