New Uyghur Policy Act Mandates State Dept. Prioritize Human Rights, Fund Global Advocacy

The Uyghur Policy Act of 2025 is the U.S. government’s formal, detailed response to the ongoing human rights crisis in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). This bill is essentially a directive to the Secretary of State, telling them to make the protection of Uyghurs and other persecuted minorities a “top goal” for U.S. foreign policy. It requires the U.S. to use its diplomatic muscle—from the State Department to the United Nations—to pressure the Chinese government to end its campaign of cultural repression, close detention camps, and release political prisoners, including specific individuals like Dr. Gulshan Abbas, who was jailed in retaliation for her sister’s advocacy.

The Mandate: Putting Uyghur Rights at the Top of the Diplomatic Agenda

The State Department now has a clear, non-negotiable mandate to prioritize supporting Uyghur identity and rights across all relevant U.S. policies (SEC. 4). Practically speaking, this means U.S. diplomats are required to stay in close contact with Uyghur leaders globally, especially in communities in Central Asia, Turkey, and Germany, and coordinate efforts to secure the release of political prisoners. For the average American, this shift means that U.S. foreign policy regarding China will be even more heavily focused on human rights, potentially impacting trade and diplomatic relations down the line, though the bill itself doesn't specify economic measures.

Targeting the Detention Camps and Seeking Access

One of the most concrete parts of the bill is the requirement for the Secretary of State to develop a strategy within 180 days to pressure China to shut down all detention facilities and “political reeducation camps” (SEC. 7). This strategy must also push for open, unrestricted access to these facilities for independent media, researchers, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This is the U.S. throwing its weight behind international calls for transparency, recognizing that the human rights situation cannot improve without outside scrutiny. If this strategy is successful, it could lead to the closure of camps holding over a million people, a massive win for human rights.

Bolstering the U.S. Diplomatic Toolkit

The bill recognizes that you can’t run a diplomatic strategy without the right people. It requires the State Department to ensure Foreign Service officers can get training in the Uyghur language and mandates that the U.S. must try its hardest to staff every U.S. embassy and consulate in China with at least one Uyghur-speaking staff member (SEC. 8). This is a smart, practical move that gets native or fluent speakers on the ground where they are needed most to gather information and communicate effectively. This also means the Foreign Service Institute will need to report to Congress annually on its progress in meeting these language requirements.

Funding the Fight: Advocacy in the Islamic World

To counter the relative silence from many Muslim-majority nations, the Act dedicates a small, specific amount of money—$250,000 for each of the next three fiscal years—to fund human rights advocates (SEC. 5). This money is drawn from the existing U.S. Speaker Program and is specifically earmarked to send Uyghur advocates to speak at public diplomacy events, particularly those involving the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other Muslim-majority nations. While the total amount is modest ($750,000 over three years), it creates a dedicated, funded program to raise awareness where it might have the biggest diplomatic impact.

The Catch: Absorbing the Costs Internally

If you’re wondering where all the money is coming from for these new mandates—like language training, increased staffing, and strategy development—Section 6 is clear: “No additional funds authorized.” This means the State Department and related agencies must absorb all the costs of implementing this Act using their existing budgets. While this avoids adding new spending, it means resources previously allocated to other programs will need to be shifted to meet these new, high-priority Uyghur mandates. This is a common feature in legislation and ensures the policy is enacted without a new budget appropriation, but it can strain agency resources.