The East Turkistan Government in Exile marks 75 years since Soviet betrayal enabled China's occupation, leading to ongoing colonization and repression
In September 1949, the Soviet Union, after orchestrating the deaths of East Turkistan Republic (ETR) leaders in a staged “plane crash” on August 27, went on to assassinate 30 senior political and military leaders of the ETR. These deliberate actions crippled the leadership and defense capabilities of East Turkistan. On October 12, 1949, with Soviet backing, the then newly established People’s Republic of China (PRC), under the Chinese Communist Party, launched its belligerent armed invasion of East Turkistan.
The extent of China’s brutality became clear when the Chinese government officially declared in a radio broadcast in March 1954 that between October 1949 and January 1954, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had killed over 150,000 East Turkistanis, labeling them as “enemies of China and local counter-revolutionaries.” These large scale massacres were a critical step in solidifying China’s occupation and annihilating any resistance to its colonization.
A declassified CIA report, released decades later, provides further confirmation of Soviet betrayal of East Turkistan. According to the report, “the Chinese Communists let it be known that they intended to occupy Sinkiang (East Turkistan), whereas the officials and people of the East Turkistan Republic were determined to maintain their independence from China.” The Soviets, by assassinating East Turkistan’s key leaders and military officials, ensured that China could occupy the country with no organized resistance from within.
“This betrayal by the Soviet Union didn’t just lead to the occupation of East Turkistan—it paved the way for China's annihilation of our people,” said ETGE President Dr. Mamtimin Ala. “Seventy-five years later, the world must not ignore our suffering as we continuye our fight for survival, dignity, and the recovery of our independence.”
For the past 75 years, China’s belligerent occupation has resulted in the genocide of millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples. This includes mass imprisonment, forced labor, forced sterilization, and the systematic destruction of East Turkistan’s culture, language, and identity. Families have been torn apart, cultural heritage destroyed, and over a million Uyghur and other East Turkistani children is being indoctrinated in Chinese state-run orphanages and boarding schools, deprived of their Uyghur and Turkic roots.
“China’s occupation and colonization of East Turkistan is the greatest human tragedy of the 21st century, defined by brutality and genocide,” said ETGE Foreign Minister Salih Hudayar. “The international community must recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country and hold China accountable for its occupation, genocide, and crimes against humanity.”
The ETGE calls upon the international community to act urgently:
1. Condemn China’s belligerent armed invasion and occupation of East Turkistan, which began on October 12, 1949, and recognize the legitimate right of the East Turkistani people to resist foreign occupation and restore their independence.
2. Recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country, acknowledging that Chinese colonization and occupation are the root cause of the ongoing genocide against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples.
Furthermore, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 3070 of 30 November 1973, which reaffirms the universal right of peoples to self-determination and the speedy granting of independence to colonial countries, the ETGE urges the global community to:
1. Hold China and its officials accountable through international legal bodies such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its crimes against humanity and genocide.
2. Recognize the legitimacy of the East Turkistani people’s struggle for liberation, in line with UN resolutions, using all available means to resist against foreign (Chinese) domination.
Every day, millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples suffer unimaginable horrors under China’s occupation. Millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples remain imprisoned, subjected to torture, sterilization, and forced labor. The world cannot remain silent while this 21st-century genocide continues. The ETGE calls on governments, international organizations, and civil society to stand in solidarity with the people of East Turkistan. As enshrined in international law and the UN Charter, the people of East Turkistan have an inalienable right to freedom, external self-determination, and the preservation of their cultural and national identity.
As we remember the East Turkistani leaders who were martyred in September 1949, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the liberation of East Turkistan. Our fight for freedom continues, and we will not rest until our homeland is free and independent from foreign occupation. We urge the global community to remember this dark anniversary and take action to end the genocide, restore independence, and ensure justice for the people of East Turkistan.
Haider Jan
East Turkistan Government in Exile
+1 202-599-2244
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