East Turkistan Government in Exile
{{Short description|Exile government based in the United States}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Government in Exile of the Republic of East Turkistan
| native_name = {{native name|ug|شەرقىي تۈركىستان جۇمھۇرىيىتى سۈرگۈندى ھۆكۈمىتى}}
{{transliteration|ug|Sherqiy Türkistan Jumhuriyiti Sürgündi Hökümiti}}
| linking_name = East Turkistan
| status = Government-in-exile
| symbol_type = Emblem
| image_symbol = Standard Emblem of East Turkestan.svg
| alt_symbol = Emblem of East Turkistan Government in Exile
| image_flag = File:Kokbayraq flag.svg
| flag_border =
| motto = {{lang|ug|شەرقىي تۈركىستان ۋە ئۇنىڭ خەلقىگە ئەركىنلىك ۋە مۇستەقىللىقنى ئەسلىگە كەلتۈرۈش}}
| englishmotto = "Restoring Independence for East Turkistan and its people"
| anthem = {{lang|ug|قۇرتۇلۇش مارشى}}
{{transliteration|ug|Qurtulush Yolida}}
"On the Path to Salvation"{{parabr}}{{center|File:Qurtulush Yolida.webm}}
| image_map = East Turkistan Map and Location per ETGE.png
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| map_caption = The region over which the ETGE claims sovereignty as East Turkistan
| org_type = Government in exile
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| capital = Ürümqi (claimed)
| largest_city = capital
| admin_center_type = Headquarters
| admin_center = Suite 500, 1325 G Street NW, Washington, D.C., United States
| languages_type = Official languages
| languages = Uyghur (de jure)
| religion = Islam
| leader_title1 = President
| leader_name1 = Mamtimin Ala
| leader_title2 = Vice President
| leader_name2 = Sayragul Sauytbay
| leader_title3 = Prime Minister
| leader_name3 = Abdulahat Nur
| legislature = Parliament in Exile
| established = September 14, 2004
| established_event1 = claimed exile
| established_date1 = December 22, 1949
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| official_website = {{Official URL}}
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| demonym = East Turkistani
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{{Uyghur people}}
The East Turkistan Government in Exile{{efn|{{langx|ug|شەرقىي تۈركىستان سۈرگۈندى ھۆكۈمىتى|Sherqiy Türkistan Sürgündi Hökümiti}}}} (abbreviated as ETGE or ETGIE), officially the Government in Exile of the Republic of East Turkistan,{{efn|{{langx|ug|شەرقىي تۈركىستان جۇمھۇرىيىتى سۈرگۈندى ھۆكۈمىتى|Sherqiy Türkistan Jumhuriyiti Sürgündi Hökümiti}}}} is a political organization established and headquartered in Washington, D.C. by Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other peoples from East Turkistan (Xinjiang). The ETGE claims to be the sole legitimate organization and a parliamentary-based government in exile representing East Turkistan and its people on the international stage.{{cite web |title=About the ETGE |url=https://east-turkistan.net/about-the-etge/ |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |access-date=March 10, 2021 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116025803/https://east-turkistan.net/about-the-etge/ |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Bovingdon |first1=Gardner |title=The Uyghurs: Strangers in their own land |date=2010 |publisher=Columbia University Press |location=New York |isbn=9780231519410 |pages=150–151 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NrtIa77Sj2IC&q=September+14,+2004+East+Turkistan+exile+government&pg=PA150 |access-date=May 11, 2020 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511224834/https://books.google.com/books?id=NrtIa77Sj2IC&q=September+14%2C+2004+East+Turkistan+exile+government&pg=PA150 |url-status=live }}
The formation of the ETGE was declared inside Room HC-6 of the U.S. Capitol Building, though the territories it claims are unrecognized by the United States.{{cite web |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/38594.htm |title=China – No Recognition of Any East Turkestan Government in Exile (Taken Question) |author= |date=November 22, 2004 |website=U.S. Department of State |quote= The U.S. Government does not recognize any East Turkestan government-in-exile, nor do we provide support for any such entity. |access-date=March 13, 2021 |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117170310/https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/38594.htm |url-status=live }} The People's Republic of China has sternly opposed the East Turkistan Government in Exile since its creation in September 2004.{{cite news |title=China Protests Establishment of Uighur Government-in-Exile in Washington |url=https://www.voanews.com/archive/china-protests-establishment-uighur-government-exile-washington-2004-09-21 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |publisher=Voice of America |date=September 21, 2004 |archive-date=June 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200617032226/https://www.voanews.com/archive/china-protests-establishment-uighur-government-exile-washington-2004-09-21 |url-status=dead }}
