Haitham al-Haddad – Uyghur Tribunal Vice Chair interviewed

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Okay, Mr. Veg, here we are in a church house in the second day of the week tribunal. So how it is going so far? Well, it's gone very well. We've seen about 1516 witnesses, some fact witnesses and some expert witnesses. All the technology has worked, which is amazing. Yeah, we've had witnesses from Turkey and interpreters from the US and witnesses from the US. So, so far, so good. Okay. Let me ask you a question. What is the outcome? What do you try to achieve of the tribunal? While we're simply seeking the truth, based on evidence, and on evidence alone? So once we've received all the evidence considered all the facts, will make a determination, in fact, and then in law, and then

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it'll be for others to use that for whatever purposes they feel fit. And that may include governments, it may include corporations, it may include institutions, including academic art, and also may include private individuals. Yeah. So the outcome is just to

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prepare a report for whoever wants to use it with politicians, whether academics will, whoever it will require, depending on the judgment, and we have no idea what the judgment is going to look like at the moment. It may require all those people to consider how they interact with the Republic of China. Okay.

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To be honest with you, I didn't see much media. Is this intended, you did not want media to cover the Tribune, although we had a lot of media. Did you look upstairs? Yeah. Well, now we've got a lot of we've had a lot of media coverage. We I don't know whether, for example, Al Jazeera or international? Yes, there was a piece from Algeria today. Yeah. Okay. Excellent. Excellent. Okay. I was worried that it was not fully covered by the international media.

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A lot of

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ITV coverage, two days ago, BBC, and so on. Okay. There is another question. I know that they're trying to be a critical question, but we need to be, you know, some people say that, why now? The Uighur the Uyghurs

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situation is a matter of concern for Western countries for America and for the UK, but they have been suffering for ages. So is there any political reason behind it behind the the timing for this?

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So we are completely nonpolitical. We have no interest in what politicians or anybody else does or doesn't do. The timing for us was simply because we were invited by the world with your congress to form this tribunal last year. And that's what we've done. So they invite you here. And there would not be appropriate for us to start with this without an invitation from the weaker people. Okay, so far. So I think we have completed two days. So, so far, how do you see things going? Do you see that there was like, what we call genocide against the, the leaders there, or it is too early to we couldn't I couldn't possibly comment on that right now. And only way we we don't have to we have to

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see all the evidence and then we will consider the facts and then we will consider the law and then that will be the appropriate moment. To to, to disclose whatever it is, whatever do you have someone from or represent the Chinese government? We've invited the PRC on four occasions so far to come and give evidence. So far, they have declined, but we will continue to Yes. Well, no, they have not declined. They just haven't responded. So we have no idea. But we will continue to invite them and if they wish to come and give evidence that will be very, very important to the tribunal. Because if we want to talk, I'm trained as a judge and I do judging. You need to listen to both sides, because

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someone might criticize you because so far the evidence that we have heard is just one sided. So they might say, Well, wait, is it the other side? Yes, I'm will consider all evidence that comes our way and including from the People's Republic of China. Okay. Okay. I think any other question? I think that is very clear.

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Chinese authorities indicated that some somehow displeased or

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speaking out against this or as a complaint to kind of, as you know, they've sanctioned so

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Jefferey and the weaker tribunal. So we of course,

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make no judgment about that it makes no difference to the way we conduct this tribunal or indeed on the outcome.

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Will there be any recommendation to the British government after this after the report? Now, Nielsen, we will make no recommendations that will be an overreach. So we will purely provide a judgement based on fact, evidence and law.

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We are not advocates. We are absolutely not advocates nor are we activists. We are just some independent body, providing insofar as a impartial determination. I think that's okay. Thank you very much. Thank you very much, and we hope all the best. Thank you very much. Thank you. Very good job. I think we're halfway along day 14. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.