Washington DC [US], November 16 (ANI): The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile (ETGE) commemorated East Turkistan National Independence Day on November 12, calling on governments worldwide to support the restoration of the region's independence and sovereignty, which it described as essential to safeguarding its people against what it termed China's ongoing genocide, colonisation and occupation.

According to an ETGE press release, November 12 marked the 93rd anniversary of the First East Turkistan Republic (1933-1934), established in Kashgar in 1933, and the 82nd anniversary of the Second East Turkistan Republic (1944-1949), established in Ghulja in 1944. The occasion also commemorated Kashgar's liberation from Manchu Qing occupation in 1864, which preceded the establishment of the State of Yette Sheher (1865-1877).

As cited in the press release, East Turkistani communities and supporters organised rallies in Washington, D.C., and Edmonton, Canada, on November 11. Commemorative events, rallies and other gatherings were also held on November 12 in Istanbul, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Oslo and other locations to honour the historical republics and reaffirm the movement's demand for independence.

"East Turkistan was an independent country. It remains an occupied country. China's genocide is the direct consequence of the destruction of our sovereignty and the imposition of colonial rule," said Salih Hudayar, ETGE Minister for Foreign Affairs and Security and leader of the East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM), according to the statement.

Hudayar further called on the international community to move beyond condemnations and take concrete measures to address what the ETGE described as China's occupation.

"Our people cannot survive on condemnations and empty promises. We call on the world to confront the occupation and support the restoration of our independence before China makes our nation's destruction irreversible," he said.

ETGE Prime Minister Nur Abdulahat, who led the Edmonton rally, also reaffirmed the government's commitment to national sovereignty, emphasising the historical struggle of East Turkistan's people to govern their homeland and determine their political future.

"Our forefathers established independent republics so that our people could govern our homeland and determine our own future. We will not surrender that right," Nur said, as quoted in the press release.

He urged Canada and other democratic nations to recognise East Turkistan as an occupied country and support its struggle for decolonisation and independence.

The ETGE further stated that mass imprisonment, forced labour, family separation, reproductive coercion and what it described as the systematic destruction of national identity could not be addressed under continued Chinese rule. The government reiterated that restoring independence remained its central objective and the foundation for ensuring lasting protection for the people of East Turkistan.

Outlining its demands to the international community, the ETGE urged governments to support the decolonisation petition jointly submitted by the ETGE and ETNM to the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation on May 5, 2026. It also called for stronger sanctions, stricter enforcement against imports linked to forced labour, international legal accountability and greater protection for East Turkistani refugees and diaspora communities facing what it described as Chinese transnational repression.

The government also called on supporters to approach their elected representatives, demand concrete policy action and strengthen East Turkistan's national institutions.

Concluding its statement, the ETGE paid tribute to the founding leaders of the historical republics and those who sacrificed their lives for national freedom, reiterating its determination to restore what it described as a free, sovereign and independent East Turkistan. (ANI)