Washington DC [US], August 14 : The East Turkistan National Movement (ETNM), a US-based organisation committed to raising awareness about human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region, called on the International Community, human rights authorities and human rights activists to support them in the fight against Beijing.
The ETNM statement accused China of converting 16,000 mosques and other religious sites into Clubs and bars. In a post on X, the ETNM stated "The Chinese government is executing a calculated strategy to annihilate the identity of the East Turkistan nation to ensure its occupation of East Turkistan continues. In a blatant attempt to erase our historical and cultural roots, Beijing has demolished over 16,000 mosques, desecrated religious sites by turning them into bars and clubs, and destroyed countless historic Uyghur neighbourhoods. These acts of cultural destruction are designed to break the spirit of our people and erase our Turkic and Islamic heritage from existence".
The ETNM also accused Muslim countries and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Central Asian Republics of remaining silent as China continues its brutal campaign against Uyghur Muslims. The statement mentioned that the world has turned a blind eye towards the atrocities being committed in Xinjiang. And have, shamelessly lent their support to China's genocide, colonisation, and occupation of East Turkistan.
According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute 2021 report, satellite imagery has revealed significant damage being done to over 20 per cent of the region's mosques, with some being demolished or repurposed.
The region has been described as one of the most heavily monitored areas in the world, with extensive use of facial recognition technology and other forms of surveillance. There have been significant reports and satellite imagery proving the existence of large-scale internment camps in Xinjiang. These facilities are described as "re-education" camps backed by the Chinese government, but international observers and human rights organizations consider them to be detention centres erasing the identity of East Turkistan.
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