Save Uyghur Campaign Condemns Beijing’s Escalating Transnational Repression Against Uyghur Australians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 17, 2026)

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign expresses grave concern over a new report from Human Rights Watch revealing that the Chinese government is systematically interrogating and pressuring the Uyghur diaspora in Australia. The report details how Beijing exploits the vulnerability of Australian citizens and residents separated from families in East Turkistan to pressure them into monitoring Uyghur activists and community organizations in Australia.

According to the findings, Uyghur Australians visiting East Turkistan under recent visa-free programs are subjected to stringent vetting and background checks. Once there, visitors have been interrogated for hours, with police demanding addresses and phone numbers of prominent activists in Australia. Authorities have also specifically targeted Uyghur language schools in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane, pressuring visitors to collect information on teachers and students in an effort to undermine the preservation of Uyghur culture abroad.

Arslan Hidayat, Team Lead for the Save Uyghur Campaign, said: 

“The Chinese government’s reach has extended deep into the daily lives of Australians, turning what should be joyful family reunions in East Turkistan into opportunities for state-sponsored intimidation. By holding families hostage and demanding that our community members act as informants, Beijing is attempting to dismantle the last vestiges of our culture and political expression in the diaspora. This is a blatant violation of Australian sovereignty and the fundamental rights of its people. We call on the Australian government to move beyond words of concern and implement concrete protections, including specific legislation to combat this chilling transnational repression.”

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign joins the call for the Australian government to:

1. Issue a specific travel advisory for Uyghur Australians visiting East Turkistan regarding transnational repression.
2. Enact comprehensive legislation that captures the full extent of foreign interference and harassment.
3. Expedite family reunification for those whose loved ones are being prevented from leaving East Turkistan.
4. Provide safe, confidential reporting channels and psychosocial support for victims of Beijing’s intimidation tactics.

Contact: Arslan Hidayat, arslan@justiceforall.org  Phone: 202-908-JUST

Website: https://www.justiceforall.org

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