The ETGE has been described by scholars as a prominent fringe Uyghur organization that advocates for radical methods driven by religious and ethnic motives.{{rp|5–7|quote= the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) set up in Washington, DC in 2004 were among those prominent Uyghur organisations on the fringes. The difference between the WUC and those on the fringes is that while the WUC is seen as having and using moderate methods of democracy and human rights advocacy to get assistance from the international community and to influence the Chinese government on the Uyghur issue, the ETLO, the ETIM, and the ETGE are largely considered to be Uyghur groups advocating radical forms of ideological and armed struggle including terrorist activities... the ETGE are either indifferent or defending radical methods driven by religious and ethnic motives.}}{{rp|133|quote= [The East Turkistan Government in Exile's] objectives are very radical, calling for full independence of Xinjiang and approving of violent methods of resistance against the Chinese occupation of the province.}} The organization is among several Uyghur groups that demand total independence in contrast to other organizations that advocate for more autonomy and democracy.{{rp|5|quote= The difference between the WUC and those on the fringes is that while the WUC is seen as having and using moderate methods of democracy and human rights advocacy to get assistance from the international community and to influence the Chinese government on the Uyghur issue, the ETLO, the ETIM, and the ETGE are largely considered to be Uyghur groups advocating radical forms of ideological and armed struggle including terrorist activities}}{{rp|133|quote= However, the ETGE has no international recognition and receives no support from the Western governments as its objectives are very radical, calling for full independence of Xinjiang and approving of violent methods of resistance against the Chinese occupation of the province.}} It has been called the "most prominent Uyghur organization outside the WUC".{{rp|133|quote= The most prominent Uyghur organization outside the WUC is the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE)}}
Formation
{{see also|Xinjiang conflict}}
Numerous Uyghur organisations representing the Uyghur movement in exile formed around the world from the 1980s to early 2000s but were disorganised and disunited.{{citation |chapter=The Uyghur Movement in Exile |first=Güner |last=Özkan |editor1-first=Chris |editor1-last=Shei |editor2-first=Jie |editor2-last=Chen |title=Routledge Resources Online – Chinese Studies |publisher=Routledge |year=2023 |doi=10.4324/9780367565152-RECHS60-1}}{{rp|4|quote=The Uyghur movement in exile, nevertheless, entered a new phase in the late 1980s and early 1990s during which it started to transform itself in terms of organisation, objectives, and effectiveness. [...] By the early 2000s, despite there being numerous Uyghur organisations around the world representing the Uyghur movement in exile, they were disorganised, disunited, and lacking coordination.}}{{cite book |title=The Uyghur Lobby |first=Yu-Wen |last=Chen |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=9781315885421}} In April 2004, two such organizations, the Eastern Turkistan National Congress and the World Uyghur Youth Congress, merged to form the World Uyghur Congress (WUC).{{rp|5|quote=With the efforts of Erkin Alptekin, in Munich in 2004 the Eastern Turkistan National Congress and the World Uyghur Youth Congress were united and became a single entity, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC).}}{{rp|34|quote=In April 2004, the moderates established the WUC in Munich by merging the ETNC with a group called the World Uyghur Youth Congress (WUYC).}}{{rp|150|quote=In April 2004, members of the ET(U)NC and World Uyghur Youth Congress once again converged on Munich with representatives from all major regional Uyghur organizations to found the World Uyghur Congress (WUC).}}
A radical pro-independence minority of the Eastern Turkistan National Congress refused to join the merger and instead established the East Turkistan Government in Exile in Washington D.C. in 2004. They started on the fringes of Uyghur diaspora organizations (including the East Turkistan Liberation Organisation and East Turkestan Islamic Movement) that advocates for "more radical forms of ideological and armed struggle" in contrast to the more moderate methods used by the World Uyghur Congress to influence the Chinese government.{{rp|5|quote= the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) set up in Washington, DC in 2004 were among those prominent Uyghur organisations on the fringes. The difference between the WUC and those on the fringes is that while the WUC is seen as having and using moderate methods of democracy and human rights advocacy to get assistance from the international community and to influence the Chinese government on the Uyghur issue, the ETLO, the ETIM, and the ETGE are largely considered to be Uyghur groups advocating radical forms of ideological and armed struggle including terrorist activities (Chen 2014).}} In particular, the East Turkistan Government in Exile rejected the autonomy desired by the World Uyghur Congress and instead advocated for independence.{{cite journal |last1=Shichor |first1=Yitzhak |title=Changing the Guard at the World Uyghur Congress |journal=China Brief |volume=6 |issue=25 |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |date=December 19, 2006 |url=https://jamestown.org/program/changing-the-guard-at-the-world-uyghur-congress-3/ |access-date=March 26, 2021 |archive-date=April 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418221420/https://jamestown.org/program/changing-the-guard-at-the-world-uyghur-congress-3/ |url-status=live | quote= Yet, a minority of Uyghurs rejected the moderate stance of the WUC and was unwilling to compromise on what they viewed as the fundamental goal of independence. Rather than join the WUC, in October 2004 the radical minority formed the Republic of East Turkestan Government-in-Exile (ETGE), headed by Yusuf Anwar, in Washington, D.C.}}
