Jewher Ilham on how policymakers can stand up to the Chinese government’s mistreatment of Uyghurs

JUST WEEKS after the ninth anniversary of my father receiving a life sentence, I married the love of my life. We held our wedding ceremony at the local mosque, knowing that my father, Ilham Tohti, a scholar, could not be by my side. He has not even met my new husband.I look to my father for guidance every day, even though it has been years since we were last permitted to speak. I feel his presence as I carry the torch of his advocacy for marginalised people in China and around the world. In my homeland, the Uyghur Region (which the Chinese government calls ), Uyghurs like me and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples are being subjected to an ethnic-cleansing campaign that includes mass detention, abuse and systematic state-sponsored forced labour.