As the global outcry over China's crackdown on the Uyghurs grows, members of the same ethnic minority in Japan are calling for help out of desperation to discover what has happened to their families back home.
At a symposium in Tokyo last month, 10 ethnic Uyghurs spoke out about their dilemma and the dangers they still face outside China.
Deeply concerned about their families and their future, they are seeking international support to cast yet more light on Beijing's alleged persecution of the Uyghurs.