CFU PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

November 12, 2 PM ET

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On November 12, Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) solemnly commemorates East Turkistan National Day. On this day in 1933, the Islamic Republic of East Turkistan was founded in the city of Kashgar, and the Republic of East Turkistan was established in 1944 in the city of Ghulja. East Turkistan National Day retains a special place in the heart of every Uyghur as it illustrates their historical identity, cultural heritage, and their passion for liberty.

Culturally, historically, and linguistically bonded with the other Turkic peoples and nations of Central Asia, the Uyghurs remained independent and eluded Chinese rule for nearly a millennium until the Qing Dynasty established a tenuous presence in the mid-18th century in the Uyghur homeland, calling it “Xinjiang,” which translates to “New Territory.” While the region nominally became a province under this colonial label, Uyghurs repeatedly sought to restore their independence, culminating in the two independent republics in 1933 and 1944.

Following the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Beijing overthrew the Second East Turkistan Republic. Since then, the PRC has systematically sought to consolidate its control to fully incorporate the Uyghur homeland under its totalitarian one-party rule. From the 1950s onward, policies of repression, forced assimilation, and mass Chinese migration, and later, mass internment and genocide, aimed to reshape Uyghur identity, integrating it into a vision of Chinese nationalism. 

Today, East Turkistan suffers as a region marked by a genocide where, among other human rights violations, state-sponsored surveillance, mass internments, forced labor, family separation, unjust imprisonment, forced abortions, forced sterilization/birth control, and torture reinforce Beijing’s hold, subjugating Uyghurs in a bid to eradicate their distinct religious, ethnic, and historical heritage​​​​​.

“As we honor East Turkistan National Day, we remember that its very existence is a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Uyghur people,” said CFU’s Executive Director Rushan Abbas. “We are the descendants of those who resisted injustice and tyranny and refused to be erased. Today, we send a clear message: the Uyghur people will not disappear, our culture will not be destroyed, and our fight for justice and human rights is far from over. We will not rest until our people are freed from unjust detention and are granted the fundamental rights of freedom of movement, speech, and religion, along with the right to bodily autonomy, to marry freely, and to raise their children in safety and dignity.”

CFU calls on the global community, governments, multinational organizations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses to join hands in advocating for the Uyghur people suffering from China’s gross human rights abuses. CFU urges swift and decisive action from nations in imposing sanctions on Chinese government officials responsible for these atrocities, expediting the asylum process for Uyghur refugees, and countering products made with Uyghur forced labor. Only through unified, and concrete actions can we stop the ongoing genocide and hold the perpetrators accountable.