Our Team
Ilshat Hassan
Research Director
Ilshat Hassan Kokbore is the Research Director at CUS. He was born in Ghulja, East Turkistan in 1962. In 1983, Ilshat enrolled at Dalian Institute of Technology and studied Chemical Engineering. Then, Ilshat taught at Shihezi Technical College until 2003. In 2003, Ilshat escaped China and sought aylum at the UN office in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2006, Ilshat began his life in the US. Since then, he has been an active advocate for Uyghur human rights. Ilshat also served as the president of the Uyghur American Association.
Ilshat writes in Chinese and is well-known among Chinese dissident society. In 2016, he published a book on the Uyghur history and the Uyghur movement in the diaspora in Chinese. Ilshat frequently gives lectures in Chinese, English, and Uyghur to various groups. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Executive Committe of the World Uyghur Congress.
Abdulcelil Turan
Researcher and Consultant
Abdulceil Turan was born in Hotan, East Turkistan in 1959. He received his religious education and attended schools in Hotan until 1980. In 1985, Turan went to Egypt and studied at Al-Azhar University. Later, he settled down in Turkiye. Since 1995, Turan has dedicated his life to preserving Uyghur books and publications and has published more than 250 books in Uyghur language. Since 1996, Turan served as an inspector, Chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee, Chairman of the Media and Publications Committee, and Assistant Secretary-General at the World Uyghur Congress (WUC). Turan is the founder and managing director of the Teklimakan Uyghur Publishing House.
Abdullah Oguz
Researcher
Abdullah Oguz was born in Hotan, East Turkistan 1973. His family moved to Turkiye in 1980, where Oguz completed his education. Oguz served as the Secretary-General of the East Turkistan Foundation in Istanbul, Turkiye. He has published three books and many articles to raise awareness on China’s genocide and crimes against humanity in East Turkistan. His notable works include the Turkish translation of Muhammad Emin Bughra’s “History of East Turkistan”. Oguz is currently pursuing his PhD at Istanbul University.
Abdulmuqtedir Udun
Program Manager
Abdulmuqtedir Udun is the Program Manager at CUS. Since 2018, Udun has worked and volunteered for several Uyghur organizations as an editor, interpreter and researcher contributing to raising awareness on China’s genocide of the Uyghurs. He worked as a research assistant at the School of Religious Studies, McGill University on the SSHRC-funded project “Children in Sectarian Religions and State Control” for two years from October 2020 to September 2022. Udun holds a BA in accounting and finance from Leeds Beckett University in the UK. He is proficient in Arabic and English.
Memettohti Atawulla
Researcher
Memettohti Atawulla is a researcher at CUS. He is a scholar activist. Since 2018, Atawulla has worked with Uyghur organizations, journalists and international media outlets to raise awareness on China’s human rights violations and genocide of the Uyghur people. In 2020, Atawulla completed a master’s degree in political sciences and international relations from Sutcu Imam Univeristy in Turkiye. He is a China scholar and skilled translator who has published two books and numerous articles in different languages. Atawulla speaks Arabic, English, Chinese, Turkish and Uyghur.
Hazareteli Wushur
Advocacy Manager
Hazaretali Wushur is the Advocacy Manager at CUS. He is a Uyghur engineer and human rights activist based in Texas, United States. Over the years, Wushur worked with various Uyghur organizations to raise awareness on Uyghur Genocide and preserve Uyghur culture in the diaspora. Previously, he served as the president of the Houston Uyghur Society and currently serves as a board advisor to the Texas Uyghur Society. Wushur holds a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering and a Master of Science in Petrophysics. He has more than 15 years of experience in oil and gas industry. Wushur speaks English, Turkish, and Uyghur.
Abdulhefiz Turani
Researcher
Abdulhefiz Turani is a graduate of Al-Azhar University and an expert on China’s foreign policy towards Middle East. He teaches Islamic curriculum at schools in Finland. Turani leads research on China’s religious persecution of the Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims in East Turkistan.