PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE)
East-Turkistan.Net
contact@East-Turkistan.Net
14 October 2024
Washington, D.C. – The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) condemns the participation of 208 international media outlets from 106 countries, including Reuters, The Associated Press (AP), The Hindu, TASS, and Al Jazeera, in the 6th World Media Summit (WMS) held in Urumchi, East Turkistan. This summit, organized by China’s state-controlled Xinhua News Agency, serves as a blatant propaganda tool to obscure and whitewash the ongoing campaign of colonization, occupation, and genocide against the native Uyghur and other Turkic peoples of East Turkistan.
By participating in this summit, these media organizations inadvertently lend credibility to a regime that systematically working to erase the cultural, ethnic, and religious identity of the people of East Turkistan, all under the guise of media cooperation and technological advancement. Urumchi stands as the epicenter of one of the most brutal colonial campaigns in modern history, where millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples face mass internment, forced labor, forced assimilation, and genocide.
Dr. Mamtimin Ala, President of the ETGE, stated, “It is disheartening that these esteemed media organizations have chosen to partake in a Chinese propaganda event. Their presence provides unwarranted legitimacy to China’s colonial and genocidal policies in East Turkistan.”
The ETGE firmly asserts that the crisis in East Turkistan transcends mere “human rights violations” — it is a meticulously orchestrated campaign of colonization, occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. This World Media Summit occurs just days after the 75th anniversary of China’s brutal invasion of East Turkistan on October 12, 1949, underscoring the Chinese regime’s relentless efforts to whitewash its crimes and manipulate global perception. Through events like this, China seeks to legitimize its colonial occupation and obscure the true nature of its genocidal policies.
Moreover, the summit’s theme, “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation,” raises significant concerns regarding China’s use of AI technologies as tools of surveillance and propaganda. The ETGE warns that the Chinese regime is leveraging AI to perpetuate its repressive agenda, manipulate information, and further its campaign of oppression against the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples. This strategic use of technology to distort reality and disseminate false narratives is a dangerous tactic that global media must critically evaluate.
“By attending this summit, these media organizations risk becoming complicit in the dissemination of China’s false narratives,” said Dr. Jurat Obul, ETGE Minister of Communications and Information. “It is imperative that they refocus their efforts on accurately reporting the atrocities occurring in East Turkistan and standing in solidarity with those who are suffering under China’s genocidal and colonial occupation.”
As global media organizations shape international discourse, the ETGE urges them to uphold their moral responsibility to the truth. Instead of becoming unwitting instruments of Chinese propaganda, we call on these media entities to expose the brutal reality of China’s genocidal actions in East Turkistan and to advocate fiercely for justice, transparency, and the dignity of oppressed peoples.
About the ETGE:
The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) is the legitimate representatives of the people of East Turkistan. The ETGE advocates for the restoration of East Turkistan’s sovereignty and works to end China’s campaign of colonization, genocide, and occupation in East Turkistan.
