Uyghurs in US commemorate 10th anniversary of Yarkand massacre, call for action against China

Washington, DC [US], July 29 (ANI): The Uyghur community, led by the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) and the East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM), gathered in Washington, DC to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Yarkand massacre.

The event called for urgent US action against China’s ongoing persecution of Uyghurs. Yarkand massacre occurred on July 28, 2014, when Chinese security forces brutally suppressed peaceful Uyghur protesters in Yarkand County, Xinjiang, China.

In a recent post on X, the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) highlighted the significance of the commemoration, stating, “#Uyghurs in DC, led by ETGE and ETNM, commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 2014 Yarkand Massacre, in which 3,000 to 5,000 Uyghurs were killed by Chinese forces, and called on the US Government to take action to end #China’s ongoing #UyghurGenocide.”

Reports indicate that between 3,000 and 5,000 Uyghurs were killed by Chinese forces during the violence, and is a stark reminder of the ongoing genocide faced by the Uyghur people at the hands of the Chinese government.

The Yarkand massacre exposes the multifaceted oppression enforced by the Chinese government against the Uyghurs. Indiscriminate force is routinely abused, they are branded as “gangs” and “separatists.” Moreover, the Chinese government covers up the death count and arrests netizens who aim to expose the truth.

At the commemoration event, Uyghur leaders and activists called on the US to adopt a more robust stance towards China, akin to its approach towards Tibet.

They advocated for the passage of the Senate’s Uyghur Policy Act and the appointment of a Special Coordinator for East Turkistani issues within the State Department. The speakers emphasised the critical need for US support in restoring East Turkistan’s independence, underscoring the importance of international intervention to halt the persecution and ensure justice for the Uyghur people.

The East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to human rights and political advocacy. Established in Washington, DC, in June 2017 by Salih Hudayar, a Uyghur American consultant and graduate student, ETNAM has been at the forefront of raising awareness about the plight of Uyghurs.

East Turkistan, a name historically used and favoured by many advocacy groups, refers to the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Reports on human rights violations in Xinjiang highlight severe abuses against Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups.

Investigations by human rights organisations and international media indicate that over one million Uyghurs have been detained in so-called “re-education camps” or “vocational training centers” described by the Chinese government as measures to combat extremism.

Cultural and religious repression is also evident, with the destruction of Uyghur mosques and cemeteries, and stringent restrictions on religious practices.