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The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) has strongly condemned a recent propaganda campaign by the Islamic State (ISIS), calling it a calculated attempt to support China's narrative and undermine the East Turkistani people's struggle for independence, according to the post by ETGE.
The condemnation comes in response to a report by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which highlighted an ISIS poster urging Uyghurs to turn East Turkistan into an "ISIS province". The ETGE described the messaging as a direct effort to delegitimise the region's fight for sovereignty by framing it as linked to terrorism, the ETGE post stated. "This is a deliberate attempt to advance China's propaganda and objectives by undermining the legitimate national liberation struggle of the people of East Turkistan," the ETGE said in its post, adding that Beijing has long used "counterterrorism" as a pretext to justify its policies of mass surveillance, arbitrary detention, and systematic repression in the region. The group noted that the timing of the ISIS propaganda coincided with the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, where member states reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism, separatism, and extremism. According to the ETGE, Beijing's use of such language has historically been a tool to demonise Uyghur activism and independence efforts, as cited by the ETGE post. Rejecting any connection to ISIS, the ETGE emphasised that its struggle is a lawful anti-colonial liberation movement, grounded in international law, including Article 1(4) of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. The statement reaffirmed that East Turkistan's fight has "nothing to do with religious fundamentalism, terrorism, separatism, or extremism" and is instead focused on ending foreign occupation and restoring sovereignty. The ETGE also dismissed any suggestion of becoming a "province" of another entity, stating, "Our sole objective is the restoration of the independent East Turkistan Republic, the complete liberation of all of East Turkistan, the restoration of full sovereignty, and the protection of our people." The group urged the global community to reject narratives that aid China's control over the region and called for stronger international measures to stop what it describes as genocide, crimes against humanity, and colonial rule in Occupied East Turkistan. (ANI)
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