PRESS STATEMENT

THE CENTRAL BOARD OF MUHAMMADIYAH

No.: 507/PER/I.0./I/2019

ABOUT

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN XINJIANG

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Noticing human rights issues in Xinjiang and news on foreign, national, and social media, the Central Board of Muhammadiyah:

1. Deplores news on the Wall Stress Journal mentioning that the Chinese government facilitates and persuades Muhammadiyah, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) as China’s effort to predispose their political attitudes towards human rights issues in Xinjiang. The news is unjustified, and it disparages Muhammadiyah, NU, and MUI. Muhammadiyah insists the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) to rectify and apologize to Muhammadiyah people. If the WSJ does not comply with the clamor, Muhammadiyah will take legal action.
2. Urges the Chinese government to be more open to provide information and access to the international community regarding policy in Xinjiang and on Uighurs. The Chinese government must cease all human rights violations, particularly happening to Uighurs. The Chinese government should peacefully resolve the Uighur issues through having dialog with Uighur figures, and should give Muslims freedom to perform worship and maintain their identity.
3. Urges the United Nations to provide resolutions to the human rights violations towards people of Uighur, Rohingya, Palestine, Syria, Yemen, India, and others.
4. Urges the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to conduct an extraordinary session to take concrete action to end the human rights violations towards Muslims, especially in Xinjiang,
5. Urges the government of Indonesia to do a follow-up to Muslims’ aspirations and to be firmer to cease the human rights violations in Xinjiang in accordance with the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia and Indonesia’s foreign policy, which is independent and active. The government of Indonesia should be more active to play roles as a member of the OIC and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in mobilizing diplomacy for stopping the human rights violations in Xinjiang and other countries.
6. Hopes Muslims to address issues of the human rights violations in Xinjiang sensibly, rationally, and peacefully and to preserve ukhuwah Islamiyah (the strong bonds of the Muslim community) and the unity of this nation. None of parties should not deliberately use issues of Uighurs as a political commodity and a means of bringing into conflict among people and nations by disseminating misleading news through social media, mass media, and other provocative media.
7. Hopes all Muhammadiyah people to remain consistent with addressing the issues intelligently by holding Muhamamdiyah’s principles and identities and not being predisposed by misleading irresponsible news on social media.

The statements and views of Muhammadiyah are declared with full responsibility and vigor of amar makruf nahi munkar (commanding the good, forbidding the evil) for world peace, humanitarian protection, and universal salvation.