Washington DC [US], March 28 (ANI): The East Turkistan Government in Exile strongly condemned Beijing’s announcement of the so-called “Cenling County” in the Kashgar region, calling it an “illegal and unilateral act of colonial domination,” ETGE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Security Salih Hudayar said on X.
Hudayar said the establishment of “Cenling County” is an attempt to forcibly alter East Turkistan’s demographics and erase the historical identity of Uyghur and other Turkic communities, alleging that traditional names, governance systems, and institutions are being replaced with Chinese administrative structures and settlers.
He added that decades after China asserted control over the region, such measures continue to deny the people of East Turkistan their right to self-determination. Describing the region as occupied territory, Hudayar accused Beijing of intensifying efforts to divide the land, militarise strategic areas, and dismantle the political, cultural, and physical existence of Uyghur and Turkic populations.
The ETGE minister linked the move to earlier administrative changes, including the creation of so-called “He’an” and “Hekang” counties in 2024, which he said were intended to administer areas of occupied Aksai Chin. He argued these are not routine administrative acts but part of a broader strategy to consolidate control and extend influence toward South and Central Asia.
Hudayar urged governments, parliaments, and international organisations to reject what he called China’s colonial actions, seek global recognition of East Turkistan as occupied territory, and pursue decolonisation and full independence as remedies for decades of repression and human rights abuses.
Persecution of Uyghurs is linked primarily to policies in Xinjiang under the Chinese Communist Party. Since about 2017, rights groups and some governments have reported mass detention of Uyghurs in “re-education” camps, extensive surveillance, forced labour, and restrictions on religion and culture. Beijing maintains these measures combat extremism, while critics say they constitute systemic repression of the Muslim minority in the region. (ANI)
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