Washington, DC — The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has strongly denounced Beijing’s announcement of a new administrative unit called ‘Cenling County’ in the Kashgar area, calling it an illegal, unilateral act of colonial domination, ETGE Foreign and Security Minister Salih Hudayar said on X.
Hudayar said the move aims to force demographic change and erase the historical identity of Uyghur and other Turkic communities. He charged that longstanding local names, governance practices and institutions are being supplanted by Chinese administrative structures and populations relocated into the region.
Saying the area is under occupation, Hudayar accused Beijing of intensifying efforts to divide territory, militarize strategic zones and dismantle the political, cultural and physical presence of Uyghur and Turkic peoples. He described the ‘Cenling County’ decision as part of a continuing pattern, not a routine administrative adjustment.
The ETGE minister tied the announcement to earlier 2024 moves creating so-called ‘He’an’ and ‘Hekang’ counties, which he said aimed to administer parts of occupied Aksai Chin. Hudayar argued these steps are elements of a broader plan to consolidate control and extend influence toward South and Central Asia.
He urged governments, parliaments and international organizations to reject what he termed China’s colonial actions, recognize East Turkistan as occupied territory and pursue decolonization and full independence to address decades of repression and human rights abuses.
Human rights groups and some governments say persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang has included mass detention in so-called re-education camps, pervasive surveillance, forced labor and restrictions on religion and culture since around 2017. Beijing says its measures combat extremism; critics say they amount to systemic repression of the region’s Muslim minority.
This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received.
