Washington, D.C. — The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) solemnly marks the 75th anniversary of the Soviet betrayal that enabled China’s brutal occupation of East Turkistan. This treacherous act, which resulted in the assassination of East Turkistan’s core leadership, left the nation vulnerable to Chinese Communist aggression. This betrayal has paved the way for decades of colonization and ongoing genocide of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples, devastating millions of lives.
In September 1949, the Soviet Union, after orchestrating the deaths of East Turkistan Republic (ETR) leaders in a staged “plane crash” on August 27, went on to assassinate 30 senior political and military leaders of the ETR. These deliberate actions crippled the leadership and defense capabilities of East Turkistan. On October 12, 1949, with Soviet backing, the then newly established People’s Republic of China (PRC), under the Chinese Communist Party, launched its belligerent armed invasion of East Turkistan.
The extent of China’s brutality became clear when the Chinese government officially declared in a radio broadcast in March 1954 that between October 1949 and January 1954, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had killed over 150,000 East Turkistanis, labeling them as “enemies of China and local counter-revolutionaries.” These large scale massacres were a critical step in solidifying China’s occupation and annihilating any resistance to its colonization.
A declassified CIA report, released decades later, provides further confirmation of Soviet betrayal of East Turkistan. According to the report, “the Chinese Communists let it be known that they intended to occupy Sinkiang (East Turkistan), whereas the officials and people of the East Turkistan Republic were determined to maintain their independence from China.” The Soviets, by assassinating East Turkistan’s key leaders and military officials, ensured that China could occupy the country with no organized resistance from within.
“This betrayal by the Soviet Union didn’t just lead to the occupation of East Turkistan—it paved the way for the annihilation of our people,” said ETGE President Dr. Mamtimin Ala. “Seventy-five years later, the world must not ignore our suffering. We remember those assassinated and honor them by continuing our fight for survival, dignity, and the recovery of our independence.”
For the past 75 years, China’s belligerent occupation has resulted in the genocide of millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples. This includes mass imprisonment, forced labor, forced sterilization, and the systematic destruction of East Turkistan’s culture, language, and identity. Families have been torn apart, cultural heritage destroyed, and over a million Uyghur and other East Turkistani children is being indoctrinated in Chinese state-run orphanages and boarding schools, deprived of their Uyghur and Turkic roots.
“China’s occupation and colonization of East Turkistan is the greatest human tragedy of the 21st century, defined by brutality and genocide,” said ETGE Foreign Minister Salih Hudayar. “The international community must recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country and hold China accountable for its occupation, genocide, and crimes against humanity.”
The ETGE calls upon the international community to act urgently:
1) Condemn China’s belligerent armed invasion and occupation of East Turkistan, which began on October 12, 1949, and recognize the legitimate right of the East Turkistani people to resist foreign occupation and restore their independence.
2) Recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country, acknowledging that Chinese colonization and occupation are the root cause of the ongoing genocide against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples.
Furthermore, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 3070 of 30 November 1973, which reaffirms the universal right of peoples to self-determination and the speedy granting of independence to colonial countries, we urge the global community to:
1) Hold China and its officials accountable through international legal bodies such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its crimes against humanity and genocide.
2) Recognize the legitimacy of the East Turkistani people’s struggle for liberation, in line with UN resolutions, using all available means to resist against foreign (Chinese) domination.
Every day, millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples suffer unimaginable horrors under China’s occupation. Millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples remain imprisoned, subjected to torture, sterilization, and forced labor. The world cannot remain silent while this 21st-century genocide continues. The ETGE calls on governments, international organizations, and civil society to stand in solidarity with the people of East Turkistan. As enshrined in international law and the UN Charter, the people of East Turkistan have an inalienable right to freedom, external self-determination, and the preservation of their cultural and national identity.
As we remember the East Turkistani leaders who were martyred in September 1949, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the liberation of East Turkistan. Our fight for freedom continues, and we will not rest until our homeland is free and independent from foreign occupation. We urge the global community to remember this dark anniversary and take action to end the genocide, restore independence, and ensure justice for the people of East Turkistan.
東突厥斯坦流亡政府（ETGE）莊嚴紀念蘇聯背叛的75週年，這一背叛使中國對東突厥斯坦的殘酷佔領得以實現。這一背叛行為導致東突厥斯坦核心領導層被刺殺，使國家在面對中國共產黨的侵略時變得脆弱。這一背叛為數十年的殖民統治和對維吾爾族及其他土耳其民族的持續種族滅絕鋪平了道路，摧毀了數百萬人的生命。
1949年9月，蘇聯在8月27日策劃東突厥斯坦共和國（ETR）領導人的“空難”後，隨即刺殺了30名ETR的高級政治和軍事領導人。這些故意的行動癱瘓了東突厥斯坦的領導層和防禦能力。1949年10月12日，在蘇聯的支持下，當時新成立的中華人民共和國（PRC）在中國共產黨的領導下，發動了對東突厥斯坦的武裝侵略。
中國的殘酷程度在1954年3月的廣播中變得明顯，當時中國政府官方宣稱，自1949年10月至1954年1月，中國人民解放軍（PLA）已殺死超過150,000名東突厥斯坦人，並將他們標記為“中國的敵人和地方反革命分子”。這些大規模的屠殺是鞏固中國佔領和消滅對其殖民統治抵抗的關鍵一步。
幾十年後解密的一份CIA報告進一步證實了蘇聯對東突厥斯坦的背叛。報告指出，“中國共產黨明言他們打算佔領新疆（東突厥斯坦），而東突厥斯坦共和國的官員和人民則堅定決心保持對中國的獨立。”蘇聯通過刺殺東突厥斯坦的主要領導人和軍事官員，確保中國能夠在沒有內部組織抵抗的情況下佔領該國。
“這一蘇聯的背叛不僅導致了東突厥斯坦的佔領，更為我們人民的滅絕鋪平了道路，”ETGE總統馬木提敏·阿拉博士說。“75年後，世界不應忽視我們的苦難。我們紀念那些被刺殺的人，並通過繼續為生存、尊嚴和恢復獨立而奮鬥來向他們致敬。”
在過去的75年中，中國的武裝佔領導致數百萬維吾爾族、哈薩克族、吉爾吉斯族及其他土耳其民族遭受種族滅絕，包括大規模監禁、強迫勞動、強制絕育，以及對東突厥斯坦文化、語言和身份的系統性摧毀。家庭被撕裂，文化遺產被摧毀，超過一百萬的維吾爾族和其他東突厥斯坦孩子在中國國家運營的孤兒院和寄宿學校中被洗腦，剝奪了他們的維吾爾和土耳其根基。
“中國對東突厥斯坦的佔領和殖民是21世紀最大的的人道悲劇，特徵是殘暴和種族滅絕，”ETGE外交部長薩利赫·胡達亞爾說。“國際社會必須承認東突厥斯坦是一個被佔領的國家，並追究中國對其佔領、