ETGE has released a powerful statement calling on the Irish Government to stand up to China’s policies in Xinjiang

Washington, DC: In a strong statement, the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) urged the Irish government to oppose China’s actions in Xinjiang.

This followed Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to Ireland. The East Turkistan Government in Exile said in a post, X: “Ireland has a moral obligation to oppose China’s colonial occupation of East Turkistan as a country that previously endured colonial oppression and battled to regain its freedom. Both inside East Turkistan and via transnational repression elsewhere, the Chinese government continues its systematic colonization, extermination, and violent persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples.

“We urge the Irish government to officially recognize East Turkistan as an occupied country under Chinese colonial domination, condemn China’s ongoing colonization, genocide, and transnational repression, and support East Turkistan’s right to external self-determination,” ETGE added in a clear and direct statement. We further urge Ireland to help hold China responsible for its continued crimes against humanity and genocide, as well as to back East Turkistan’s efforts to get justice at the International Criminal Court.”

“Silence emboldens oppressors,” the letter said, underscoring the need to take action. East Turkistan aims to regain its legitimate independence, just as Ireland did. We implore Ireland to back our fight for independence and to stand on the right side of history.

Prior to their talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Uyghurs and Hong Kong residents in Ireland had sent an open letter to the Irish government requesting that they take a human rights-based stance. The letter expressed concerns about the Chinese government’s political incarceration, genocide, and transnational persecution, specifically with reference to the Uyghur and Hong Kong expatriate groups in Ireland.

The treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang lies at the heart of the Uyghur problem in China. Reports draw attention to violations of human rights, such as reeducation camps, forced labor, and widespread monitoring. These charges are refuted by the Chinese government, which describes them as counterterrorism measures. Governments and international organizations, however, have denounced China’s actions as human rights abuses and acts of genocide.