South Korea Releases Uyghur Activist

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

SEOUL, South Korea– After being held up by immigration officials in South Korea, activist and general secretary of World Uyghur Congress Dolkun Isa was released today and has returned home to Germany.  

Isa dolkun

Isa Dolkun.  Courtesy of UNPO. 

Isa, an exiled Uyghur activist who fled China back in 1997, became a German citizen in 2006.  Since then, Isa has travelled around the globe promoting human rights for Uyghurs.

Isa arrived in South Korea on Tuesday to attend a conference for the World Forum for Democratization in Asia.  However, South Korean official detained Isa without an explanation.  In a phone interview during his detention, Isa said, “I don’t  know what the reason is.  Korean immigration officials don’t explain…and just said I should stay here.”

One South Korean news agency did report that the authorities were investigating Isa because his name appeared in a Chinese list of alleged terrorists.  China has been accusing World Uyghur Congress for the recent violence and ethnic tensions in the Xinjiang region.

Amnesty International and other human rights group urged South Korea to release the “human rights defender” immediately.  Amnesty also stated that South Korea should not have denied Isa entry into the country saying, “We are…disappointed that the South Korean authorities did not permit Mr[.]  Isa to enter…to attend the World Forum for Democratization in Asia in Seoul as he planned.”

Furthermore, Underrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization said detaining Isa “threatened the image of South Korea as a lodestar for democracy” in Asia.  This group had also asked the South Korea government to reject the completely…fabricated accusations leveled against him by Chinese authorities.”

Moreover, Amnesty said that had Isa been deported to China, he would have risked “arbitrary detention, unfair trial, torture and other ill-treatment and possibly even the death penalty.

South Korea’s Ministry of Justice spokesman declined to provide details regarding Isa’s detention and release.

For more information, please see:

Amnesty International – SOUTH KOREA RELEASES SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE WORLD UIGHUR CONGRESS  – 19 September 2009

AP – South Korea holding Uyghur activist at airport – 18 August 2009

Taiwan News – South Korea releases Uighur activist after detention at airport – 19 September 2009

UNPO – WUC Secretary General Released – 18 September 2009

Author: Impunity Watch Archive