On April 15, a “Diet members’ league for promoting human rights diplomacy” comprising lawmakers from different opposition parties held a meeting in the National Diet Building to hear about the oppression in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from a senior official of the Japan Uyghur Association and others.

Afumetto Retepu, vice chair of the association, used visual images to explain authorities’ oppression of Uyghurs, including enforced detention, forced labor, and forced sterilization of women. He emphasized: “[Japan] should strongly insist that the forced destruction of an entire people and culture cannot be tolerated no matter where and to whom it happens and confront [China] over its actions. Otherwise, the world will become miserable.”

Tomoko Ako, a professor of modern Chinese studies at the University of Tokyo, pointed out: “The Chinese government is extending support to Xinjiang as part of its anti-poverty measures. But these are intended to assimilate Uyghurs [into Chinese culture] and exploit them,” calling for the need for Japan to independently investigate and release information about the issue.