Community Advisory 

Chinese State Surveillance of the Uyghur Diaspora and Misuse of Travel to Occupied East Turkistan

Subtitle: Protecting the Uyghur Diaspora from Surveillance and Manipulation by Chinese State Actors

Issued by Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign issues this urgent community advisory to raise awareness and protect the safety, integrity, and cohesion of the global Uyghur diaspora in the face of ongoing transnational repression by Chinese state actors.

1. No Uyghur Activist Should Travel to Occupied East Turkistan

Under the ongoing conditions of genocide, totalitarian surveillance, and systematic repression in Chinese-occupied East Turkistan, there is no legitimate reason for a politically active Uyghur—particularly one who has sought asylum and citizenship in a democratic country—to return to the region.

Any such travel, unless it is for verified journalistic or human rights investigation purposes, should be regarded as collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

2. Reality of CCP Control: No Entry Without Complicity

China does not permit political dissenters to move freely. Uyghurs are imprisoned for the mere act of having relatives abroad or for using messaging apps like WhatsApp. Under such a regime, any individual who claims to oppose China publicly but still travels freely to East Turkistan is doing so with the regime’s permission.

There is no gray area. These individuals are operating under the CCP’s direction. They are not victims—they are state operatives.

3. The Risk to Our Community

Uyghurs who travel under these circumstances are believed to be:

• Collecting intelligence on Uyghur organizations and individuals abroad
• Reporting on activists and community events
• Receiving instructions from Chinese officials

Their actions endanger our entire movement and facilitate the Chinese government’s ongoing attempts to infiltrate, destabilize, and silence Uyghur voices abroad.

4. A Betrayal of the Oppressed

The vast majority of Uyghurs in the diaspora are unable to speak to their families—let alone visit them—due to the extreme risks involved. With parents in camps, siblings disappeared, and children forced into state-run assimilation centers, any Uyghur who chooses to travel to East Turkistan under these circumstances betrays the very people they claim to stand for.

5. Call to Action: Report Suspicious Activity

If you are aware of individuals who are traveling to East Turkistan under questionable circumstances—especially those presenting themselves as activists while doing so—report them to your national security and intelligence services.

In the United States, contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In other countries, notify the appropriate security authorities.

6. To the Uyghur Community: Stay Vigilant

The safety, dignity, and the integrity of the Uyghur movement rely on collective vigilance. In a time of transnational repression, there can be no space for collaborators, informants, or those who exploit our cause for personal gain.

Travel to Occupied East Turkistan under Chinese Communist Party rule—absent a clear human rights, journalistic, or investigative mission—undermines our shared struggle. In the face of genocide and mass surveillance, such actions are not acts of neutrality; they are complicit in erasing the truth.

About the Save Uyghur Campaign

The Save Uyghur Campaign is an initiative of Justice For All, dedicated to ending the genocide and persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in Chinese-occupied East Turkistan. The campaign is led and informed by the Uyghur Shurah, a council of Uyghur community leaders, scholars, and activists, ensuring that all advocacy reflects the voice, priorities, and lived experience of the Uyghur people themselves. Save Uyghur works to mobilize international support, influence policy, and protect Uyghur communities worldwide.