The East Turkistan Government in Exile was formally declared on September 14, 2004, in room HC-6 of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. by members of the global East Turkistani community under the leadership of Anwar Yusuf Turani.{{cite news |title=Voice of America Report on Chinese Opposition of ETGIE |url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voice_of_America_Report_on_Chinese_Opposition_of_ETGIE.ogg |agency=Voice of America News |date=September 14, 2004 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 11, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511224831/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voice_of_America_Report_on_Chinese_Opposition_of_ETGIE.ogg |url-status=live }} Ahmat Igambardi, who had previously been the chairman of the first East Turkistan National Congress created in Istanbul, Turkey in 1992, was elected by the delegates present as president and Turani was elected as Prime Minister.
The East Turkistan Government in Exile claimed to be the "sole organ of the Eastern Turkestan Republic" just four months after the formation of the World Uyghur Congress, threatening the World Uyghur Congress's claim to being the highest Uyghur representative organization and leading to immediate tensions between the two groups.{{rp|151|quote= Others responded far more angrily to what looked like an embarrassing mockery of the Uyghur movement by the founders of the ETGIE, just when the WUC had achieved unprecedented concord. They worried that the announcement would earn nothing but derision in the international community and harm Uyghurs' chances of being taken seriously in the future. The announcement of a new government-in-exile seemed capable of nullifying in a single stroke the WUC's claim to be the highest representative Uyghur organization.}} Supporters of the WUC, who were suspicious of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, expressed their concerns on the bulletin board of the Uyghur American Association, which is affiliated with the World Uyghur Congress. They wrote statements accusing Anwar Yusuf Turani of acting under the instructions of the Chinese government, particularly in relation to the strategy of dividing dissident organizations."{{rp|151|quote= Yao Kuangyi, former ambassador to Turkey, soon announced with delight that the founders of the ETGIE had clearly intended to vie with the WUC (Yao Kuanyi 2005). This unexpected development so obviously served the Chinese government's strategy of sowing divisions within and among organizations that some Uyghurs suspected that Anwer Yusuf had acted on instructions from Beijing.}} Turani himself was later impeached by the ETGE's Parliament in 2006 for violating its constitution.{{cite web |title=Statement Concerning Persons Undermining The East Turkistan Government-In-Exile |url=https://east-turkistan.net/statement-concerning-persons-undermining-the-east-turkistan-government-in-exile/ |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |date=September 16, 2019 |access-date=23 April 2022}}
Positions
{{See also|East Turkestan independence movement}}
The East Turkistan Government in Exile has been described by scholars as one of several "Uyghur groups advocating radical forms of ideological and armed struggle including terrorist activities".{{rp|5|quote= the ETLO, the ETIM, and the ETGE are largely considered to be Uyghur groups advocating radical forms of ideological and armed struggle including terrorist activities}}{{cite book |title=Non-State Actors and Foreign Policy Agency: Insights from Area Studies |first1=Christos |last1=Kourtelis |first2=Daniela |last2=Irrera |first3=Marianna |last3=Charountaki |publisher=Springer Nature |year=2024 |isbn=9783031518850}}{{rp|133|quote=[The East Turkistan Government in Exile's] objectives are very radical, calling for full independence of Xinjiang and approving of violent methods of resistance against the Chinese occupation of the province.}} It has become marginalized in Western politics but is still described as a prominent Uyghur organization on the fringes of the East Turkestan independence movement.{{rp|5|quote= the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) set up in Washington, DC in 2004 were among those prominent Uyghur organisations on the fringes. The difference between the WUC and those on the fringes is that while the WUC is seen as having and using moderate methods of democracy and human rights advocacy to get assistance from the international community and to influence the Chinese government on the Uyghur issue, the ETLO, the ETIM, and the ETGE are largely considered to be Uyghur groups advocating radical forms of ideological and armed struggle including terrorist activities (Chen 2014).}}{{cite book |title=The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat |first1=J. Todd |last1=Reed |first2=Diana |last2=Raschke |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |year=2010 |chapter=The Contemporary and Historical Contexts of Uyghur Separatism |isbn=9780313365416 |pages=17–41}}{{rp|133|quote= However, the ETGE has no international recognition and receives no support from the Western governments as its objectives are very radical, calling for full independence of Xinjiang and approving of violent methods of resistance against the Chinese occupation of the province.}}
