Washington DC [US] May 6 (ANI): The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile and the East Turkistan National Movement have submitted a petition to the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonisation, formally requesting that East Turkistan be inscribed as a Non-Self-Governing Territory, according to a release from the ETGE.

As cited in the ETGE release, this marks the first time such a request has been formally placed before the Committee, seeking a recommendation to the UN General Assembly. The petition argues that such an inscription would activate an international framework obligating the United Nations to oversee East Turkistan's path toward self-determination. The release further claimed that no state or entity has previously challenged China as a colonial power before any UN body.

Referring to the region known by China as Xinjiang, the ETGE stated that East Turkistan had functioned as an independent state, the East Turkistan Republic, before what it described as China's invasion and occupation in 1949. The press release asserted that no treaty of cession, plebiscite, or any expression of the free will of the people had legitimised Chinese control.

It also claimed significant demographic shifts over the decades, with Chinese settlers increasing from under 5 per cent to over 42 per cent of the population, while the native Turkic population declined from over 90 per cent to around 55 per cent.

'More than eighty nations achieved their independence through the decolonisation framework,' said Mamtimin Ala, as quoted in the ETGE statement. 'Today, the peoples of East Turkistan formally assert that same right before the United Nations.'

The ETGE further alleged that what it described as a genocide targeting Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic groups is entering its thirteenth year. The press release cited findings from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which in August 2022 stated that abuses in the region 'may constitute crimes against humanity.' It also referenced positions taken by the United States and several Western parliaments recognising alleged atrocities as genocide and crimes against humanity.

According to the ETGE press release, the International Criminal Court has not initiated a formal investigation despite multiple submissions of evidence since 2020. The statement further alleged ongoing human rights violations, including mass internment, forced sterilisation, family separations, and forced labour transfers.

It claimed that China's development plans projected 13.75 million labour transfers between 2021 and 2025, with UN Special Rapporteurs in January 2026 warning that the actual numbers may have exceeded projections and could amount to enslavement.

'The ongoing genocide is rooted in China's colonial occupation of East Turkistan,' said Salih Hudayar, as cited in the release. 'Decolonisation and the restoration of our independence is the only effective guarantee of our people's survival.'

The press release also referred to legislative developments in China, including a law adopted by the National People's Congress on March 12, 2026, which it claimed institutionalises cultural assimilation under the framework of 'ethnic unity.'

The ETGE petition reportedly outlines eight key demands, including calling on the UN General Assembly to designate the People's Republic of China as an occupying power in East Turkistan, affirm the right to self-determination and independence, and address what it described as China's conflict of interest as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a participant in decolonisation processes.

The ETGE stated that the petition aims to bring renewed international attention to the issue, framing it within the broader context of global decolonisation efforts. (ANI)