Ilham Tohti

Ilham Tohti (Uyghur: ئىلھام توختى‎, ULY: Ilham Toxti, UYY: Ilⱨam Tohti ; Chinese: 伊力哈木·土赫提; pinyin: Yīlìhāmù Tǔhètí; born October 25, 1969) is a Uyghur economist serving a life sentence in China, on separatism-related charges.[1][2] He is a vocal advocate for the implementation of regional autonomy laws in China, was the host of Uyghur Online, a website that discusses Uyghur issues, and is known for his research on Uyghur-Han relations. Tohti was detained shortly after the July 2009 Ürümqi riots by the authorities because of his criticism of the Chinese government's policies toward Uyghurs in Xinjiang. He was later released and then jailed again in January 2014. For his work in the face of adversity he was awarded the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award (2014), the Martin Ennals Award (2016), the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize (2019), and the Sakharov Prize (2019).

Ilham Tohti
ئىلھام توختى
Born (1969-10-25) 25 October 1969
Atush, Xinjiang, China
NationalityChina
Alma materNortheast Normal University (Bachelor)
Minzu University of China (Master)
OccupationUniversity Lecturer, Economist, Blogger
Known forEconomist at Central Nationalities University
Criminal charge(s)Offence of splitting the state
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Spouse(s)Guzelnur (China)
ChildrenJewher Ilham (United States)
AwardsFreedom House 2019 Freedom Award Winner

Background

Tohti was born in Artush, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China on October 25, 1969,[3] He graduated from the Northeast Normal University and the Economics School at what was then called the Central Nationalities University, now named Minzu University of China (MUC), in Beijing.[3] His profession was economics.[4]

My conclusion is the national identity of Uyghurs is very low. Many Uyghurs want independence. The proportion isn't low, and it's about 13% people want independence. However, there are quite large proportion of people (should be 97%, if I remember it correctly) want 'autonomy', 'high degree autonomy'. If there is no autonomy, most of them support independence. Just autonomy or independence, independence or independence, and those are only options.

— a video record on a Ilham Tohti's lecture in the MUC[4][5]

Officials accused him of using his lecture to incite violence, and overthrowing Government of the People's Republic of China, participating separatism activities. According to the public information of the trial, the prosecutor charged Ilham Tohti mentioned multiple times "do not think violent protests are terrorist activities"[4] on his lectures in the MUC. In one of his lecture, he claimed that "the Chinese government is Uyghurs' devil",[4] and "Xinjiang is the hell of religions",[4] promoting students to fight in any means including Dong Cunrui's and Huang Jiguang's way.[4] Another claim was Ilham Tohti used "April 23" case to outright advocate violence and hate speech on his lectures like "Using violence fights against violence, I admire them as heroes",[4] "A peaceful person like me may kill and resist".[4]

In 2006 Tohti founded a website called, Uyghur Online, which published articles in Chinese and Uyghur on social issues.[3][6] In mid-2008 authorities shut down the website, accusing it of forging links to extremists in the Uyghur diaspora.[6] In a March 2009 interview with Radio Free Asia, Tohti criticized the Chinese government's policy to allow migrant workers into Xinjiang Uyghur and the phenomenon of young Uyghur women moving to eastern China to find work.[6] In addition, he criticized Xinjiang Uyghur Governor Nur Bekri for "always stress[ing] the stability and security of Xinjiang" instead of "car[ing] about Uyghurs",[6] calling for a stricter interpretation of China's 1984 Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law.[3] That same month, Tohti was detained by authorities, accused of separatism, and interrogated.[3] After being jailed for life in September 2014 Wang Lixiong wrote in a Twitter message that China had created in Ilham Tohti "a Uighur Mandela".[7] The Chinese News Agency Xinhua dismissed the comparison writing that "[w]hile Mandela preached reconciliation, Ilham Tohti preaches hatred and killing." [8]

Detentions

On July 5, 2009 ethnic rioting took place between Uyghurs and Han in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang. The government reported that more than 150 people, mostly Han Chinese, were killed during the clashes.[3] On July 6 Uighur Online was cited in a speech by Governor Bekri as a catalyst for the violence because it had helped instigate the rioting by spreading rumors.[3][9]

