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Press Release


GHULJA MASSACRE


Hegemony, independence and old enemies.


Draconian repression and thirst for power? Be careful what you wish for.




By Forum For Human Rights

February 5, 2024



Today February 5 we commemorates the 27th anniversary of the “Ghulja massacre”, were thousands of Uyghurs gathered in the main square of Ghulja to voice their grievances and demand an end to religious and cultural repression, as well as more autonomy for the Xinjiang region.


The Chinese government responded to the protests with force, and security forces opened fire on the demonstrators. Eyewitness accounts and human rights organizations reported that Chinese security forces used live ammunition to disperse the crowds, resulting in a significant number of murders.


Additionally, there were reports of mass arrests, torture, and disappearances of Uyghur individuals suspected of participating in the protests.



Credit: ffhr.cz



Who are the Uyghurs?


The Uyghur people are a Turkic ethnic group with a rich cultural and historical background, their history is deep-rooted in Central Asia, with a cultural heritage that spans centuries. Uyghurs find themselves at the center of a contentious issue: the quest for independence in East Turkestan, also known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, but Uyghur issues do not stop there, unfortunately.


The United Nations Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights affirm the right of all peoples to freely determine their political status and pursue economic, social, and cultural development.


In recent decades, the Chinese government has been criticized for implementing policies that allegedly infringe upon the Uyghurs' human rights and suppress their cultural and religious practices.


Reports of mass detentions, surveillance, restrictions on religious freedoms and ultimately Genocide has been proven and a final judgment by the People's Tribunal, led by Sir. Geoffrey Nice, has been released on December 10th 2021.


The Uyghur genocide is the direct result of Chinese colonialism and the occupation of East Turkestan. As a result, the East Turkestan independence movement is gaining momentum among the Uyghur diaspora. In September 2018, two contesting petitions were launched on the White House’s official “We The People” petition page. The first petition by the World Uyghur Congress, received 12,705 signatures from the global Uyghur diaspora. The second by the East Turkestan Government in Exile, received over 108,564 signatures.


Independence seems to be the only way to achieve freedom and protection for the Uyghur people.




The "One China" Policy


Credit: ffhr.cz



The Chinese government has maintained a "One China" policy, asserting that there is only one China, and so, not just East Turkestan (Xinjiang) but also Taiwan is an integral part of it.


The PRC has not renounced the use of force to achieve reunification and considers Taiwan a domestic issue. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views the reunification with Taiwan as a core national interest and a matter of sovereignty and over the years it has employed a combination of diplomatic, economic, and military measures to press for reunification.


China's "reunification with Taiwan is inevitable, President Xi Jinping said in his New Year's speech, he calls it "reunification of the motherland" but the people of Taiwan have continuously expressed their desire for self-determination, as evidenced by their democratic institutions. Taiwan democracy is deeply rooted in Taiwanese society and that makes the island extremely resilient against external pressure and international influence.


Recently China intensified its military activities around Taiwan but the recent downfall of generals, military equipment suppliers and the chronic problem of corruption in Chinese Military together with the growing list of challenges that China is facing, like the real estate, the semiconductor bans, the internal unemployment rate and national security threats, raise questions whether there has been adequate oversight over national investments.


These last years seems like China’s policy focus has been more on technology investments than on national security.


Engaged on all these fronts, China is under great tension and it must not lose sight of national security and border's integrity.


The attention and energy devoted to reunification with Taiwan could leave out vulnerabilities, creating opportunities for "enemies" to reclaim their beloved land, the East Turkestan Third Republic.


Will China be able to conquer and, at the same time, defend a territory, (from inside and outside) that has always been so challenging to govern?




Read more: ffhr.cz



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