August 15, 2020 | Washington

The following statement was made by Prime Minister Salih Hudayar on behalf of the East Turkistan Government in Exile

On behalf of the people of Occupied East Turkistan, India’s northern neighbor, we wish India and its people a Happy Independence Day.

Many people might ask why Independence is so important. Independence means freedom from the control, influence and oppression of others. An independent nation has the power to elect, govern, and make its own laws and decisions freely. Having independence is the most essential thing for a country and its people to develop and prosper.

Independence is the only thing that can truly ensure the freedom and survival of a nation. In the case of East Turkistan, we lost our independence on December 22, 1949 as a result of Chinese invasion. For the past 70 years, our country and our people have been subject to colonization, Chinese occupation, and genocide.

The decades of prolonged Chinese occupation and genocide in East Turkistan has taught us that without independence there is no way to guarantee or ensure even our most basic human rights, freedoms, and our very survival. Thus, like the great Indian Independence Leader Gandhi stated, “the attainment of national independence is for us a search for truth” and it is the fundamental to ensuring our very survival.

Like Gandhi stated, “the future depends on what you do today.” Thus, I urge all Indians to cherish, defend, and honor the independence of India at all costs. For as mentioned before, the loss of independence will result in calamities that will lead to the very destruction of a nation. There is no better example of this today, than the genocide faced by the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples of Occupied East Turkistan.

Once again, on behalf of the people of Occupied East Turkistan, I wish India and its people a Happy Independence Day! May your Independence be ever lasting!