Depending on how large a particular speaker defines the named region, "East Turkistan" has been administered at least in part by the People's Republic of China (PRC) as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a situation that the ETGE considers an illegitimate military occupation. The position of the ETGE is that "East Turkistan and its people have a long history of independence".{{cite web |title=Uyghurs urge US Congress to recognize East Turkistan as an Occupied Country |url=https://east-turkistan.net/uyghurs-urge-us-congress-to-recognize-east-turkistan-as-an-occupied-country/ |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |date=May 28, 2020 |access-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614201802/https://east-turkistan.net/uyghurs-urge-us-congress-to-recognize-east-turkistan-as-an-occupied-country/ |url-status=live }} The ETGE does not consider themselves as "separatists" because they believe that, "you can't separate from something you don't belong to."{{cite news |last1=Fink |first1=Kathryn |title='For Their Own Good': The Detention Of Muslim Ethnic Groups In China |url=https://the1a.org/segments/2019-12-23-uighurs/ |access-date=June 14, 2020 |publisher=NPR |date=December 23, 2019 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614235535/https://the1a.org/segments/2019-12-23-uighurs/ |url-status=live }} The position of the PRC holds that the integration of Xinjiang into the PRC in 1949 was a "peaceful liberation", and that the region has "long been a part of China".{{cite news |title=China issues white paper on historical matters concerning Xinjiang |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/21/c_138244624.htm |access-date=June 14, 2020 |agency=Xinhua News |publisher=State Council Information Office |date=July 21, 2019 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614235752/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-07/21/c_138244624.htm |url-status=dead }}
The ETGE describes itself as democratically elected parliamentary-based exile government that seeks to end "China's occupation and colonization" of East Turkistan, which overlaps with what China calls the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and seeks to "restore the independence of East Turkistan" which would take the form of a democratic parliamentary republic with protections for civil liberties for all people groups of the region.{{cite web |title=Government Policy Statement |url=https://east-turkistan.net/about-the-etge/ |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |access-date=May 11, 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116025803/https://east-turkistan.net/about-the-etge/ |url-status=live }} The ETGE has convened nine General Assemblies since its creation in 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2019, and 2023.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}}
Leadership
=Government leadership=
As the Government in Exile is made up of elected representatives from East Turkistani/Uyghur diaspora communities in over 13 countries, its leaders are based in a number of countries. The present leadership took office on November 12, 2023, following elections at the ETGE's 9th General Assembly in Washington, D.C.{{cite web |title=Government Leadership |url=https://east-turkistan.net/leadership/ |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |access-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614201849/https://east-turkistan.net/leadership/ |url-status=live }}
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| President
| Australia |
| Prime Minister
| Canada |
| Vice President
| Sweden |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs & Security
| USA |
| Interior Minister
| Sweden |
| Spokesperson (Uyghur) & Cabinet Secretary
| Perhat Abduweli | Norway |
| Finance Minister
| Ibrahim Emin | Belgium |
| Minister of Education & Religious Affairs
| Adil Ablimit | Netherlands |
| Minister of Information & Communications
| Jurat Obul | USA |
| Minister of Family, Women, Youth & Human Rights
| Gulvaryam Tokhtiyeva | Kazakhstan |
=Parliamentary leadership=
The Parliament is the legislative branch of the ETGE. As the Government in Exile's Parliament is made up of 60 members representing diaspora communities in 13 countries, its leaders are based in a number of countries. The present leadership was announced on November 11, 2023, following elections at the ETGE's 9th General Assembly in Washington, D.C. The Parliament is also made up of six committees that help oversee the government's different ministries.{{cite web |title=Parliament Composition |url=https://east-turkistan.net/composition/ |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |access-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-date=June 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614201835/https://east-turkistan.net/composition/ |url-status=live }}
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| Speaker (chairman) of the Parliament
| Yarmemet Baratjan | USA |
| Deputy Speaker (Co-chairman) of the Parliament
| Abduweli Adem | Turkiye |
| Parliamentary Secretary
| Elijan Emet | Belgium |
| Chairman of the Committee on Foreign and Legal Affairs
| Mirqedir Mirzat | France |
| Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Internal Affairs
