2009 Urumqi massacre: Uighurs demand action to stop China’s genocide, plan rally from White House to State Department

The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE), in cooperation with the East Turkistan National Movement and the East Turkistan National Fund, has announced a march from the White House to the Department of State in Washington DC on Friday.

The march aims to commemorate the 2009 Urumqi Massacre and call for meaningful action against China’s ongoing colonisation campaign, Uyghur genocide and occupation of East Turkistan (presently Xinjiang province of China).

The march will begin at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC, and will proceed to the State Department, 2201 C St NW, Washington, DC.

“The march aims to draw attention to the issues of colonisation, genocide and occupation faced by the Uyghur population and other ethnic groups in East Turkistan,” ETGE posted on X.

The main point of their demands is the appointment of a special coordinator for East Turkistan/Uighur issues in the State Department.

The event is a call to the U.S. government to uphold its moral and legal obligations to prevent and punish the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Chinese-occupied East Turkistan.

The organisers are advocating for official recognition of East Turkistan as an occupied territory just like Tibet. They emphasise that there is an urgent need for the US to fulfill its moral and legal responsibilities in addressing China’s alleged genocide and crimes against humanity in East Turkistan.

The march represents a unified call for international attention and action to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region. The event underscores growing global concerns and calls for concrete efforts to uphold human rights and address geopolitical challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

On the 103rd anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on Monday, the party faced strong backlash from human rights organisations and ethnic groups for alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang, also known as East Turkistan.

The Swedish Uyghur Committee exposed the CCP’s horrific legacy on social media, and condemned the party’s “ruthless invasion, occupation and colonisation” of East Turkistan. The post also accused the Chinese government of committing serious human rights violations against millions of East Turkistanis, including Uyghurs.