22 December 2025
Press Release – For Immediate Release
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE)
East-Turkistan.Net
contact@East-Turkistan.Net
WASHINGTON—The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) today marked the 76th anniversary of the illegal occupation of East Turkistan (what China calls “Xinjiang”) by the People’s Republic of China, renewing its call for urgent international action to end the ongoing genocide and restore East Turkistan’s independence.
On October 12, 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) launched a military invasion of East Turkistan, just 11 days after its founding by the Chinese Communist Party. Two months later, on December 22, 1949, it forcibly overthrew the independent East Turkistan Republic, marking the beginning of the PRC’s official occupation of East Turkistan.
Yesterday, on December 21, the ETGE and the East Turkistan National Movement held a demonstration in front of the White House, where participants and officials honored the victims of 76 years of Chinese occupation and demanded concrete measures to hold Beijing accountable for genocide, colonization, and crimes against humanity.
In a statement delivered in Washington, ETGE Foreign Minister Salih Hudayar, who also leads the East Turkistan National Movement, declared that China’s systematic campaign against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples meets the clear legal definition of genocide.
“Since 1949, the people of East Turkistan have endured unimaginable atrocities under Chinese colonial rule,” said Hudayar. “Millions have been imprisoned, sterilized, enslaved, and killed. This is state-organized genocide, not mere repression or human rights violations. The only lasting solution is restoring East Turkistan’s independence and sovereignty.”
Hudayar called on the United States and world governments to move beyond symbolic statements and take decisive action—beginning with formally recognizing East Turkistan as an occupied country under international law. He urged nations to impose targeted sanctions on Chinese officials and corporations complicit in genocide, ban imports produced through forced labor, and support East Turkistan’s case before international courts to hold perpetrators accountable.
ETGE President Dr. Mamtimin Ala emphasized that Beijing’s occupation of East Turkistan endangers not only the survival of an entire nation but also international stability.
“Failure to act decisively will embolden China’s expansionist drive and threaten freedom globally,” said Dr. Ala. “Supporting East Turkistan’s struggle is a moral duty and a strategic necessity for defending the rules-based international order.”
December 22, 2025, marks seventy-six years since the overthrow of the independent East Turkistan Republic. The ETGE declared the day one of national mourning and resistance, reaffirming its commitment to the decolonization and liberation of East Turkistan.
“We are not asking for charity; we are demanding justice,” Hudayar added. “Our people have resisted tyranny for over seven decades, and we will continue until East Turkistan is once again free and independent.”