Appeal to World Leaders
The General Assembly of the East Turkestan
"Uyghuristan" National Congress (ETNC), held in Brussel on 18 and 19
October 2001, urgently calls on world leaders to support, by all
avaailable political adn diplomatic means, its peaceful efforts to
bring an end to the suffering of the people of East Turkestan and to
prevent the outbreak of violent conflict there. The people of East
Turkestan have been living in captivity under the harsh Chinese
Communist regime since the county's invasione and occupation by the
communist Chinese forces in 1949. They are now facing increased
repression and an imminent violent crackdown by Chinese forces
acting under the false pretext of combating terrorism.
The East Turkestan National Congress is dedicated
to the restoration of human rights and democratic government in East
Turkestan by non-violent means. It is the only legitimate
representative organ of the Uyghur people and speaks and acts on
behalf of that people in the free world. The first General Assembly,
or National COngress, was held in 1992 in IStambul. At the second
General Assembly, held in Munich in 1999, the East Turkestan
National Congress was founded as the international democratically
elected representative body of the Uyghur people. Delegates to the
ETNC are elected by the million Uyghurs in exile. The ETNC maintains
close contacts with the people in East Turkestan and speaks on their
behalf so lond as they are prevented from doing so by the Chinese
authorities.
The East Turkestan National Congress rejects all
forms of terrorism, regardless of the perpetrators and support
effort to combat terrorism. It is convinced, however, that terrorism
can only be combated successfully and violent conflicts prevented if
the international community actively supports those movements that
act to free themselves from repression by peaceful, democratic
means. Ignoring the plight of repressed people struggling for
freedom by non-violent democratic means, can only heighten
frustration and tensions and eventually lead to violence.
The international community can not ignore
Communist China's current wave of attacks on the Uyghur people,
culture, religion and national identity, which constitute gross
violations of human rights. On behalf of the captive people of East
Turkestan we, the delegates to the Third General Assembly of the
East Turkestan National Congress urgently appeal to world leaders to
use all available political and diplomatic means to persuade the
People's Republic of China to stop the repression of our people and
to respect the fundamental human rights of the Uyghur people,
including their right to self-determination. We fully endorse the
resolution adopted at the European Parliament on the 17 of October
2001 by the 'Conference on the Situation of East Turkestan After
Fifty Years of Chinese Communist Occupation' and urge the European
Union and all democratic governments to help ensure its
implementation.
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