Munich, July 24 -- The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) paid tribute to the victims of what it described as one of the deadliest crackdowns in East Turkistan since the 2009 Urumchi unrest, marking the 12th anniversary of the Yarkand massacre, according to a press release issued by the organisation.

According to the WUC, on and after July 28, 2014, Chinese security forces violently suppressed what it described as a peaceful protest in Yarkand County, resulting in the mass killing of Uyghur civilians.

The organisation stated that the full extent of the incident remains unknown because of what it called a complete blackout on information surrounding the events.

The WUC stated that the violence, which coincided with the first day of Eid al-Fitr...