(COLUMN by Ghulam Osman, President of East Turkistan Government-in-Exile)

What day is it today? Today is the day when the Chinese government-appointed Chen Quanguo as Party Secretary for our invaded land—East Turkistan. Today is the day that Pandora’s box was fully opened.

The Children of Israel were oppressed by the Pharaoh in the Bronze Age. It was a primitive time. But in this day and age where even the rights of animals are being discussed and passing into law, the Uyghur people, my people are subject to horrific and unprecedented levels of oppression that would shock, or more accurately scare even the Pharaoh.

We are enslaved in our own land through advanced technologies such as facial recognition, DNA profiling, brainwashing facilities, and concentration camps. Inside and outside of these camps, the sale of Uyghur organs has become a lucrative business; Uyghur men, like the Jewish men in Egypt, are slaughtered and Uyghur women are raped and are forced into getting abortions; kids are being separated from their families and are forcibly Sinicized—unable to comprehend what is happening and why it’s happening, their innocent hearts are left scarred for a lifetime. All these atrocities are happening in our time, right before our very eyes and yet, the world stays silent.

If we recall, in WWII, the free world turned a blind eye to the occupation of Austria and Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany under the illusion that Nazi Germany would halt its expansion efforts into other parts of Europe. This illusion was shattered very quickly. What price did the free world pay for not putting a stop to the Nazis in the beginning? Millions of innocent lives in Europe and beyond.

This example shows us that any sign of fascism must be stopped from the beginning. If left to thrive and grow, it will always end in great catastrophe and Chinese fascism is no exception to this. Fascist China will not be satisfied with just East Turkistan, they want to rule the world.

Today the world seems to have forgotten this important lesson. It is a mistake to say that history only evolves but does not repeat itself. If any dictator, who oppresses innocent people is not stopped at the beginning, there will be far-reaching consequences. Consequences that affect more than just the parties involved but the bystanders as well. If anybody thinks that the current genocide is only confined to the Uyghurs, they are mistaken, as the same regime can apply the same inhumane measures to others with more confidence, precision, and efficiency at the right time. 

Martin Niemöller famously said: “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

It is certain that it will be too late for those who lament like Martin Niemöller for keeping their silence regarding the Uyghur genocide. That is why we call upon the US, Canada and other Western democratic nations, the beacons of freedom and hope, to stop China from continually engaging in its inhumane policies and practices in East Turkistan immediately; furthermore, we call upon the free world to speak out against China’s aggressive and inhumane behavior towards the Uyghur people and to officially recognize East Turkistan as an occupied land. Some people may say that this is only for the benefit of the Uyghur people. However, this is for the betterment of humanity because turning a blind eye to the inhumane actions of a tyrant like the CCP affects the whole world. The existence of the CCP poses a threat to the principles of equality, liberty, and democracy. Standing up for the Uyghurs against China is standing up for yourself and your future.

We Uyghurs as a Turkic nation have been fighting against China for the past three millennia. Our ancestors were the ones that forced China to construct the Great Wall for defense. Although China is subjugating our people to brainwashing, physical torture and assimilation, we have never surrendered. Nor will we ever surrender. We will never back down from the fight for our freedom and independence. Our weakness today is temporary, and we believe that time will change everything. We also believe that any strong, seemingly invincible power has a weakness. The tyranny of China is not eternal, it will eventually weaken and change drastically. Ultimately, we believe that we will gather the strength to achieve our independence one day. This belief has never changed and will never change in the future!