PRESS RELEASE – For Immediate Release
East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE)
East-Turkistan.Net
contact@East-Turkistan.Net
5 July 2024
Washington D.C. / Ottawa – Today marks the 15th anniversary of the Urumchi Massacre, a tragic event that forever scarred the history of East Turkistan. On this solemn day, Uyghur communities in the United States and Canada, together with the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE), call for renewed global action to end the ongoing genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples by the Chinese government.
On June 26, 2009, a brutal attack took place in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, where dozens of Uyghurs, forcibly transferred from East Turkistan for labor, were killed and hundreds injured by a large Chinese mob at a toy factory. This heinous act led to peaceful protests across East Turkistan, particularly in Urumchi, on July 5, 2009. The Chinese regime’s response was swift and brutal, resulting in the massacre of hundreds, if not thousands, of Uyghurs and the arrest of tens of thousands more.
Since the massacre, the Chinese government has intensified its oppressive measures, culminating in the 2014 “People’s War” campaign that has seen millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples interned in concentration camps and prisons. They endure forced medication, indoctrination, torture, rape, organ harvesting, and executions. The Chinese regime’s efforts to eradicate Uyghur culture include the destruction of over 16,000 mosques and religious sites and the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of women.
Dozens of Uyghurs, led by the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the East Turkistan National Movement, demonstrated in Washington, DC in front of the White House.
On this significant anniversary, Dr. Jurat Obul, ETGE Minister of Communications and Information in the USA, stated, “The Urumchi Massacre remains a painful reminder of the Chinese government’s brutal oppression. We call on the international community to take concrete steps to end this genocide and support the right to self-determination for the people of East Turkistan.”
Simultaneously, dozens of Uyghurs, led by the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the Alberta Uyghur Society, demonstrated in front of the Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton, Canada.
ETGE Prime Minister Abdulahat Nur, in Edmonton, emphasized, “The principles of liberty, justice, self-determination, and human rights that underpin democratic societies are the very ideals for which the people of East Turkistan are fighting for. It is imperative that the international community stands with us in our struggle against Chinese colonization, genocide, and occupation in East Turkistan.”
Additionally, dozens of Uyghurs in Toronto held a demonstration led by the East Turkistan Federation of Canada. These demonstrations highlight the global unity and resilience of the East Turkistani diaspora in their fight for justice and independence.
The ETGE has long been calling on the international community, including the United States and Canadian governments, to uphold treaty obligations to prevent and punish the crime of genocide.
Uyghurs in Washington, DC called on the U.S. Government to recognize East Turkistan as a country occupied by China and treat it on par with Tibet. They also called on the U.S. Senate to swiftly pass the Uyghur Policy Act, including the appointment of a Special Coordinator for East Turkistani/Uyghur Issues at the U.S. State Department.
Anwar Abdurahman, Director of Political Affairs for the East Turkistan Federation of Canada, called on the Canadian Government to take immediate and decisive action. “Canada must lead by example in recognizing the genocide of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. We urge the Canadian Government to formally condemn China’s atrocities and support the right to self-determination for East Turkistan. Only through such decisive action can we hope to end this ongoing humanitarian crisis.”
Uyghurs across the world called on their host governments to support East Turkistan’s pursuit of justice through the International Criminal Court, the International Court of Justice, and other international institutions. They demanded that the international community act decisively to end Chinese colonialism and support the decolonization of East Turkistan, highlighting that the root cause of the ongoing genocide and nearly 75 years of oppression is the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan.
On October 12, 1949, the People’s Republic of China invaded East Turkistan and overthrew the independent East Turkistan Republic (1944-1949) on December 22, 1949. Since then, Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples have been actively fighting to restore their independence and freedom.
The ETGE reiterates that the restoration of East Turkistan’s independence is essential for the protection of the rights and freedoms of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples.
In remembering the martyrs of the Urumchi Massacre and those who continue to suffer under China’s oppressive regime, the ETGE stands united with the East Turkistani people in our collective call for justice, freedom, and the restoration of East Turkistan’s independence.
