Press Release – For Immediate Release
15 June 2023
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Washington, DC – The East Turkistan Government in Exile and the East Turkistan National Movement urge Secretary of State Antony Blinken to uphold the principles of justice, human dignity, and self-determination on his impending June 18 trip to China. Recent events, including the alarming appeasement of China by the Biden administration, necessitate immediate action to stop the ongoing genocide of the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples in occupied East Turkistan.
The East Turkistani people note with grave concern the Biden Administration’s delay in imposing sanctions on China and its failure to address the Uyghur genocide unequivocally in recent high-level meetings with Chinese officials. This silence perpetuates the suffering of the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan and undermines the values of accountability and justice.
“The Uyghur and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan are facing genocide, and the U.S. must not compromise their plight for China’s false promises of economic benefits and political expediency,” said East Turkistan Government in Exile Prime Minister Salih Hudayar. “Secretary Blinken must not sell out the Uyghurs during his engagements with China; it is the United States’ moral obligation to ensure that the East Turkistani people receive the justice, support, and protection they urgently require and deserve,” he added.
The East Turkistani people implore Secretary Blinken to publicly condemn China’s ongoing genocide in East Turkistan, demand vehemently an end to China’s genocidal and slave labor practices, and demand the immediate release of all detained Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. In addition, the East Turkistani diaspora urges him to advocate for the reunification of the nearly one million Uyghur and other Turkic children forcibly separated from their families, ensuring their secure return to their loved ones.
In addition to these imperative demands, the East Turkistani people demand that their right to external self-determination and their struggle for independence be recognized and supported. “Secretary Blinken must acknowledge the aspirations of the East Turkistani people to regain their independence and support their legal pursuit of external self-determination in accordance with international law,” said President Ghulam Yaghma of the East Turkistan Government in Exile.
The East Turkistani people also demand that Secretary Blinken speak out against forced “marriages,” which are in fact state-sponsored, systematic assaults of Uyghur and Turkic women. China’s heinous actions in East Turkistan comprise a flagrant violation of human rights and international law, requiring immediate attention and action from the international community.
The international community expects Secretary Blinken to uphold the United States’ position as a champion of human rights and justice. This critical juncture requires courage and unwavering dedication to the principles of liberty, equality, and human dignity.
The East Turkistan Government in Exile and East Turkistan National Movement calls on Secretary Blinken to heed the words of Holocaust survivor Eli Wiesel: “We must always choose a side. Neutrality always benefits the oppressor and never the victim.” The Uyghur and Turkic peoples of East Turkistan expect the United States to staunchly support justice and humanity.
