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The first edition of Annual East Turkistan Lobby Day was convened on Friday by the members of East Turkistan Government in Exile, East Turkistan National Movement, East Turkistan National Fund, and East Turkistan Parliament in Exile, as well as the delegates and representatives from 13 US congressional offices.
The US representatives that participated in the event included members of the US House Foreign Affairs, Armed Services, and Intelligence Committees and the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Intelligence Committees, and the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. In a post on 'X,' the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) stated to have put forward the swift passage of key legislative measures, such as the Uyghur Policy Act of 2023, Uyghur Genocide Intelligence Review Act, the Uyghur Genocide Sanctions and Accountability Act, and the Uyghur Forced Labour Disclosure Act. https://x.com/etexilegov/status/1834683310338937084?s=46&t=nbusnwoIYo9hUrDuoWfhwQ The statement by the ETGE denoted these steps as essential for confronting the ongoing atrocities being committed against the Uyghur community of East Turkistani people. "We urged the US Congress to treat East Turkistan on par with Tibet, by rejecting the Chinese colonial and degrading term "Xinjiang" and instead recognising our country by its rightful name, East Turkistan. Furthermore, we called on Congress to introduce a resolution formally recognising East Turkistan as an Occupied Country, underscoring that the genocide against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples is rooted in China's over seven decades of colonisation and brutal occupation of our homeland," the ETGE statement read. The members of the East Turkistani community implored the US Congress to support the East Turkistani people's right to external self-determination. "Restoring East Turkistan's independence is not just a moral imperative, but also the only viable solution to ensure the very survival, freedom, and human rights of the #Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. The world cannot stand idly by as genocide unfolds before our eyes, and we reaffirm the East Turkistani people's unwavering desire to reclaim their independence, liberty, and dignity," the statement added. The ETGE further called upon the US Congress, the State Department, and all defenders of liberty from around the world to take decisive action against the atrocities inflicted by China upon the East Turkistani community. "The time for empty promises has passed; now is the time for meaningful support and tangible results. The future of an entire people depends on it" it stated. (ANI)
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