The report was criticized by some activists for not calling the crimes a genocide. Many Uyghurs outside China saw it as a formal acknowledgement of the sufferings of Uyghurs in China, hoping it will add fuel to their campaign at the international level.[48][49] Uyghur Human Rights Project executive director Omer Kanat called the report "a game-changer for the international response to the Uyghur crisis", adding that "[d]espite the Chinese government's strenuous denials, the UN has now officially recognized that horrific crimes are occurring".[3]