East Turkestan, today Xingjian, is a vast area that consists of 1. 6 million kilometres. It is one-sixth of the whole of China. In the North, its boundaries connect with Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the West, Afghanistan in the South West, Pakistan, Tibet and India in the South, China and Tibet in the East and Mongolia in the North East. Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kirgiz, Uzbeks, Tartars, Salars, Tajiks, Mongol, Huis, Manchus, Xibes, Dagurs, Russians and Chinese have been residing in this region together for centuries. Its total population is almost 19, 250, 000. The capital of Turkestan is Urumqi and Islam is the largest practicing religion.
Under the influence and support of the Soviet Union, Sheng Shicai, a warlord, ruled the very area from 1934 to 1943. During the rule of the warlord, the Uighurs revolted against it and consequently, an era of terror began to suppress this rebellion. His tyranny hit Uighur, Turkic political and religious leaders and every single human who seemed a threat to him. With the independence of China in 1949, the Chinese Communist Authorities annexed Turkestan. In 1950, the Peoples Liberation Army came into action and occupied the whole region. The Chinese government announced to declare this large province an autonomous and self-governing region in 1955. With this announcement, the USSR abandoned the production of oil, metallurgy and other businesses for good.
Today the East Turkestan Republic is striving for freedom and the world should come forward to help achieve freedom from the dominance of China. Tibet has been facing the same scenario for the past many decades. Before the establishment of China as an independent state, East Turkestan was itself an independent state. The East Turkestan is half of India as compared to the area. To the Chinese, the East Turkestan is known as Xingjian and every separatist movement is being crushed with every available force. The American based East Turkistan government in exile has its Prime Minister Saleh who states that the long term genocide and inhuman acts of the Chinese authorities have taught us that there is no path to human rights without independence. There is no guarantee of human rights in these poor circumstances. To him, independence means to get rid of oppression, genocide, occupation and atrocities. An independent state has the right and freedom of choosing and electing representatives and ruling and legislation. Only independence is the only option to move forward and make progress.
The East Turkestan Awaking Movement has revealed that China has jailed and subjected the Uighurs, Turkic, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Tartars and people belonging to other races to violence. This movement has appealed to the United Nations to file a petition against China on these acts of violence, illegal occupation and oppression so that the Chinese government may face accountability.
Uighurs are basically Turkic Muslims and they have been the residents of the region for centuries long. They are totally different from those of Han Chinese who are the majority in the whole of China. The East Turkestan went into the occupation of China when Han Dynasty annexed it against the will of the Turkic people. But the region never went into that possession fully. When the state declared independence, the Chinese Communist Party attacked. On one side, the Chinese consider the Han race outsiders but on the other side, it claimed the East Turkestan its own part just because the Han Dynasty annexed it.
In recent times, China has restored its writ in Xingjian and is continuously labelling the freedom struggle of the Turkic people terrorism. The protests against the tyrannical rule of the Chinese Authorities started when the incident of 9/11 happened by the Al-Qaeda. The Chinese government and security forces have demolished their religious sites and mosques so far. It has also done many acts of violence on the protestors during peaceful protests. The whole Xingjian has been made an open jail and it is being called ‘Re-Education Camps’ where the arrested Turkic are being brainwashed. Strict surveillance of the same people is also observed. According to a report, this region is under surveillance more than any part of the world. Just like Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, the houses of the Turkic Muslims are searched and the so-called suspected citizens are jailed in the concentration camps.
During these search operations, a number of rape cases, sterilization and abortions have been reported hitherto. Every experiment of surveillance is done on these Muslims. Other neighbouring countries including Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan do not raise voice against the immoral activities as they are economically tied in various economic agreements with China and these pacts have silenced them. Turkmenistan ignores this movement of freedom as it is itself a communist state. Seeing no ray of hope from these neighbouring countries, India and the US step forward. Hindustan is active more than the US. After licking dust in the Aksai Chin expedition, India is providing diplomatic support to the freedom fighters to balance the insurgency in the region. The United States of America has removed the very movement from the list of terrorists.
There is a similarity between the East Turkestan and Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir. Both regions have been facing inhuman cruelties and unethical acts for decades. On one front, the Indian Military does cruelties on the Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir but at the same time, the Indian government and Media stand together with the Muslims of the East Turkestan for their freedom from China. What do double-faced policy and attitude of India show? When India is defeated badly by China in the Aksai Chin area, then it hurries to normalizing relations with Pakistan. India is bound to do so as it cannot fight a two-front war. When China steps back from the disputed area, the same Indian authorities entitle the Muslims terrorists and Jihadi. However, neither India has succeeded in suppressing the voice of the freedom of J&K Muslims nor can China stop the Muslims gain freedom. All the Islamic countries should take responsibility to raise at least support and encourage such movements.
