“East Turkestan” Elements Threatening the Security of China

(The following article was originally appeared in the Chinese language “World Times” newspaper of the Peoples Republic of China, and than a translation of it was published by in 23rd November 2001 issue of the Uyghur language newspaper of “The Urumchi Evening”. The following is some excerpts re-translated from Uyghur.)

President Jiang Zemin said “East Turkestan” terrorist elements are part of the international terrorism

During the past years parallel to the strengthening of the international separatist movements the “East Turkestan” terrorist forces, using this favorable situation, also came into the agenda. These elements steadily strengthened their separatist movements directed at our country’s Xinjiang region. These forces, as they became steadily aggressive, with their separatist, destructive and terrorist actions disturbed the social stability and national unity of Xinjiang. Thus, these terrorist forces have threatening the national integrity and sovereignty of the country.

The government of the Peoples Republic of China announced the “East Turkestan” terrorist forces as a part of the in ternational terrorism in October 2001. Thus, after President Jiang Zemin's meeting with Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, on 20th of October, both leaders agreed on the following joint stand:
“Both Chechen and “East Turkestan” terrorist forces are part of the international terrorism and which must be fought against and hit hard”.

Prime Minister Zhou Rongji in his talks with the German Chancellor Schroeder also reiterated that the Chinese fight and strike against the “East Turkestan” terrorist elements is a part of the international struggle against terrorism. Chinese foreign minister Tang Chia Shuan, in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on 12th November said, that China was steadily under the threat of terrorism and that the “East Turkestan” terror elements, for long time, have been under the protection international terror groups, and with their financial support they have been engaged in acts of terror and as result of these terror acts many innocent people lost their lives. He, citing them as clear terrorist acts of the “East Turkestan” forces, asked that they must be recognized as part of international terrorism, and reiterated the “East Turkestan” terrorist elements must be hit hard.

The “East Turkestan” terrorist forces Have Been Trying to Separate Xinjiang from China and Establish “East Turkestan” by Means of Violence and Terrorism.

The “East Turkestan” terrorists can also be defined as the supporters of independence of Xinjiang. These terminology simply means that they are a handful national separatists who
Are engaged to separate Xinjiang and establish a so-called “East Turkestan” by violence and terrorism. The historical background of the appearance of East Turkestan terrorists goes back to the beginning of the 20th century where “Pan Turkism ” was seen. According to historians the Turks were a nomadic people engaged with husbandry that established during 6th Century the Turkic Khanid in Central Asia and mentioned in the Yearbooks of China. These Turkic Khanid later was divided into Eastern and Western Turkic Khanids and afterwards were destroyed by the Uyghurs. After this date the Turks lost the possibility of developing as a modern nation. Mr. Mesut Sabri Baykuzu who returned to Xinjiang finishing his education in Turkey, at the beginning of last century, brought the ideology of “Pan Turkism” to Xinjiang and spread the idea of so called “Independent East Turkestan” movement. Accordingly, with support of the British imperialism and using the favorable situation, in 1933, East Turkestan Islamic Republic was proclaimed, in Kashghar. Though this Republic was alive only for three months, it educated the basic group of separatists for the “East Turkestan Independence movement. These people later gradually fled to Central and West Asian countries where they have been engaged in a movement of separating Xinjiang from China. They established huge camps in these countries to materialize their aims…

Some Western countries steadily have been supporting the separatist movements of the “East Turkestan” terrorists to forestall and slow down the development of the Peoples Republic of China. On 17th of October 2001 the European Parliament, against all the protests of the government and peoples of China, has allowed the East Turkestan (Uyghuristan) National Congress which is the highest umbrella body of the Diaspora East
Turkestan organizations, to hold its General Assembly at the European Parliament….

“The East Turkestan” terrorist forces set to follow the method of the Tibetan independence movement to strengthen and enhance its role in international community and is aiming to continue its separatist struggle at universal level seeking recognition from social and political circles around the world”

The East Turkestan terrorist elements by holding its 2nd General Assembly in Munich, Germany, in October 1999; the 3rd General Assembly in Brussels and the 3. General Assembly of the World Uyghur Youth, in November 2000, in the city of Tallinn, Estonia has made an unprecedented expansion and took a large step forward…

They established a new leadership body consisting of the East Turkestan National Congress and the World Congress of the Uyghur Youth. According to their movement program, besides ideology and theoretic programs, they also have a high organizational… For example, they politically besides inciting secret terror acts in mainland China, in international arena by demonstrating themselves as the messengers of peace and using slogans of democracy and human rights, their aims of international struggle are to turn the Independence of Xinjiang into an international cause. They are strengthening their international activities by enhancing international propaganda and publicity work. Their basic aims are to facilitate the solidarity and unification of the anti Chinese forces.

Last October during the General Assembly of the East Turkestan National Congress the movement Program of the “East Turkestan” terrorist elements was adopted. According to it, in the future the independence movement of Xinjiang will be run according to the independence movement of Tibet; they will take his Holiness the Dalai Lama as an idol; and seek a more universal acceptance of their cause by more subtle public relations work and international activism. It does not mean that the “East Turkestan” terrorist elements in future will abandon violence, acts of terror and creating disturbances in our country. Perhaps, they are up to a more i nternationally organized struggle… They are seeking more recognition and more international support by hiding themselves behind slogans of democracy and human rights and by deceiving people…