On October 1st, 1949 Mao proclaimed the People’s Republic of China and incorporated East Turkestan into its territory. Since the land had been conquered by the non-Chinese Manchu emperors of China in the later part of the 19th century and renamed ‘Xinjiang’ or ‘New Dominion’, the people of East Turkestan had tried more than three times to throw off the yoke of the foreign invaders. Replacing the rule of the Manchu emperor with Nationalist Chinese or Communist Chinese did little to help the people of East Turkestan.

On this 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the World Uyghur Congress does not celebrate the yoke of oppression or the ‘dictatorship of the people.’ This date conjures feelings of anguish and misery for the people whom have endured the takeover and transformation of their homeland into another Chinese province. On this date which is celebrated with joy and happiness by the Chinese invaders, the Uyghur people of East Turkestan note the following:

Despite the promises of regional autonomy and self-determination from the central government, the Chinese Communist Party controls all aspects of life in East Turkestan. Not only have the pledges of self-determination been forgotten and promises of regional autonomy revealed as a farce, the central government has also outlawed and criminalized any dissent, branding those who even voice non-violent thoughts and ideas as terrorists.

When the People’s Republic of China was formed, the population of East Turkestan was about 4% Chinese and today they are now more 40% (which does not include XPCC (Bingtuan) or People’s Liberation Army (PLA) members.) The non-Chinese people of East Turkestan are becoming a minority in their own homeland.

All religious observances and religious education is under the strict control of the central government. Private religious practice is illegal, as well as any and all gatherings of Uyghur people for any reason. Hundreds of religious shrines, schools, and houses of worship are shuttered after centuries of use, all due to the dictates of the Chinese Communist Party.

 At one time, the Uyghur people could boast that they had among their population some of the longest lived people on Earth, today that has changed with the careless policies of the central government. Not mentioning the environmental damage from the XPCC farming policies and the extraction of natural resources, the people of East Turkestan have also endured the unannounced testing of forty-six nuclear devices at Lop Nor.

The Uyghur language is no longer taught in primary schools, it is being replaced with the Chinese language instruction. Instruction in the Uyghur language is no longer allowed in secondary schools, colleges or universities. Students must learn about Uyghur language, history, and culture, their heritage and inheritance, in a foreign language, Chinese.

These observations contrast greatly with the overzealous announcements of the so-called progress by the Chinese Communist Party in celebrating this anniversary. While the Chinese leaders and their minions celebrate and enjoy the fruits of their sixty-year-old empire, the Uyghur people mourn the losses they have suffered.

The Uygur people mourn their dead, victims of the Chinese Communist power hell-bent on control without regard for the Uyghur people. The Uyghur people mourn the loss of their history and heritage, criminalized and outlawed by their occupiers. The Uyghur people mourn the loss of their freedom and pray that one day that freedom and democracy will return.