5.07.2024
Press Statement on the 15th Anniversary of the 5th July Urumqi Massacre and the Ongoing Genocide in East Turkistan
Esteemed Members of the Press and Distinguished Public;
Today, we have once again come together on the 15th anniversary of the tragic massacre in Urumqi on July 5, 2009, in which thousands of East Turkistanis lost their lives and tens of thousands disappeared. 15 years ago, on June 26, dozens of Uyghur young people were lynched and killed and hundreds were injured as a result of racist Chinese attacks on Uyghur workers forced to work by China in a toy factory in Shaoguan city of Occupied China. The occupying Chinese police arrested Uyghur workers instead of intervening with the attackers. In response to these events, tens of thousands of East Turkistanis demanding justice launched peaceful protests in Urumqi on July 5. This quest for justice was bloodily suppressed by the Occupier Chinese police forces using disproportionate force. Thousands of people were killed and tens of thousands arrested. Occupier China, which has established a government based on plunder by disregarding justice and human dignity, has once again suppressed the quest for rights of the people of East Turkistan in the bloodiest way by state terrorism. This tragic event is only a cross-section of the human tragedy in East Turkistan. Today, 15 years later, the people of East Turkistan are still facing systematic oppression, persecution and genocide policies implemented by the occupying Chinese government.
What is happening in East Turkistan is one of the biggest human rights crises of the 21st century. Today, millions of Uyghur Turks are still being held in concentration camps, subjected to torture and cultural genocide. Inhumane practices such as forced labor, forced sterilization, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions and organ trafficking have become part of daily life in East Turkistan. In 2013, on the basis of Xi Jinping's rhetoric of Sinicizing religion, the occupying Chinese regime has been conducting a policy of Islamic Sinicization in East Turkistan. Within the scope of this policy, tens of thousands of mosques are being demolished, Islamic values and holy places are being trampled on, and the main goal of Islam is being changed on the basis of communist ideology and Chinese culture. In addition, with the implementation of the Road Belt Project, which it indicates China’s expansionist perspective, Occupying China exports the mass control and one-party despotism it implements in East Turkistan to the world and gives hope to fascism, authoritarianism and expansionism. By normalizing human rights violations and massacres with its political power, China dulls the conscience of societies, forced states to remain silent and poses a greater danger to all humanity every day.
The occupying Chinese government goes to great lengths to cover up its crimes against humanity, using its economic power, lobbying and manipulating media institutions and the international system through disinformation campaigns. International organizations, especially the United Nations, and governments all around the world continue to ignore human rights violations in East Turkistan due to Chinese pressure. However, United Nations reports, studies of independent researchers and eyewitness testimonies clearly reveal that what is happening in East Turkistan is a genocide. It is important to remember that we cannot remain silent on this genocide and it is unacceptable for the international community to remain silent against this genocide.
The bitter reality of today is this. The international system, society and states are inadequate against the genocides not only in East Turkistan but also in other regions. It is clear that the human rights mechanism remained dysfunctional in the face of the atrocities in Palestine after October 7 and the genocide could not be stopped even for a minute. Unfortunately, the international community acts as a bystander to all genocides around the world, contenting itself only with reporting the number of martyrs and condemnations.
The genocides in East Turkistan and Palestine reveal the double standards and injustice of the international system. International institutions, acting in line with the interests of powerful states, remain ineffective against grave crimes such as genocide and ignore the cries of oppressed peoples.
In order to prevent genocide, occupation, massacres and state terrorism, to guarantee human rights and to build peace, justice and fairness, states must take clear and deterrent steps to prevent genocide and end occupation. At the same time, academia, non-governmental organizations, business institutions and media should reject the genocide in East Turkistan and around the world, and civil initiatives should be carried out and a clear stance should be taken against genocidal, occupying China.
Let us not forget that our silent attitude towards what is happening in East Turkistan and Palestine today will pave the way for the repetition of these genocides and crimes in another places. Therefore, in order to protect human dignity and ensure justice, we must fight together against the occupying and genocidal China. In this direction, as the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations, we appeal to the world public opinion in line with our just demands:
As we have stated before, the only reason why genocidal human rights violations can be carried out by the Chinese state without accountability is the occupation of East Turkistan lands. As a matter of fact, history shows that the East Turkistan state existed as an independent state before the Chinese occupation. For this reason, the occupation and genocide of the Chinese state should be recognized by the international community. Accordingly, in accordance with the UN Declaration on Independence for Colonized Countries and Peoples, all independent states should unconditionally and without hesitation support the full independence initiatives of the people of East Turkistan.
The fact that genocide is taking place in East Turkistan must be recognized by all states and the UN General Assembly, and the necessary sanctions in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Declaration on the Prevention of Genocide must be realized.
In order for the genocide and occupation to end and for the just struggle of the East Turkistan people to succeed, the legitimacy of this struggle must be recognized and support must be provided. For this purpose, the way should be paved for the presence of East Turkistan representatives in the UN, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of Turkic States and other international organizations.
Finally, we remind that Turkey, Malaysia, Qatar, Qatar, Turkic Republics and Muslim countries have a more organic and greater responsibility in stopping the genocide policies against Islam and Muslims in East Turkistan and have the potential to take more deterrent steps against China and we call on them to take action with a clearer and clearer attitude.
Hidayet Oguzhan
President of the International Union of East Turkistan Organizations
