Amplifying Voices: Advocacy for Uyghur Human Rights

On this episode of the podcast B.C. Dodge interviews Zubayra Shamseden, a dedicated advocate with the Uyghur Human Rights Project in Washington, D.C.

Zubayra Shamseden speaks for the Uyghur people, whose voices are silenced in China due to severe government repression. She works tirelessly to raise awareness about human rights violations against Uyghurs in a region they call East Turkistan.

The Uyghur community faces extreme persecution, including restrictions on religious freedom and mass detentions. Shamseden shares harrowing stories of individuals jailed for life on fabricated charges or simply disappearing. Reports estimate that over one million Uyghurs are detained in so-called “re-education camps,” where conditions are inhumane.

Shamseden’s personal story is equally heart-wrenching. Her brother was unjustly jailed after a peaceful protest in 1997 when young people demanded religious and speech freedoms. The military responded with violence, arresting thousands — including her brother, though he wasn’t involved in the protest.

“He wasn’t there; he wasn’t on the street protesting,” she explained. “He was arrested simply because he happened to be in the city that day and because his friends were on the street.”

China’s government enforces tight restrictions on media coverage and visitor access to the region, making advocacy work even more critical.

Host B.C. Dodge asked whether he would be allowed to visit the area and meet with the Uyghur community. Tune in to the podcast to hear Shamseden’s powerful response and learn more about this pressing human rights issue.