Statement on recognizing June 17th as Uyghur American Friendship Day
June 18, 2020
On June 17th, 2020, United States President Donald Trump signed the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020 (S.3744) into law. The Uyghur community will forever remember June 17th as the day when, for the first time in history, a nation passed a law that addresses the ongoing, unspeakable human rights crisis in East Turkistan.
To commemorate this unprecedented action, we propose recognition of June 17th as Uyghur American Friendship Day.
On Uyghur American Friendship Day, we thank the American people for faithfully standing by Uyghurs, through the most difficult time¬ faced by Uyghurs in history. We celebrate the unbreakable friendship between the Uyghur and American people, emphasizing the importance of increased mutual understanding of, cooperation between, and appreciation for, each other. On this day, we appreciate the United States, a stalwart protector of our common values of freedom, democracy, and humanity.
As we celebrate, we too honor the brave souls who sacrificed so much to draw attention to the Chinese government’s crimes against humanity. With a heavy heart, we pay tribute to the millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic people who perished at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, a regime of unparalleled evil in the world.
With the marking of June 17th as Uyghur American Friendship Day, the Uyghur American Association remains committed to ensuring that the concentration camps are closed, that the perpetrators of these horrendous crimes are brought to justice, and that the Chinese Communist Party is ultimately stopped. Every year on this day, we will come together to celebrate our friendship, cherish what we have achieved, and continue our fight for the freedom of Uyghurs.
God Bless the United States of America. God Bless the Uyghur nation. #UyghursThankAmerica
