The below statement is attributed to the Executive Council of the East Turkistan Government in Exile
On behalf of East Turkistan and its people, we congratulate our fellow Turkic countries — Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Uzbekistan — and their fellow on their 30th anniversary of independence, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.
After some 69 years under Soviet occupation, the people of Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Republic) declared their independence on 31 August 1991. The next day the people of Uzbekistan (The Republic of Uzbekistan) joined their Central Asian kin and neighbor and declared their independence on 1 September 1991.
The people of East Turkistan, which the People’s Republic of China has occupied since 22 December 1949, were delighted to see the end of Soviet occupation in Central Asia and the independence of its neighboring and kin countries of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The restoration of freedom and independence of Central Asian Republics have given hope and strengthened the struggle for independence by East Turkistan and its people.
East Turkistan has a long history of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, political, and economic ties with its neighboring countries in Central Asia. In fact, in addition to Uyghurs, East Turkistan is home to millions of Kazakhs, hundreds of thousands of Kyrgyz, tens of thousands of Uzbeks, and other Central Asian Turkic peoples. Likewise, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan are home to millions of Uyghurs.
Thirty-one years ago, many doubted that the Soviet Union would fall and that Central Asia would regain its independence. Likewise, many doubt that the People’s Republic of China will fall, and many are less hopeful of East Turkistan regaining its independence. However, history has shown that authoritarian and oppressive regimes don’t last long, and empires ultimately fall.
Today East Turkistan is struggling to regain its independence, and god willing, soon, East Turkistan will join its fellow Central Asian kin countries and celebrate its independence. As they celebrate their 30th anniversary of independence, we ask our fellow Central Asian kin countries of the Kyrgyz Republic and Uzbekistan to be prepared to recognize and assist East Turkistan when it regains its freedom and independence. We look forward to working with the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Uzbekistan towards establishing a better, mutually beneficial future for the whole of Central Asia
