For immediate release
November 12, 2007, 10:00 PM
Contact: East Turkistan Information Center

The Chinese government sentenced to death five East Turkistan freedom fighter lead by Abduweli Memtimin and two of them had their sentences suspended for two years in November 8th. They were convicted of charges ranging from illegally making explosives to leading terrorist organizations. East Turkistan Information Center strongly condemns the Chinese government’s unfair decision of using the death penalty with a clear lack of substance.

Chinese state reports claim that they were ‘members’ of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), a group which the Chinese government accuses of wanting to found an Islamic state in East Turkistan, independent from China. The group was listed as a terrorist organization by the United States in August 2002, although little is actually known about its size, aims or operations. It is widely considered that ETIM was only listed at the urging of the Chinese authorities, and so that the US could hope to rely on Chinese support in the war on terror. However, it has been concluded by independent scholars and analysts that the group – such as it was – ceased to exist when its purported leader was killed in a skirmish with the Pakistani military in Pakistan in late 2003.
China also claims ETIM has close links with al-Qaeda, although once again, no evidence has ever been presented to support this claim, and notably, no senior al-Qaeda figure has ever made public reference to East Turkistan or the Uyghur people in any of their known statements.

The Chinese government never assured the freedom of speech, human rights of the Uyghurs and is continuously using harsh crackdown policies against the any forms of Uyghur opposition. This could create possible violent resistance and Chinese government should responsibly seek a just policy. However, there was no evidence of these freedom fighters violet acts in East Turkistan. There is no video evidence; there are no independent witness statements; and there is no corroborating evidence from any other source whatsoever.

Considering the international human rights declaration “All peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development” East Turkistan Information Center believes that Uyghurs have the right to fight for their freedom and for for self-determination and these Uyghurs who fight against the Chinese regime and Chinese government as a freedom fighters and not as terrorists.

East Turkistan information center honors these freedom fighters and expresses deep sorrow for their execution.