| Kurbanjan Hisamdin | Norway |
| Chairwoman of the Committee on Communications, Media, and Information
| Fatmagul Çakan | Turkiye |
| Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Education, Religious Affairs and Research
| Abdullah Khodja | France |
| Co-Chair of the Committee on Culture, Education, Religious Affairs and Research
| Abdumutellip Ibrahim | France |
| Chairwoman of the Committee on Family, Women, Youth, and Human Rights
| Amannissa Mukhlis | USA |
Previous leadership
= 2019 – 2023 =
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| President
| Canada |
| Prime Minister
| USA |
| Deputy Prime Minister
| Mirqedir Mirzat | France |
| Vice President
| Canada |
| Speaker (chairman) of Parliament
| Osmancan Tursun | Germany |
=2015 – 2019 =
File:ETGE 7th General Assembly - Tokyo.jpg
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| rowspan="2" | President
| Ahmatjan Osman (impeached in October 2018){{cite web |title=Statement Concerning Persons Undermining The East Turkistan Government-In-Exile |url=https://east-turkistan.net/statement-concerning-persons-undermining-the-east-turkistan-government-in-exile/ |access-date=September 16, 2019 |website=East Turkistan Government in Exile |date=September 16, 2019 |publisher=ETGE}} | Canada |
| Ghulam Osman Yaghma (Acting; October 2018 – November 2019)
| Canada |
| rowspan="2" | Prime Minister
| Ismail Cengiz (impeached in April 2019) | Turkiye |
| Abdulahat Nur (Acting; April 2019 – November 2019)
| Canada |
| Vice President
| Hizirbek Gayretullah | Turkiye |
| Speaker (chairman) of Parliament
| Koresh Atahan | Germany |
=2009 – 2015 =
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| President
| Ahmet Igemberdi | Australia |
| Prime Minister
| Ismail Cengiz | Turkiye |
| Vice President
| Hizirbek Gayretullah | Turkiye |
| Speaker (chairman) of Parliament
| Sultan Mahmut Kashgari | Turkiye |
= 2006 – 2009 =
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| President
| Ahmet Igemberdi | Australia |
| Prime Minister
| Damiyan Rehmet | Australia |
| Vice President
| Abdvueli Can | Turkiye |
| Speaker (chairman) of Parliament
| Sultan Mahmut Kashgari | Turkiye |
= 2004 – 2006 =
| class="wikitable" border="1" |
| Position
! Name ! Location |
|---|
| President
| Ahmet Igemberdi | Australia |
| rowspan="2" | Prime Minister
| Anwar Yusuf Turani (impeached in 2006) | USA |
| Damiyan Rehmet (Acting)
| Australia |
| Vice President
| Abduveli Can | Turkiye |
| Speaker (chairman) of Parliament
| Sultan Mahmut Kashgari | Turkiye |
Activities
On July 14, 2020, the ETGE signed onto a joint letter by 64 Canadian MPs and 20 organizations urging Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his deputy Chrystia Freeland and Global Affairs Minister François-Philippe Champagne to sanction PRC and Hong Kong officials "directly responsible for the human rights atrocities happening in Tibet, occupied East Turkestan (Xinjiang), and Hong Kong."{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Marie-Danielle |title=60 MPs urge sanctions against Chinese officials |url=https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/60-mps-urge-sanctions-against-chinese-officials/ |access-date=July 24, 2020 |work=Maclean's |date=July 14, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724053444/https://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/60-mps-urge-sanctions-against-chinese-officials/ |url-status=live }}
On August 15, 2020, Salih Hudayar the Prime Minister of the ETGE greeted India on its 74th Independence Day and said that "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."{{cite news |last1=Shukla |first1=Manish |title=East Turkistan Government in Exile Prime Minister Salih Hudayar wishes India on Independence Day |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/east-turkistan-government-in-exile-prime-minister-salih-hudayar-wishes-india-on-independence-day-2303089.html |access-date=August 18, 2020 |agency=Zee News |date=August 16, 2020 |archive-date=August 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822154938/https://zeenews.india.com/india/east-turkistan-government-in-exile-prime-minister-salih-hudayar-wishes-india-on-independence-day-2303089.html |url-status=live }} In a public demonstration, Prime Minister Hudayar urged the United States government and the United Nations to "break their silence and stand up against China."{{cite news |last1=Kashgarian |first1=Asim |title=Washington, New York Protesters Call for Recognition of Uighur Abuses as Genocide |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/east-asia-pacific_washington-new-york-protesters-call-recognition-uighur-abuses-genocide/6195179.html |access-date=September 1, 2020 |publisher=Voice of America |date=August 29, 2020 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925011047/https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/washington-new-york-protesters-call-recognition-uighur-abuses-genocide |url-status=live }}
On August 28, 2020, the ETGE held a global demonstration in Adelaide, Tokyo, Frankfurt, The Hague, Paris, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Edmonton to protest what they claim are China's atrocities against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples and urged the international community to recognize the alleged atrocities as a genocide while also recognizing "East Turkistan as an occupied country."
