To: Xi Jinping, President of the People's Republic of China, H.E. Wang Yi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Cui Tia, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, John Forbes Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State, and Max Sieben Baucus, U.S. Ambassad...
Request for the Early Release of Uyghur linguist Abduweli Ayup
Abduweli Ayup is a Uyghur linguist and educator in Xinjiang, China, who has been detained since August 20, 2013. Abduweli, the recipient of a Ford Foundation Scholarship, earned a Master’s Degree in Linguistics from the University of Kansas in 2011. Upon graduation, he returned to Xinjiang with the hope of establishing a Uyghur Language school so that Uyghur students would have an opportunity to develop academic proficiency in their native language. Abduweli’s school proved to be popular, and he was preparing to open a Uyghur Language kindergarten before his arrest.
For nearly nine months, Abduweli was held incommunicado. He was not formally charged until May 17, 2014, when he and his partners, Dilyar Obul and Muhemmet Sidik, were accused of having collected "illegal donations" to support their school. After a one-day trial on July 11, the court ruled on August 21 that Abduweli and his associates had "committed a crime of abusing public money."
Supporters of Abduweli find this verdict improbable given Abduweli's character and his transparent approach to legal and financial matters. Abduweli was given an 18-month sentence, effective from his date of detention. His wife, two young daughters, family and wide network of friends eagerly anticipate his release on February 20, 2015.
This petition is a respectful request to the Chinese Communist Party for the early release of Abduweli, recognizing that his time served has been more than adequate in impressing the message of his incarceration.
Please see the related:
Fundrasing effort
http://www.youcaring.com/other/support-uyghur-linguist-and-educator-abduweli-ayup/225453
Media coverage
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/12/world/asia/a-devotion-to-language-proves-risky.html
Radio Free Asia: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/language-08262014235118.html
Letters of support from academic communities
Linguistic Society of America: http://www.linguisticsociety.org/news/2014/04/18/lsa-advocates-behalf-detained-uyghur-linguist
Committee of Concerned Scientists: http://concernedscientists.org/2014/06/uyghur-linguists-attempt-to-teach-language-leads-to-his-disappearance-for-nearly-a-year/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Abduweli.Ayup
For nearly nine months, Abduweli was held incommunicado. He was not formally charged until May 17, 2014, when he and his partners, Dilyar Obul and Muhemmet Sidik, were accused of having collected "illegal donations" to support their school. After a one-day trial on July 11, the court ruled on August 21 that Abduweli and his associates had "committed a crime of abusing public money."
Supporters of Abduweli find this verdict improbable given Abduweli's character and his transparent approach to legal and financial matters. Abduweli was given an 18-month sentence, effective from his date of detention. His wife, two young daughters, family and wide network of friends eagerly anticipate his release on February 20, 2015.
This petition is a respectful request to the Chinese Communist Party for the early release of Abduweli, recognizing that his time served has been more than adequate in impressing the message of his incarceration.
Please see the related:
Fundrasing effort
http://www.youcaring.com/other/support-uyghur-linguist-and-educator-abduweli-ayup/225453
Media coverage
New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/12/world/asia/a-devotion-to-language-proves-risky.html
Radio Free Asia: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/language-08262014235118.html
Letters of support from academic communities
Linguistic Society of America: http://www.linguisticsociety.org/news/2014/04/18/lsa-advocates-behalf-detained-uyghur-linguist
Committee of Concerned Scientists: http://concernedscientists.org/2014/06/uyghur-linguists-attempt-to-teach-language-leads-to-his-disappearance-for-nearly-a-year/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Abduweli.Ayup
Why is this important?
We wish to recognize Abduweli's contribution to the cause of linguistic and human rights, specifically, the right of members of ethnic minorities to the intergenerational transmission of language and culture. Like Abduweli, we believe that members of ethnic minorities have the right to teach their language, and that ethnic minority children have the right to receive an education in their native language.