On July 8, 2009, Radio Free Asia reported that Tohti's whereabouts were unknown after he had been summoned from his home in Beijing.[3] The Chinese dissident Wang Lixiong and his Tibetan activist wife Woeser started an on-line petition calling for Tohti's release,[10][11] which was signed by other dissidents including Ran Yunfei.[9] PEN American Center,[12] Amnesty International,[13] and Reporters Without Borders also issued appeals or statements of concern.[14]

Tohti was released from detention on August 23,[15] along with two other Chinese dissidents, Xu Zhiyong and Zhuang Lu, after pressure on Beijing from the administration of American President Barack Obama.[16][17] Tohti said that during his detention, he was confined to his home and a hotel with several police officers who did not treat him inhumanely.[18][19] He stated that after his release, they warned him against criticism of the government's handling of riots,[18][19] and prevented him and his family from leaving Beijing.[20]

Chinese authorities arrested and detained Tohti again in January 2014, and removed computers from his home.[21] He was held at a detention center thousands of miles from Beijing in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.[22]

Mr. Tohti's daughter Jewher Ilham with Elliot Sperling at Lederman/PEN American Center, May 2014

On April 1, 2014, Tohti was awarded the PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, an American human rights award given to writers anywhere in the world who fight for freedom of expression.[22] According to the statement from PEN, Tohti, was "long harassed by Chinese authorities for his outspoken views on the rights of China's Muslim Uyghur minority. Tohti represents a new generation of endangered writers who use the web and social media to fight oppression and broadcast to concerned parties around the globe. We hope this honor helps awaken Chinese authorities to the injustice being perpetrated and galvanizes the worldwide campaign to demand Tohti's freedom."[22] China's foreign ministry expressed anger at the award, saying that he was a suspected criminal.[23]

After a two-day hearing before the Ürümqi People's Intermediate Court in September 2014, Tohti was found guilty of "separatism", sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered all of Tohti's assets seized. Amnesty International asserted Tohti's legal team were never shown evidence and furthermore denied access to their client for six months, and condemned the trial as an "affront to justice".[1] His imprisonment is criticized by a number of human rights organizations around the globe; such as Electronic Frontier Foundation.[24]

On 24 September 2014, United States Secretary of State John Kerry criticized what he called a 'harsh' sentence, and called for Tohti's release.[25]

Awards and recognition
Jewher Ilham accepting the 2019 Sakharov Prize on behalf of her father from David Sassoli, President of the European Parliament

In September 2016 he was nominated for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, and the following month he was declared as the winner of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.[26][27] The Martin Ennals foundation cited Tohti for spending two decades trying "to foster dialogue and understanding" between the Han Chinese majority and members of Xinjiang's largely Muslim Uighurs. “He has rejected separatism and violence, and sought reconciliation based on a respect for Uighur culture, which has been subject to religious, cultural and political repression,” they added.[28]

In September 2019 the Council of Europe jointly awarded the 2019 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize to Ilham Tohti and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights.[29][30] Enver Can of the Ilham Tohti Initiative received the prize on his behalf.

In October 2019 Ilham Tohti was awarded the 2019 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament.[31]

Tohti has dedicated his life to advocating for the rights of the Uyghur minority in China. Despite being a voice of moderation and reconciliation, he was sentenced to life in prison following a show trial in 2014. By awarding this prize, we strongly urge the Chinese government to release Tohti and we call for the respect of minority rights in China.[31]

— David Sassoli (President of the European Parliament)

In December 2019 Tohti's daughter, Jewher Ilham, accepted the Sakharov Prize and €50,000 on his behalf.[32][33]

I am grateful for the opportunity to tell his story, because he cannot tell it himself. To be honest with you, I do not know where my father is. 2017 was the last time my family received word about him.[32]