= International Criminal Court case =
{{See also|Persecution of Uyghurs in China|Xinjiang internment camps}}
On July 6, 2020, the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court, urging it to investigate and prosecute PRC officials for genocide and other crimes against humanity.{{cite news |last1=Simons |first1=Marlise |title=Uighur Exiles Push for Court Case Accusing China of Genocide |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/world/asia/china-xinjiang-uighur-court.html |access-date=July 24, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=July 6, 2020 |archive-date=July 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710011145/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/world/asia/china-xinjiang-uighur-court.html/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Areddy |first1=James T. |title=Representatives of China's Uighurs File Evidence to International Criminal Court |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/representatives-of-chinas-uighurs-file-evidence-to-international-criminal-court-11594078290 |access-date=July 24, 2020 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=July 6, 2020 |archive-date=July 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200721155706/https://www.wsj.com/articles/representatives-of-chinas-uighurs-file-evidence-to-international-criminal-court-11594078290 |url-status=live }} The complaint is the first attempt to use an international legal forum to challenge China over allegations of extensive human rights abuses against Muslim Turkic people in East Turkistan.{{cite news |last1=Sewell |first1=Tia |title=Unpacking the Recent Uighur ICC Complaint Against Chinese Leaders |url=https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/unpacking-recent-uighur-icc-complaint-against-chinese-leaders |access-date=July 24, 2020 |agency=Lawfare |date=July 21, 2020 |archive-date=September 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230930134821/https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/unpacking-recent-uighur-icc-complaint-against-chinese-leaders |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Samuel |title=ICC urged to investigate Chinese leaders for genocide abuses against Uighur Muslims |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/icc-urged-to-investigate-chinese-leaders-for-genocide-abuses-against-uighur-muslims.html |access-date=July 24, 2020 |work=The Christian Post |date=July 10, 2020 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725055720/https://www.christianpost.com/news/icc-urged-to-investigate-chinese-leaders-for-genocide-abuses-against-uighur-muslims.html |url-status=live }} The ETGE's Prime Minister, Salih Hudayar, told Radio Free Asia's Chinese service that "for too long we have been oppressed by China and its Communist Party and we have suffered so much that the genocide of our people can be no longer ignored."{{cite news |last1=Tang |first1=Jane |title=Uyghur Exile Groups Seek International Criminal Court Probe of Chinese Officials For 'Genocide' |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/icc-07152020134752.html |access-date=July 24, 2020 |agency=Radio Free Asia |date=July 15, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724012313/https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/icc-07152020134752.html |url-status=live }}
On July 9, 2020, the US government sanctioned 3 senior PRC officials including Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo and Zhu Hailun, who were among the 30 officials mentioned in the complaint to the ICC.{{cite news |last1=Riechmann |first1=Deb |title=US sanctions Chinese officials over repression of minorities |url=https://apnews.com/57c39ca73fcc821cea1e75461ee2e5ed |access-date=July 24, 2020 |work=Associated Press |date=July 9, 2020 |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724122618/https://apnews.com/57c39ca73fcc821cea1e75461ee2e5ed |url-status=live }} ETGE Prime Minister Salih Hudayar told Radio Free Asia that the ETGE welcomed the sanctions and that Uyghurs wanted real justice. He stated that the PRC officials should be tried for human rights abuses by an international court, citing the example the Nuremberg Trials of high-ranking Nazi Party officials after World War II.{{cite news |last1=唐家婕 |title=美制裁四新疆官员后 中国外交部要对等反击 |url=https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/jt-07102020105920.html |access-date=July 24, 2020 |agency=Radio Free Asia – Chinese Service |language=zh |date=July 10, 2020 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726212448/https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/shaoshuminzu/jt-07102020105920.html |url-status=live }}
= Recognition of China's human rights abuse as genocide =
