The same kind of repression of Uyghurs existed for many years before this; The Uyghur Human Rights Project, a research based advocacy organization in Washington DC, has documented these atrocities through its reports since 2014, including my brother Abdurazzak Shamseden’s case. He was arrested in 1998 in connection with the Ghulja massacre that happened on February 5, 1997, in East Turkistan. On February 5, 1997, young Uyghurs peacefully protested against the Chinese government’s unfair treatment in Ghulja city, my hometown; protesters asked China should allow Uyghurs to have justice and equal opportunities; offer religious and cultural freedom; and to punish Chinese drug sellers to Uyghurs from mainland China. Instead of listening to protestors and investigating the root cause of social disorder within the city, Chinese armed forces opened fire towards the protestors. Young Uyghurs were killed and disappeared after the massacre. Since then, my family has fallen apart; suffering hugely as a result of the crackdown. In the aftermath of the massacre, among the arrested was my sister, my niece and one of my brothers and a few cousins. In 1999 my brother Abdurazzak Shamseden who I just mentioned was arrested was sentenced to life imprisonment in a secret trial without witnesses, a lawyer or even any family members’ attendance. It’s been 24 years; he is still in a Chinese jail as a political prisoner. As many other women human rights defenders from different corners of the world experience, I face many challenges too. However, none of those challenges, whether they are personal or professional, are more challenging than the painful tasks we undertake in order to protect the rights of the defenseless and being a voice of the voiceless. It is even more challenging if you confront a biggest denialist country like China, who denies that they are perpetrating human rights abuses/Genocide against Uyghurs at all. A historic report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights from August this year found that the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghurs “may constitute crimes against humanity.” In September, 46 independent UN experts said that “profound concerns over systematic human rights violations [...] in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region cannot, and should not, be ignored by the international community.” However, we’re still not seeing much action from the international community, as China will continue to white wash its crimes against Uyghurs.