Shukur Samsak

Shukur Samsak(شۈكۈر سامساق; born 15 December 1972) is a Swedish Uyghur politician and independence activist, known for advocating for East Turkistan's freedom and independence in Sweden. He was elected to the Chairman of the Swedish Uyghur Committee in 2013, and has since been urging the Swedish Government and the International community to recognize China's ongoing Genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic Peoples, as well as the occupation of East Turkistan.
On November 11, 2023, Samsak was elected as the Interior Minister of the East Turkistan Government-in-Exile. following the election of new administration by the East Turkistan Parliament-in-Exile at the 9th East Turkistan General Assembly in Washington, DC.
==Early life==
Samsakwas born into a Uyghur revolutionary family in Shayar, Aksu, in 1972. At the age of 17, he participated in the 1989 Ürümqi unrest, also known as the May 19 Ürümqi riots, where thousands of Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups gathered to demand freedom. The protests were met with a heavy-handed response from the Chinese military, resulting in over 150 arrests. Amidst the crackdown, Samsak fled the area.
After the unrest, Samsak went into hiding for a week before returning home. He studied Uyghur Traditional Medicine from 1992 to 1996 and continued his activism both during and after his studies. He was actively involved in various independence organizations in East Turkistan and also engaged in business activities, including selling medicines and assisting many individuals.
Despite his significant efforts and long residence in East Turkistan, Samsak did not receive official identification or citizenship during his 28 years in the region. Following the issuance of arrest warrants in 1996 by the Chinese government targeting young Uyghur activists, including Samsak, he became a marked individual. An official arrest warrant for Samsak was issued in August.
To avoid persecution, Samsak hid for a year before successfully fleeing East Turkistan at the end of 2000. He undertook a dangerous journey through Tibet and the Himalayas, eventually arriving in Nepal, where he crossed the Tibet-Nepal border on foot. In Nepal, he lived for two and a half years, during which he applied for refugee status with the UNHCR and received a refugee certificate after six months. He actively assisted imprisoned Uyghurs and facilitated their relocation to Europe, while also studying English and Urdu at a UNHCR-sponsored school.
Facing challenges in Nepal, including the forced return of Uyghurs despite their UNHCR refugee certificates, Samsak had no choice but to relocate to India. In India, despite repeated denials of his UNHCR refugee status application, he persisted and eventually obtained his refugee certificate after a year. During this period, he endured significant hardship with limited resources while studying IT and English at a UNHCR-sponsored institution.
With support from the UNHCR, Samsak secured a travel document and arrived in Sweden on 5 November 2005. Upon arrival, he continued his activism, serving as Secretary of the Swedish Uyghur Committee from 2007 to 2009, and as a signatory from 2009 to 2013. In 2013, he was elected Chairman of the Swedish Uyghur Committee, a position he holds to this day. His ongoing work involves raising awareness about the ongoing Uyghur Genocide in East Turkistan and advocating for East Turkistan's freedom and independence.
Category:1972 births
Category:Uyghur politicians
Category:Independence activists
Category:Swedish people