The East Turkistan National Awakening Movement and the East Turkistan Government in Exile were the first Uyghur groups to refer to China's mass surveillance and internment of the inhabitants of Xinjiang/East Turkistan as a genocide. They have actively lobbied for the U.S. and other countries to declare the policies in Xinjiang as genocide.{{cite news |last1=Lepeska |first1=David |title=Uighurs accuse Turkey of betrayal, seek new friends |url=https://ahvalnews.com/uighurs/uighurs-accuse-turkey-betrayal-seek-new-friends |access-date=January 25, 2021 |agency=Ahval |date=January 19, 2019 |archive-date=October 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014215226/https://ahvalnews.com/uighurs/uighurs-accuse-turkey-betrayal-seek-new-friends |url-status=live }} ETGE and ETNAM held numerous demonstrations, press conferences, and other events urging the world to recognize China's genocide in East Turkistan (Xinjiang).{{cite news |last1=Magnier |first1=Mark |title=Chinese protesters angle for Liu He's attention as his motorcade whizzes past |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3046296/chinese-protesters-angle-liu-hes-attention-his-motorcade |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=South China Morning Post |date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428124041/https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3046296/chinese-protesters-angle-liu-hes-attention-his-motorcade |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Pasquini |first1=Elaine |title=East Turkistan Uyghurs Fear Annihilation by China |journal=Washington Report on Middle East Affairs |date=December 2020 |issue=November/December 2020 |page=52 |url=https://www.wrmea.org/human-rights/east-turkistan-uyghurs-fear-annihilation-by-china.html |access-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-date=November 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201130143107/https://www.wrmea.org/human-rights/east-turkistan-uyghurs-fear-annihilation-by-china.html |url-status=live }} The East Turkistan National Awakening Movement and the East Turkistan Government in Exile filed a complaint urging the International Criminal Court to investigate and prosecute Chinese officials for genocide. The ETGE also successfully lobbied the U.S. Senate to introduce a genocide resolution and urged the U.S. Government to recognize the genocide.{{cite news |last1=Burnett |first1=Rebecca |title=East Turkistan Government in Exile protests outside Capitol on International Human Rights Day |url=https://www.localdvm.com/news/washington-dc/east-turkistan-government-in-exile-protests-outside-capitol-on-international-human-rights-day/ |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=WDVM-TV |date=December 10, 2020 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218023115/https://www.localdvm.com/news/washington-dc/east-turkistan-government-in-exile-protests-outside-capitol-on-international-human-rights-day/ |url-status=live }}
On January 11, 2021, the ETGE made a press statement urging the first Trump Administration to recognize China's actions against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in East Turkistan as a genocide before January 20, 2021.{{cite news |last1=Conklin |first1=Lisa |title=East Turkistan to the US: Remember China's Atrocities |url=https://thetaiwantimes.com/east-turkistan-to-the-us-remember-chinas-atrocities/ |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=The Taiwan Times |date=January 13, 2021 |archive-date=January 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210114071117/https://thetaiwantimes.com/east-turkistan-to-the-us-remember-chinas-atrocities/ |url-status=live }} On January 19, 2021, the U.S. State Department formally designated China's actions against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples as genocide.{{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Chris |title=U.S. Says China's Repression of Uighurs Is 'Genocide' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/trump-china-xinjiang.html |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124184213/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/trump-china-xinjiang.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Kusmer |first1=Anna |title=US says Chinese govt is 'committing genocide' against Uighurs |url=https://www.pri.org/file/2021-01-19/us-says-chinese-govt-committing-genocide-against-uighurs |access-date=January 25, 2021 |agency=PRI – The World |date=January 19, 2021 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121173234/https://www.pri.org/file/2021-01-19/us-says-chinese-govt-committing-genocide-against-uighurs |url-status=live }} Salih Hudayar, the Prime Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile, told The Wall Street Journal that the ETGE had been pushing for the designation for two years and that the ETGE hopes that this designation will lead to real, strong actions to hold China accountable and bring an end to China's genocide.{{cite news |last1=Xiao |first1=Eva |title=U.S. Says China Is Committing Genocide Against Uighur Muslims |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-declares-chinas-treatment-of-uighur-muslims-to-be-genocide-11611081555 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214224742/https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-declares-chinas-treatment-of-uighur-muslims-to-be-genocide-11611081555 |url-status=live }}
