PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE)
East-Turkistan.Net
contact@East-Turkistan.Net
2 April 2025
Washington, D.C. — Following the March 14, 2025 Executive Order directing the downsizing and elimination of non-statutory components of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM)—including Radio Free Asia (RFA)—the East Turkistan Government-in-Exile (ETGE) is calling on the U.S. Government to establish a new, impartial Uyghur-language media platform that reflects the full range of views across the East Turkistani / Uyghur diaspora.
While RFA’s Uyghur Service was created to serve an important function in broadcasting into a restricted media environment, it has become monopolized and editorially dominated by individuals affiliated with the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) and its affiliates. As a result, coverage of East Turkistani pro-independence advocates, organizations, activities, and perspectives—including those of the ETGE—was systematically excluded.
This editorial bias and monopolization contradict RFA’s founding principles, deny the American public and the international community an accurate understanding of the East Turkistani people’s legitimate political aspirations, and undermine the mission of U.S.-funded media to promote freedom of expression and pluralism.
“U.S. publicly funded media should not function as the mouthpiece of any one group,” said Dr. Mamtimin Ala, President of the East Turkistan Government-in-Exile. “The consistent exclusion of voices supporting independence from RFA Uyghur’s coverage not only violated the principle of impartial journalism—it also misrepresented the political reality within our community.”
In May 2024, 25 East Turkistani / Uyghur organizations submitted a formal letter to USAGM and RFA leadership outlining concerns regarding editorial bias, conflicts of interest, unprofessional conduct, and the longstanding dissemination of only one viewpoint. Despite follow-up meetings with an RFA investigator and relevant Congressional offices, no action was taken.
Additional concerns were raised regarding RFA’s labeling conventions. While other sections were categorized by country or region—such as “Vietnam,” “Tibet,” or “China”—the section on East Turkistan is categorized as “Uyghur”, an ethnic identifier. This inconsistency is more than a semantic issue: it reinforces the Chinese government’s false narrative that Uyghurs are an “ethnic minority within China,” rather than a people with a distinct homeland and national identity. By avoiding the name East Turkistan, RFA contributed to the erasure of a nation under occupation.
A Uyghur-language media platform is also essential for accurately reporting on the ongoing genocide of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan, and for countering the Chinese government’s systematic disinformation campaigns. Without an impartial outlet to provide facts on the ground and amplify the voices of those targeted by repression, the international community remains vulnerable to misleading narratives that obscure the reality of the crisis.
The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile calls on the U.S. Government to support the creation of a new, independent Uyghur-language media platform, free from political monopolies and reflective of the full spectrum of East Turkistani / Uyghur voices. The proposed model should include a transparent, nonpartisan advisory board, and ensure fiscal accountability to U.S. taxpayers, while promoting editorial neutrality, journalistic professionalism, and long-term credibility.
“We’re not asking to replace one narrative with another—we’re asking to end narrative control altogether,” said Yarmemet Baratjan, Speaker of the East Turkistan Parliament in Exile. “This isn’t about exclusion—it’s about ending censorship and giving our people a voice without gatekeepers.”
The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile stands ready to work with Congress, U.S. agencies, and media reform leaders—including those now overseeing the transition at USAGM—to support the establishment of a new platform that reflects the highest standards of journalism, democratic accountability, and freedom of expression.