Washington, DC [US], November 6 (ANI): The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile (ETGE) has urged the United States and Central Asian nations to place the situation in East Turkistan on the agenda during the forthcoming C5+1 Summit in Washington.

According to its official website, the ETGE stressed the critical need to address China's ongoing acts of genocide and crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples.

Salih Hudayar, Foreign Minister of the ETGE, stated, 'East Turkistan is at the core of Central Asia. China's occupation of East Turkistan has facilitated Beijing's political, military, and economic expansion across the region. Confronting China's campaign of colonisation, genocide, and occupation in East Turkistan is essential for safeguarding Central Asia's independence and security.'

The ETGE emphasised this point in its statement.

The ETGE highlighted that since China's occupation of East Turkistan in 1949, Beijing has used the region as a base to extend its influence across Eurasia.

Today, East Turkistan is central to the Belt and Road Initiative, hosting key energy pipelines, transport networks, and digital infrastructure that link China with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, according to the ETGE.

The ETGE also underscored that China's abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples include mass detentions, forced sterilisations, the separation of children from families, forced labour, and organ harvesting. These crimes have been recognised by the United States as genocide and by the United Nations as crimes against humanity. The ETGE warned that ongoing silence from Central Asian governments risks enabling Beijing's influence and weakening regional sovereignty.

The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile (ETGE) is a group that positions itself as the representative of the people of East Turkistan, a region also referred to as Xinjiang in China. Functioning as a government-in-exile, the ETGE claims authority over a territory it does not currently govern and promotes the independence of East Turkistan while advocating for the rights of its mainly Uyghur and other Turkic communities.

According to several media reports, the Uyghurs face severe challenges in Xinjiang. They also endure constant surveillance, restrictions on language and religion, and limited access to education and employment, making it difficult to preserve their identity and basic human rights. (ANI)