Key Points

According to the ETGE, on this day in 1949, just eleven days after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chinese Communist forces launched a military assault on the independent Republic of East Turkistan. The campaign culminated on December 22, 1949, when Chinese forces overthrew the East Turkistan Republic, marking the beginning of what the ETGE describes as a "brutal and prolonged campaign of colonisation, genocide, and occupation" that continues to this day.

In a press release issued, the ETGE condemned China's actions as "crimes of aggression, genocide, and colonialism," asserting that the invasion and subsequent repression are the root causes of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. "Over the past seventy-six years, millions of our people have been killed, while countless others have been subjected to mass internment, forced labour, torture, executions, forced sterilisations, and the systematic eradication of our religious, cultural, and national identity," the statement read.

The ETGE emphasised that October 12 serves not only as a day of mourning but also as one of remembrance and resistance, a day to honour the victims of Chinese occupation and to reaffirm the East Turkistani people's determination to restore national independence. "We honour the memory of all who have perished under Chinese occupation and all who continue to suffer persecution and oppression. It is a day to reaffirm our unbreakable resolve to restore our nation's independence and secure justice for the victims," the statement declared.

Reiterating its stance of non-recognition toward Beijing's rule, the ETGE stated that "the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the people of East Turkistan, both at home and abroad, will never recognise China's illegal rule nor accept its occupation." The group called upon the international community to recognise East Turkistan as an occupied country and to hold the People's Republic of China accountable for its "crimes of aggression, genocide, and colonialism."

The statement further appealed to world governments, human rights organisations, and "all peoples of conscience" to support East Turkistan's right to self-determination and decolonisation. It urged immediate action to restore the nation's sovereignty and end what it termed as "China's campaign of extermination and assimilation."

"The world must understand that the atrocities in East Turkistan are not mere human rights violations. They are acts of colonial domination, genocide, and crimes against humanity, the direct and inevitable consequence of China's unlawful invasion and continued occupation," the ETGE stated.

Concluding the statement, the East Turkistan Government in Exile asserted that restoring the country's independence is crucial not only for the survival and dignity of its people but also for global peace and stability.

- ANI