The ETGE also called on the U.S. Justice Department to enact 18 U.S. Code Section 1091 and prosecute Chinese diplomats, specifically Chinese Ambassador Cui Tiankai, for genocide.{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Gordon |title='Worst-Ever Secretary of State' Declares China a Genocidal Regime {{!}} Opinion |url=https://www.newsweek.com/worst-ever-secretary-state-declares-china-genocidal-regime-opinion-1563218 |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=Newsweek |date=January 21, 2021 |archive-date=January 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124182906/https://www.newsweek.com/worst-ever-secretary-state-declares-china-genocidal-regime-opinion-1563218 |url-status=live }} The ETGE further urged countries to follow suit and recognize the genocide, it also urged the Biden Administration to "take a more active approach to resolve the East Turkistan issue" by recognizing East Turkistan as an Occupied Country, boycotting the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing{{cite news |last1=Conklin |first1=Lisa |title=U.S. Says China's Repression of Uyghurs Is 'Genocide' |url=https://thetaiwantimes.com/u-s-says-chinas-repression-of-uyghurs-is-genocide/ |access-date=January 25, 2021 |work=Taiwan Times |date=January 20, 2021 |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120021930/https://thetaiwantimes.com/u-s-says-chinas-repression-of-uyghurs-is-genocide/ |url-status=live }} and meeting with the East Turkistan Government in Exile like the Trump Administration met with the Tibetan Government in Exile.
= Recognition of East Turkistan =
The East Turkistan Government in Exile has actively called on the U.S. and other governments and organizations across the globe to recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country. The ETGE also denounces the use of the Chinese term "Xinjiang". On February 20, 2024, the ETGE spearheaded a joint letter from 61 Uyghur organizations around the world addressed to the U.S. Congress. The letter urged the U.S. Congress to pass the Uyghur Policy Act, appoint a Special Coordinator for East Turkistani Issues, and recognize East Turkistan, as well as to resist China's attempts to erase East Turkistan.{{cite news |title=Doğu Türkistan teşkilâtlarından tarihi adım! [Historic step from East Turkestan organizations!] |url=https://www.qha.com.tr/turk-dunyasi/dogu-turkistan-teskilatlarindan-tarihi-adim-485609 |access-date=20 April 2024 |agency=Qirim Haber Ajansi [Crimean News Agency] |date=21 February 2024}}{{cite news |title=Doğu Türkistanlı 61 kuruluştan ortak çağrı: Doğu Türkistan'ı "işgal edilmiş ülke" olarak tanıyın! [Joint call from 61 organizations from East Turkestan: Recognize East Turkestan as an "occupied country"!] |url=https://habernida.com/dogu-turkistanli-61-kurulustan-ortak-cagri-dogu-turkistani-isgal-edilmis-ulke-olarak-taniyin/ |access-date=20 April 2024 |agency=Haber Nida [Nida News] |date=21 February 2024}} Notably, the signatures of pro-autonomy groups like the World Uyghur Congress and its affiliates were absent from this joint letter.{{cite news |date=22 February 2024 |title=Victims of Chinese Genocide Urge Congress to Declare Uyghur Heartland an Occupied Country |url=https://turkistanpress.com/en/page/victims-of-chinese-genocide-urge-congress-to-declare-uyghur-heartland-an-occupied-country/1338 |access-date=20 April 2024 |agency=Turkistan Press}}
= Recognition of the Circassian genocide =
On May 18, 2023, the East Turkestan Government in Exile announced its recognition of the Circassian genocide.{{Cite news |last=Serbez |first=Yasemin |date=May 18, 2023 |title=Sürgündeki Doğu Türkistan Hükümeti'nden 'Çerkes Soykırımı' kararı |work=Kayseri Anadolu Haber |url=https://www.kayserianadoluhaber.com.tr/surgundeki-dogu-turkistan-hukumeti-nden-cerkes-soykirimi-karari/93514/}}{{Cite web |title=ETGE Recognizes Circassian Genocide |url=https://www.united-circassia.org/east-turkistan-recognizes-circassian-genocide |access-date=May 18, 2023 |website=United Circassia |language=en}}
See also
Notes
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References
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