ETGE marks twelfth anniversary of China’s 2014 campaign and calls for decolonization to end East Turkistan genocide.
By The East Turkistan Post | May 24, 2026
WASHINGTON — East Turkistan, what Beijing calls ‘Xinjiang (New Territory),’ is the focus of what the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) describes as an ongoing East Turkistan genocide now entering its thirteenth year. The ETGE marked the twelfth anniversary of China’s People’s War Against Terrorism on May 23, 2026. The group says the policy launched in 2014 marked the start of the current genocide. Furthermore, the ETGE states that human rights abuses cannot end without ending colonial occupation.
The ETGE also said the anniversary reflects a shift in its international strategy. The organisation is now pressing a decolonization framework at the UN Special Committee on Decolonization. It argues that East Turkistan’s political status must be addressed alongside alleged abuses.
ETGE cites detention figures and warns of ongoing East Turkistan genocide
The ETGE said records it attributes to Beijing show approximately eight million people passed through camps between 2014 and 2019. Chinese authorities describe those facilities as vocational training centres, according to state statements cited by the group.
The ETGE also cited early 2026 warnings from UN Special Rapporteurs. According to the group, those warnings stated that forced labour transfers may have exceeded a five-year projection of 13.75 million. The ETGE describes the situation as potential enslavement and a crime against humanity. The East Turkistan Post could not independently verify these figures or the ETGE’s interpretation of the UN warnings.
In addition, the ETGE alleged that between 25,000 and 50,000 Turkic people are killed each year for organ harvesting. That claim is attributed to ETGE documentation and is reported here as an allegation. It has not been independently verified by The East Turkistan Post.
Chinese authorities routinely reject all allegations of genocide. They say their policies are aimed at stability, development, and counterterrorism.
For background, see our earlier report on the ETGE’s UN decolonization petition.
ETGE links East Turkistan genocide to colonial occupation and resource extraction
On May 5, 2026, the ETGE submitted a petition to the UN Special Committee on Decolonization. The group seeks to have East Turkistan listed as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. Moreover, the ETGE argues that East Turkistan is central to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It states that the territory’s oil, gas, and coal resources are being used to support Beijing’s military and economic aims. These resource and strategic claims are presented as ETGE positions and have not been independently verified.
The ETGE also highlighted China’s March 12, 2026 Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress as evidence of cultural erasure. According to the group’s petition, the law codifies a single Chinese identity and restricts expressions of distinct Turkic identity. The ETGE further states the law follows a long pattern of replacing village names and limiting native-language instruction. Those assertions are part of the ETGE’s broader legal case and are not independently verified in this report.
See also our report on China’s ethnic unity law and ETGE’s response.
ETGE calls for sanctions, ICC action, and East Turkistan independence
The ETGE called on foreign governments to recognise East Turkistan as an occupied country. It also urged governments to impose sanctions on China and ban goods made with forced labour. Furthermore, the group called for the appointment of a Special Coordinator for East Turkistani Issues at the US State Department.
Salih Hudayar, ETGE Foreign Minister, said an independent East Turkistan would supply critical minerals at competitive rates and weaken Beijing’s leverage over global defence supply chains, according to the organisation’s statement.
‘Inaction will not end this evil; it will only embolden China,’ said Dr. Mamtimin Ala, ETGE President, in a statement. ‘Any government serious about a rules-based order, and serious about ending genocide and colonialism, has every legal, moral, and strategic reason to stand with the East Turkistani people.’
The ETGE said it has also urged the International Criminal Court to act on evidence submissions filed since 2020. The organisation states that East Turkistan independence — not autonomy — is the only fundamental solution to the East Turkistan genocide and the broader crisis facing Turkic peoples under Chinese administration.
The East Turkistan Post is an independent news publication. All claims are attributed to the ETGE or to state and UN sources cited in the material provided. Detention figures, organ harvesting allegations, and resource claims from the ETGE have not been independently verified. Access restrictions inside East Turkistan limit on-the-ground confirmation.
