The below article is the English translation of the original that was published by Voice of America, photo credit: Reuters

Two years ago, on January 19, the United States officially recognized China’s abuse of the Xinjiang Uighurs and other Turkic Muslim populations as genocide.

To commemorate the second anniversary of the official Uyghur genocide in the United States, two Uyghur organizations based in Washington in support of Xinjiang’s independence, the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the East Turkistan National Movement held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, and releasedA white paperRefuted China’s claim that Xinjiang has been part of China since ancient times.

At a press conference last Thursday, these groups released a 12-page summary of a white paper called “ East Turkistan was never part of China, and restoring independence was the only way out ”, Said to end the ongoing genocide in the People’s Republic of China, It is imperative to ensure the basic freedom, human rights and survival of Uyghur and other Turkic nations in occupied East Turkistan, and to rebuild the independence of East Turkistan.

According to the summary of the white paper, most Uighurs prefer to call this Central Asian region East Turkistan. This region is currently under the jurisdiction of the People’s Republic of China and is recognized by the international community as the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

“ The vast majority of East Turkistan people refused to use the Chinese colonial name ‘ Xinjiang’ or ‘ Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’… because it only promotes Chinese colonialism and imperialism; and destroys East Turkestan The unity of the people is characterized by ignoring the historical, national and geographical characteristics of East Turkestan, ” White Paper.

These Uyghur groups stated in their white paper that “ the root cause of China’s continued genocide of East Turkistan Uyghur and other Turkic nations is China’s colonization and occupation of the region. ”

The United Nations Human Rights Office stated in August last year that China’s abuse of Xinjiang Uighurs and other Turkic Muslim groups may constitute a crime against humanity. Some countries, including the United States, claim that China has committed genocide in the region.

China denies these allegations and states that the measures taken in Xinjiang are directed against the three forces of “, namely separatism, extremism and terrorism.

The Chinese government released in 2019 entitled “TAG1” Xinjiang has long been an integral part of Chinese territory 《White paper，“ In Chinese history, Xinjiang has never been called ‘ East Turkestan’, nor has any country been called ‘ East Turkestan’… Advocating this so-called country has become a political tool and program for splitting China and anti-China forces attempting to split China. ”

“In 1949, the People’s Republic of China was established, Xinjiang was peacefully liberated, ” the Chinese white paper stated. “In 1955, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang united and cooperated with the people of all ethnic groups in the country, opening a period of unprecedented prosperity in Xinjiang. ”

However, the two Uyghur organizations stated last week that China’s “ militant invasion of East Turkistan [ Xinjiang ] and subsequent occupation are far from peace of ”.

In the 1930s and 1940s, Xinjiang Uygur and other ethnic groups established two short-lived independent countries, East Turkistan, for the first time in Kashkar in the southern territory as the capital, and for the second time in the northern fence of the Iraqi plow.

According to Uyghur groups, the Chinese government uses statistical data as a control tool to often underestimate the true size of the Uighurs and other Turkic populations in East Turkestan, and there is no truly satisfactory census. “

“ Due to China’s deliberate manipulation of statistical data and the habit of underestimating the non-Chinese population, the people of East Turkistan refused to accept the official ‘ data on the population of East Turkistan Turkic, ’ Uyghur’s white paper Said. ”The East Turkistan Government in exile estimates based on historical population figures and other data that before the official start of the Chinese genocide against Uighurs and other Turkic nations in 2016, the total population of East Turkistan’s Turkic may have exceeded 40 million. ”

According to China’s 2020 census, Uyghur and other Turkic ethnic groups accounted for more than 50% of Xinjiang’s total population. The Han nationality accounts for about 40% of the total population%.

At the press conference, the Prime Minister of the Eastern Turkistan Government in exile, Salih Hudayar urged the international community to recognize East Turkistan’s status as an occupied country and support its people as a free and independent country. right.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to multiple email interview requests from VOA.

At the press conference, U.S. retired officer Ben Lowsen said that “ the U.S. Congress, as well as parliamentarians and legislators throughout the democratic world, must recognize that East Turkestan is an occupied country .”

“ Let us support East Turkistan like Tibet, hoping that one day they will recover their homes, ” Lowsen said.