Harassment of Uyghurs in the UK
Dear Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office,
Dear FCDO,
I am requesting this FOI on behalf of Index on Censorship*(1) - a non-profit that protects and defends freedom of expression globally. We are requesting access to the following information for research we are currently conducting into the extent to which Chinese authorities might be intimidating or harassing Uyghur people in Europe in an effort to silence their dissent.
To be included in your response to our FOI request:
How many instances of harassment*(2) by the Chinese authorities towards Uyghur individuals have been reported in the UK (and oversea territories)? This includes but is not limited to phone calls, text messages and incidents of stalking and verbal abuse etc
We have contacted you on this issue as Nigel Adams M.P.*(3) stated that the FCDO ‘continues to monitor the situation closely’.
Releasing this information is in the interest of British society. As a democratic country who has officially recognised a genocide is being committed against Turkic-Muslim people in North West China, there is a moral and legal imperative to ensure the Uyghur diaspora is being protected by the UK Government.
We are interested in this information as it will allow us to gain a greater understanding of the extent to which individuals belonging to the Uyghur minority who are UK residents might be targets of efforts by the Chinese authorities to silence dissent.
Many thanks for dealing with our request.
Yours Faithfully,
Index on Censorship
*(1)
https://www.indexoncensorship.org/
*(2) https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaocha...
*(3) Harassment is unwanted behaviour which you find offensive or which makes you feel intimidated or humiliated. It can happen on its own or alongside other forms of discrimination. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/law-an...
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Dear Flo Marks
Thank you for your FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We received your request on 20th September. It has been assigned a unique
reference number (above). We aim to respond by Monday, 18th October.
Please note, however, that reprioritisation of resources due to the
COVID-19 crisis, and measures we are required to take to prevent the
spread of the virus, continue to have an impact on our ability to respond
to all requests within the statutory deadline.
We have significantly reduced on-site working which will mean delays to
responses which require access to paper records.
We are endeavouring to process requests as quickly as possible, and
appreciate your patience at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Dear Flo Marks,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request
FOI2021/24424, received 20th September. Please find our response attached.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Dear Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office,
In your response you stated 'whilst we do not collate this data, we do discuss this issue with NGOs, engage with the Uyghur community to understand the challenges they face, and follow public reporting about cases of harassment'.
I would like a list of the NGOs you have worked with on this subject.
Yours faithfully,
Flo Marks
Dear Flo Marks
Thank you for your FOI request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We received your request on 4th October. It has been assigned a unique
reference number (above). We aim to respond by Monday, 1st November.
Please note, however, that reprioritisation of resources due to the
COVID-19 crisis, and measures we are required to take to prevent the
spread of the virus, continue to have an impact on our ability to respond
to all requests within the statutory deadline.
We have significantly reduced on-site working which will mean delays to
responses which require access to paper records.
We are endeavouring to process requests as quickly as possible, and
appreciate your patience at this time.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
Dear Flo Marks,
I am writing in response to your Freedom of Information request
FOI2021/26511, received 4th October. Please find our response attached.
Yours sincerely,
Information Rights Unit
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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