As you may be aware, the people of East Turkistan have been going through ethnic assimilation in their own homeland, East Turkistan under the occupation of Communist China since 1949. China has been destroying all aspects of the identity of the Muslim Turkic people of East Turkistan, majority of whom are Uyghurs over the past 70 year. Not quite satisfied with its accomplishment gained over the past seventy years in terms of reaching its ultimate goal of complete assimilation of the non-Han Chinese Turkic Muslims in the region, China began conducting its 21st Century ethnic genocide in the pretext of vocational training in the region since 2016. Islam is completely forbidden and millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic people including Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks have been locked up in Chinese concentration camps where they are victims of hunger, torture, rape, organ harvesting and a brutal death.
Regardless of whatever others say about the cause and the solution to the Chinese atrocities against the people of East Turkistan, we firmly believe in the notion that the bottom line of all of these catastrophes what we have been going through is the Chinese occupation of our homeland East Turkistan and there would be no substantial achievements in terms of ending these atrocities until we regain our total independence from China, and this is the genuine cause of East Turkistan and its people. Therefore, much of our mission will remain the same as long as the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan does not end. In an attempt to contribute to this noble cause of our oppressed people, East Turkistan National Freedom Center (ETNFC) has been doing everything in its capacity and will continue to work in the following several major areas that have been our focus since the establishment of the Center 25 years ago.
Here, it is noteworthy to mention that unfortunately until today we primarily relied on the contributions provided by a few volunteers within our community in terms of conducing our activities. As a result, there was not much we could do in terms of what needs to be done for the sake of a helpless nation who has been facing such a heinous situation by solely relying on these several exhausted volunteers. Based on the nature of the current unprecedented challenges we have been facing with, we need a continues substantial global financial support. In other words, our achievement towards our cause of free and independent East Turkistan depend on our continued work to build a broad international team which includes not only the Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Uzbeks who live in exile in different parts of the world, but others as well. The success of our current and future achievements totally depends on our available resources and financial situation.
Despite all of these frustration ETNFC remains committed to positive and constructive work with every individual around the world who cares about the helpless oppressed people of East Turkistan by focusing on scholars, journalists, activists, lawyers, government officials, representatives of human rights and non-governmental organizations, and international dignitaries who support our struggle to defend ourselves from the Chinese genocide in occupied East Turkistan. In the paragraphs that follow, I would like to address the ongoing work that is feasible within our current situation. After that, I will present a few projects that we believe would have great impact should funding for them become available.
Research and Gathering Information
The most important tool we have is the truth about the history of East Turkistan and the current repression of its people by Communist China. The National Freedom Center will continue its current research and information gathering so that the officials in the U.S. government and Congress, leaders in other elites, and general citizens will know of the arrest, detention, torture, rape, and executions in East Turkistanis and of the fair struggle of the people of East Turkistan to control their own future.
The authorities in Beijing do not want the truth concerning East Turkistan to reach the rest of the world. They seek to maintain secrecy, so their repression can continue unchallenged. We believe that the information can be gathered, however. We have already received information from inside China and other resources. We propose to expand this effort so that the world will know that there is one truly expert location which has the last accurate information about the events in East Turkistan.
We will continue to work toward a global network amongst East Turkistanis and research experts who will gather information throughout the world including the occupied East Turkistan so that we will communicate it to the international community. We will gather information with the help our fellow East Turkistanis who line in exile in various parts of the world who are in contact with their family members and friends inside East Turkistan, and Western scholars and other experts who have their own ways of obtaining information from East Turkistan.
We have already created a database of human rights organizations. We will use this list as the basis of a public awareness campaign to seek the support of those organizations for our cause. We have already had much success in communication in this way with some of these organizations and wish to expand. We have also created a data base of leaders in the United States, such as the President, Secretary of States, the member of Congress, Senators, and other dignitaries. We will also communicate with them as described below in the year ahead.
Informing Journalists
As Western journalist write articles or produce television or radio news reports, they advance the cause of East Turkistan in two ways. First, they educate the public in the U.S. and other nations. Second, the very fact that they are covering our story provides new credibility.
The National Freedom Center has already become an important source of information for journalists. Our reputation grows each day. Over the past, many U.S. government officials and journalist around the world contacted us for the latest information on East Turkistan.
We wish to expand our work with journalists in two ways. First, we wish to have fully prepared high quality printed material to provide in response to press requests. Second, we want to reach out to more journalists, urging them to report our story and providing them the expert information they will demand.
Informing the U.S. Government
Representative of the national Freedom Center has already met with representatives of the U.S. Department of States and other branches of the government. The U.S. officials seek whatever information we can provide on the current situation in East Turkistan. It is important to remember that the ability of the U.S. government to obtain information from East Turkistan is limited. While they have sources of private organizations cannot duplicate, they also value credible information from journalists and scholars and organizations like ours.
The U.S. State Department produces an annual report on the stats of human rights in countries around the world. We seek to provide the State Department concrete examples of repression in East Turkistan for inclusion in their report. Ultimately, we seek to create a regular and accurate flow of information to the U.S government, establishing a relationship based on credible and reliable information.
While technically a part of the U.S. government, the Congress deserves its own attention as a priority for the National Freedom Center. We seek to provide information a) individual members of Congress, b) their expert staff, c) committee. As the Congress accepts that our information is accurate, this information will be used to create legislation and put pressure on the White House and the Department of State to take action for the plight of the helpless people of East Turkistan.
We have already met with members of Congress and their staff. They have asked us for additional information on East Turkistan. They have stated that if we can keep providing this accurate information, they will keep scheduling hearing and other public events which will create new pressure for China to stop its inhuman acts in East Turkistan.
Educating International Organizations
The U.N. and other organizations periodically act in ways that help or hurt the interests of Beijing. We seek to affect how these international organizations behave toward China, using their influence on pressure China to end its repression in occupied East Turkistan. These institutions are mostly in Washington DC, New York, and Geneva, and we wish to stay in close contact with them.
Sharing Our Culture
One of the most effective ways to promote concern for the political needs of the people of East Turkistan is to increase public awareness of the culture, music and arts of the Uyghurs and other Turkic people. Therefore, the National Freedom Center seeks to involve the artistic elite of the Unites States in our cause. We seek to organize performances of Uyghur music and Uyghur culture with American institutions.
We believe that the work described above can be accomplished within the Center’s current budget. However, there are two areas in particular where we would like to expand our work greatly. Further funding would be needed to support these efforts.
Encouraging Scholarship on East Turkistan
Western scholars have already contributed to international understanding of East Turkistan. We wish to encourage more such scholarship. First, we believe it would further our cause greatly to sponsor several academic conferences at important American Universities. These conferences would involve prominent Western scholars, activists, and perhaps even government officials. Second, we would like to make the East Turkistan National Freedom Center an important source of assistance for the people of East Turkistan for their own study of the history and culture of Uyghurs and the other Turkic people who historically live together side by side in the same region. One of the ironies living in a police state is that it seems easier to learn of one’s own history and culture while overseas than while in your homeland. We seek to encourage young East Turkistanis to more fully understand the history of their national identity and the value of their culture.
Developing New Press and Public Relations Materials
We would like to continue to prepare professional video materials to make available to the press and the others who request information on East Turkistan. We also would like to produce higher quality printed materials that will create a more impressive appearance.
Anwar Yusuf Turani
President
East Turkistan National Freedom Center