Brussels, 26 December 2003. The government of the PR of China has just published a wanted list of ethnic Uighur "terrorists" abroad and has called for their arrest and extradition in a renewed attempt to curb the political activities of Uighur activists outside China by branding their political activities as "terrorism" thus garnering international support for its ongoing crackdown in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). The official document published by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security listed 4 Uighur groups as "terrorist organizations". They include the World Uighur Youth Congress (WUYC) and the East Turkistan Information Center (ETIC). Both are political groups based in Germany, publicize reports of ongoing abuses against Uighurs in China and advocate self-determination for the region. The statement also listed 11 individuals as alleged "terrorists", including the presidents of WUYC and ETIC. All are living abroad and the Chinese authorities have called on other states to arrest and extradite them to China.

The Chinese authorities continue to make little or no distinction between violent opposition and the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression, association and religion. China considers any advocacy for greater autonomy or independence as "ethnic separatism" which qualifies as a State Security crime under Chinese laws. Several hundred Uighurs accused of involvement in such activities have been executed since the mid-1990s, thousands of others have been detained, imprisoned after unfair trials and tortures, and growing restrictions have been placed on the Islamic clergy and the practice of Islam in the region.

Question of Olivier Dupuis, member of the European Parliament, radical, to the Council:
“Does the Council intend to follow the request of the Chinese authorities and put the WUYC and the ETIC on the list of international terrorist organizations despite their being non-violent political organization of people living in EU Member States? If not, what actions is the Council going to take to avoid that people supporting freedom and democracy in China, be them inside the PRC or outside, may not pay with torture or even their life their belief in Rule of Law and fundamental rights? Was this issue raised during the last EU-PRC summit in Beijing and in that case what was decided both by the EU and the PRC's authorities?”

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