Washington DC [US], September 30 : The East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM), a US-based non-profit advocacy group, is set to hold a demonstration on October 12 at Lafayette Park outside the White House, marking 76 years since the Chinese invasion of East Turkistan in 1949.
The event, which will take place from 1 pm to 3 pm, aims to bring attention to what organisers call the ongoing genocide and colonisation campaign against the Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which many in the diaspora refer to as East Turkistan.
ETNM took to the social media platform X to promote October 12 as a "National Day of Mourning for East Turkistan," aiming to rally public support and push for international intervention. In their post, the organisation highlighted the date as the 76th anniversary of China's invasion of East Turkistan, which they claim marked the beginning of a prolonged campaign of occupation, colonisation, and genocide that continues today.
A digital pamphlet shared alongside the post reiterated this message, stating that China's violent takeover in 1949 laid the foundation for the ongoing repression of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic ethnic groups. The flyer called for three main actions: formal recognition of East Turkistan as an occupied nation, the restoration of its independence, and concrete measures to hold China accountable for what the group describes as genocide and crimes against humanity.
The Xinjiang and East Turkistan issue centres on China's treatment of the Uyghur Muslim population in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
China claims it is combating extremism through "re-education camps" and surveillance, but critics, including human rights groups, allege systematic human rights abuses, forced labour, cultural erasure, and even genocide. The term "East Turkistan" is used by some Uyghur activists who seek independence, which China strongly opposes, labelling it separatism and terrorism.
The issue remains deeply contentious, with international calls for accountability clashing with China's assertions of sovereignty and national security.
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