URAP Commemorates East Turkistan National Day

November 12, 2022

Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP), along with the Uyghur-Canadian community and its friends, is celebrating the National Day of East Turkistan today. This national day commemorates our homeland, in which twice in the past century, Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking people have established their own republic of East Turkistan, on November 12, 1933, and November 12, 1944. This national day, which is remembered and celebrated by Uyghur people across the world, is criminalized in China.

Today, Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking people of East Turkistan are witnessing the darkest days in their long history as the Uyghur genocide continues at the hands of the PRC (People’s Republic of China).

URAP’s Executive Director Mehmet Tohti’s statement today is as follows:

“The people of East Turkistan continue to be subjected to the heinous crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity. They are struggling to survive as a nation. Each and every state bears the responsibility to prevent the ongoing genocide targeting the Uyghurs and punish its perpetrators. The time of ‘business as usual’ is long over and it is now time for action to address this crisis. As we celebrate the national day of East Turkistan, we call upon all governments and international institutions to break their [shameful] silence.”

URAP is committed to raise awareness on the plight of Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking people of East Turkistan. We will continue documenting the atrocities committed by the state of China. The darkest time of the day is right before the dawn.

For media inquiries please contact:

Kayum Masimov

kayum@urap.ca