Final Declaration of

Final Declaration of
The Free East Turkistan Symposium

The final declaration of the Free East Turkistan Symposium organized by Istanbul Peace Platform in Istanbul on 20-21 March 2010 is as follows:
EVALUATIONS
1. The East Turkistan territory has been under occupation for 61 years.
2. Due to its geostrategic location, abundant natural resources and economic potential, East Turkistan is a region on which China has been in an effort to have an influence since late 19th century. The region, which was occupied by China in 1949, was declared as “the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” in 1955. Despite declaration of autonomy, the autonomous rights and capabilities of East Turkistan have been violated by China. In East Turkistan, which has been a hot topic in international agenda after the incidents that took place in Urumchi on the 5th of July 2009, genocide and humanitarian crimes are still being committed.
3. International transportation into the region, inflow of humanitarian aids and determination and observation of violations in place become impossible due to the oppressive policies implemented by China.
4. Oppression and violations of China victimize not only the people of East Turkistan but also all the Chinese people and other ethnic and religious groups in the region.
5. The oppressive Chinese regime yields some conclusions which threaten the peace and stability not only domestically but also regionally and globally.
6. The Muslim World remains indifferent to the oppression and restrictions over Muslim people of East Turkistan.
7. United Nations (UN) cannot impose sanctions over China because China is a member of the UN Security Council, and other nations cannot impose sanctions over China because of economic reasons.
8. Having turned up the volume of oppression in the region under the cover of the “war against terror” after 9/11 attacks, China has been violating the basic rights and liberties of the countries in the region. Violations in the region include the followings:
a. Violation of the right to life: arbitrary detentions, arbitrary arrestment, torture, extrajudicial executions, death penalty, birth control policy and nuclear tests
b. Ethnic and religious discriminations
c. Restrictions on using the mother tongue; prohibition of education in mother tongue
d. Restriction of freedom of expression; restriction of freedom of information and communication
e. Prohibition of religious education; restriction of freedom of religion and prayer
f. Violations against women: the birth control policy, forced abortion, forcing young girls to work
g. Forced labor
h. Impoverishment
i. Resources of the region cannot be used by the people of the region
j. Restriction of freedom of education
k. Forced migration
l. Restriction of freedom of travelling

RECOMMENDATIONS
1. The East Turkistan issue is an issue of the entire humanity. China should open the region to international observers.
2. Chinese administration should stop the assimilation policy against the Muslim Uyghur Turks. Demographic movements should be suspended in order to stop changing the demographic structure in East Turkistan. A census should be conducted vis-à-vis the assimilation and migration policies in East Turkistan as soon as possible.
3. Using the name “Xinjiang” should be declared illegal.
4. China should stop ethnic and religious discrimination in the region.
5. All human rights violations should be prevented, and restrictions and prohibitions over the freedom of organization should be lifted.
6. UN Security Council is unable to display the required sensitivity over the East Turkistan Issue due to the veto power of China in the Council. General Assembly of UN should take a position in favor of the innocent people of East Turkistan under oppression.
7. Non-governmental organizations and UN Security Council should make any application to take all crimes against humanity including the Urumchi Massacre to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to other international jurisdiction mechanisms. For jurisdiction of ICC, China has to recognize ICC.
8. All civil and official authorities, parliaments, NGOs, international courts and international organizations in Asia, Middle East, Europe and Africa and in Turkish Republics and anywhere else against the oppression of China.
9. Organization of Islamic Conference should convene urgently, and adopt a resolution for economic and political sanctions over China.
10. There are historical, cultural and religious ties between peoples of Turkey and East Turkistan. Republic of Turkey should adopt policies supporting the freedom of people of East Turkistan.
11. Turkey should seek ways to consider her political and economic relations with China in favor of East Turkistan until the Chinese oppression in East Turkistan comes to an end. Furthermore, Turkey should implement a special strategy to explain the oppression in East Turkistan to Turkish Republics, Islamic Countries and Western countries and to attract their support on this issue.
12. China needs the Muslim World as an economic market. The Muslim World should enjoy this power against China.
13. All obstacles should be removed and international mechanisms should be activated to pave the way for sending humanitarian aid to East Turkistan and all other regions in China.
14. It is indispensible for China to make reforms and guarantee the basic human rights and liberties. China should stop ethnic and religious discrimination, extrajudicial arrestment and executions, restrictions on freedom of education and religion, restrictions on establishment of foundations, associations and political parties; and violations in fields of freedom of press, traveling and telecommunication, forced migration, forced abortion and birth control.
15. Islamic Countries should make initiatives for opening consulates, offices of humanitarian organizations and faculties of Islamic universities in East Turkistan.
16. In order to further strengthen the struggle of East Turkistan, cooperation and exchange of experiences should be established among East Turkistan organizations; education and development of individuals and institutions supporting the cause of East Turkistan should be supported and promoted. Goals and objectives of organizations working for the East Turkistan cause should clearly be declared. Differences in goals and objectives should not be perceived as a conflict.
17. A global civil-struggle platform should be established for East Turkistan.
18. Women Rights Organizations in the world should conduct studies about the violations against women in East Turkistan.
19. International public opinion is unable to receive accurate information concerning what happens in the region. It should be ensured that the media channels in the region are in constant contact with human rights organizations; an independent news agency should be established in order to support the exchange of information concerning the East Turkistan issue. All mass communication devices and propaganda channels should be used to disclose the oppression and violations in East Turkistan. Mass communication tools should be accurately used to provide speedy information flow to the international public opinion. Literature foundations and organizations can attract the attention of wider masses to the issue by having Uyghur books on the East Turkistan issue translated into various languages. Within the same context, exhibitions and short movies can be prepared and the humanitarian situation in the region can thus be depicted.
20. Although Foundations and organizations conducting works and studies on the East Turkistan issue are many in number, they sometimes have difficulties in taking concrete steps because they do not have sufficient professional staff. The qualified human resources should be further developed in East Turkistan. It should be supported that young people in East Turkistan study in various universities in Turkey and other Muslim countries.
21. Independent investigation committees should be established to investigate the objections of China, and these committees should conduct investigations in the region.
22. An Islamic fraternity should be established among all Muslim people in China regardless of their ethnic origins.
23. A commission should be formed to negotiate the ethnic, politic and judicial status of people of East Turkistan.
24. Communication with the Chinese is the key in settlement of the East Turkistan issue. There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of Chinese people who are for justice and human rights. A committed, intensive pressure should be exerted to stop oppression, threat and violence, and to remove the barriers over freedom of organization and environment. The most powerful force among the non-governmental organizations will no doubt be the Chinese non-governmental organizations which are for justice in China.
25. Public activities should be organized on important days or dates which are turning points in the history of East Turkistan.
26. An international lawyers’ platform consisting of field experts should be established to make further contribution into settlement of the East Turkistan issue in terms of international law.
27. It should be ensured that all people of East Turkistan who had to migrate to other countries as asylum-seekers, refugees, immigrants and etc… have all their rights and humane conditions in the countries where they currently live. No country should extradite any people of East Turkistan back to China where they have no guarantee of life.
28. Intellectuals, writers, leaders or other prominent figures should be supported in East Turkistan. Such people who are free or imprisoned in East Turkistan should be promoted worldwide.
29. For a constant contact with East Turkistan and a better access to information about the region, efforts should be exerted to preserve the Uyghur language.
30. The budgets of institutions and organizations working on the East Turkistan issue should be increased.
31. Any opportunity of cooperation with other nations who suffer from the oppression of China should be sought.