— Jewher Ilham

References
  1. "BBC News - China jails prominent Uighur academic Ilham Tohti for life". BBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  2. "Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti sentenced to life in jail by Chinese court". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  3. "Outspoken Economist Presumed Detained". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  4. CCTV. "伊力哈木分裂国家案庭审纪实 极力争辩" [Record of the trial of the offence of splitting the state case of Ilham: justifying vehemently]. Tencent Video. Retrieved 2019-12-31. 网上有很多人问，新疆有很多民族，新疆是你们维吾尔族的吗？我说是啊，我们维吾尔族的，难道是你的吗？”“我呢，很不喜欢兵团，这是种族主义的一个制度，全世界只有中国有，而中国只有新疆有，是中国的耻辱。”“所以有人说，欢迎你来地狱，这里就是宗教的地狱——新疆。”“那对维吾尔来说，这个政府就像什么？就是鬼子，你可以抗争，你可以反击它，用任何方式。可以用董存瑞的方式、可以用黄继光的方式、可以用一切方式的方式、可以用过激的方式，什么方式都可以，这是我的观点。”“要是这些人（4.23暴恐分子）真的用暴力对抗暴力，我佩服他们的勇气，他们是英雄。”“控制不住，反抗的人是受害者，受害者，他是英雄，他不是罪人。
  5. 伊力哈木学生不愿搞分裂 遭其威胁埋沙漠 [Ilham's students who were not willing to participate separatism activities were threaten to be buried in the desert]. CCTV. Sohu Video. Archived from the original on 2016-10-13. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  6. "Uyghur Scholar Calls for Jobs". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  7. "Uighur scholar in China to appeal life sentence". ABC News. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  8. "China Voice: Mandela analogy shows ignorance of history". xinhuanet. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  9. Wong, Edward (July 15, 2009). "Intellectuals Call for Release of Uighur Economist". The New York Times. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
  10. "Chinese intellectuals call for release of Uighur". Associated Press. July 14, 2009.
  11. "Petition for Ilham Tohti under detention presented by Wang Lixiong". Boxun News. 2009. Archived from the original on July 21, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  12. "PEN Appeal: Ilham Tohti". PEN American Center. 2009. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  13. "Ilham Tohti" (PDF). Amnesty International. 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  14. "A month without word of detained blogger Ilham Tohti". Reporters Without Borders. 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  15. Wines, Michael (23 August 2009). "Without Explanation, China Releases 3 Activists". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  16. John Garnaut (August 25, 2009). "Obama behind release of Chinese activists". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  17. Gady Epstein (August 24, 2009). "China's Welcome Gift for Obama?". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 24, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2009.
  18. "Uyghur Economist Freed, Warned". Radio Free Asia. 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  19. "RFA专访:伊力哈木•土赫提透露被软禁经历". Radio Free Asia. 2009. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  20. "Travel Ban Extends to Family". Radio Free Asia. 2011-02-10. Retrieved 2011-02-17.
  21. "China police detain Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti". BBC News. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
  22. "Tohti to Receive PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award". Publishers Weekly. March 31, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  23. "China angered as detained Uighur academic wins rights prize". Reuters. Apr 1, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
  24. "Ilham Tohti, Online Voice of China's Uyghurs, Sentenced to Life in Prison". Electronic Frontier Foundation. Retrieved 29 September 2014.
  25. "US slams China sentence for Uighur scholar". Sky News. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
  26. "Ilham Tohti 2016 Martin Ennals Award Laureate for Human Rights Defenders". October 11, 2016.
  27. "Sakharov Prize 2016: MEPs present their nominations | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. September 15, 2016.
  28. Phillips, Tom (October 11, 2016). "Ilham Tohti, Uighur imprisoned for life by China, wins major human rights prize" – via www.theguardian.com.
  29. "Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize awarded to Ilham Tohti". www.dw.com. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  30. "Jailed Uygur dissident Ilham Tohti wins top European human rights prizework=www.scmp.com". Retrieved 30 September 2019.
  31. "Ilham Tohti awarded the 2019 Sakharov Prize". European Parliament. 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  32. "Ilham Tohti: Uighur activist's daughter fears for his life". BBC News. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  33. "Daughter of 2019 Sakharov Prize winner Ilham Tohti receives prize on his behalf". European Parliament. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
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