Rushan Abbas, co-founder and director of the organization Campaign for Uyghurs, was honored with the 2025 Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) this November. This award recognizes the work of individuals and organizations to advance human rights and democracy around the globe.
Abbas co-founded Campaign for Uyghurs in 2017, with the goal of promoting and defending the human rights and democratic freedoms of the Uyghur people. The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim minority ethnic group native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China.
In 2014, the People’s Republic of China launched a campaign against what they referred to as “violent extremism” and international terrorism. While at face value this sounds like a reasonable policy, it was used instead as a pretext to introduce pervasive restrictions and human rights violations on minorities residing within the Xinjiang region. Several nations, including the United States, declared that China’s actions amounted to genocide against the Uyghurs. They cited evidence of forced labor, suppression of religious and cultural practices, and involuntary sterilization – all of which Beijing denied.
Abbas spoke at a panel in 2018 about these human rights violations and the ongoing mass detention of Uyghurs in “reeducation” camps. Six days later, the Chinese regime took her sister, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, from her home in the Xinjiang region in retaliation. She has remained in detention since. This event prompted Rushan to fully commit to activism, working to raise awareness of the Uyghur genocide and the systemic human rights abuses Uyghurs continue to face residing in China.
Led by Abbas, Campaign for Uyghurs has been at the forefront of the fight for the rights of the Uyghur people and has played a pivotal role in advocating for international involvement. The tireless work of Abbas and her organization was instrumental in the passage of key Congressional acts, including the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, which imposes sanctions on individuals and organizations that are responsible for human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region.
Campaign for Uyghurs and Rushan Abbas have worked relentlessly to protect and defend the rights of Uyghur people in China and in the diaspora. Their work has been recognized by the human rights community multiple times, including nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and being awarded the World Democracy Courage Tribute in July of 2021.
Through advocacy programs to mobilize the international community, exposing Beijing’s atrocities, and empowering the Uyghur diaspora to lead change, Rushan Abbas and Campaign for Uyghurs are working to protect the human rights and liberties of Uyghurs everywhere. By advocating for human rights abroad, the United States can continue to ensure the protection of American interests and promote democracy around the world. Continuing to support freedom advocates like Rushan Abbas is essential to advancing United States global leadership.
