China

‘Recognize China’s Genocide’ Protest – Washington DC

Supporters and members of the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement rally outside the White House to urge the United States to end trade deals with China and take action to stop the oppression of the Uyghur and other Turkic peoples on Aug 14, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON: Activist groups representing Uyghurs, Kazaks, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tartars, and other Turkic peoples from Occupied East Turkistan will protest at the US State Department on Tuesday, December 29th at 1 PM to call on the US Government to recognize China’s atrocities in East Turkistan [Xinjiang] — Genocide.

Salih Hudayar, Prime Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the protest organizer, will be giving interviews prior to and after the protest.

The event will be live streamed on Facebook – see end for details.

The event is being put together by the East Turkistan Government in Exile and East Turkistan National Awakening Movement and is linked to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently ordering a review to determine whether China’s repression of ethnic Uyghurs in Occupied East Turkistan [renamed Xinjiang] amounts to genocide, raising expectations that America’s top diplomat may charge China with committing genocide before he leaves office next month.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab (L)

The review came as lawmakers from both parties have increasingly called on the Trump administration to act over human rights abuses in East Turkistan.

In October, Senators. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, introduced a bipartisan resolution designating China’s treatment of the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in East Turkistan as genocide.

The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile (ETGE), established in 2004, is the democratically elected official body representing the interests of East Turkistan and its people.

As such, the ETGE seeks to restore East Turkistan’s independence as a democratic, secular, pluralistic Republic that guarantees human rights and freedom for all, while the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement (ETNAM) is an international movement striving for the restoration of East Turkistan’s independence as an open, pluralistic Republic guaranteeing Human Rights and Freedoms for all. It was established in 2017.

The original East Turkistan National Awakening Movement was established in 1921.

WHAT: Protest to Recognize China’s Genocide in East Turkistan

WHEN: Tuesday, December 29, 1 PM – 3 PM Eastern Time

WHERE: U.S. State Department, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, DC

Live-streaming at https://www.facebook.com/ETAwakening

Lisa Conklin

Lisa is an Eastender from London in her second year in Taipei where she teaches English, and in her spare time writes poetry. She is a practicing vegan and lover of yoga who lives 'off-grid' as much as possible. She is our weekend editor.