East Turkistan Group Calls for Global Action on Uyghur Youth Plight

The East Turkistan National Movement urges global action on International Youth Day to address the human rights abuses faced by Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic youth in China. The group highlights issues of forced labor, family separation, and calls for the restoration of East Turkistan's independence.

The US-based East Turkistan National Movement, dedicated to spotlighting human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang, made a fervent appeal on International Youth Day. The group urged international authorities to address the severe plight of millions of Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic youths who are forcibly separated from their families and subjected to enslavement through forced labor in Chinese camps and factories.

"On this #InternationalYouthDay, we demand urgent global action to address the crisis in Occupied #EastTurkistan. Millions of #Uyghur, #Kazakh, #Kyrgyz, and other Turkic youth are forcibly separated from their families and subjected to enslavement through forced labor in Chinese camps and factories," the movement declared in a post on X.

The East Turkistan National Movement further emphasized the need for immediate global intervention to counter China's alleged ongoing genocide, colonization, and occupation in East Turkistan. They called for measures to ensure the affected youth can live with dignity, freedom, and the right to their heritage.

"Silence is not an option. We must act now to protect these young lives, restore their freedom, and preserve their identity from being erased forever. The future of an entire people hangs in the balance. Restoring East Turkistan's independence is the only way to secure the freedom, dignity, and future of our youth," the movement's activists stressed.

The movement attributed many Uyghur youths' coercion into forced labor, working under harsh conditions in various industries, often akin to modern slavery. Earlier, the US government extended its import ban to additional Chinese companies over alleged human rights abuses related to Uyghur citizens. The Department of Homeland Security revealed that five new companies have been added to its blacklist as part of ongoing efforts to eliminate goods made with forced labor from the U.S. supply chain.

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, created under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), aims to address and curb the use of forced labor involving Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in China's Xinjiang region. The region, officially called the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, has drawn significant international attention due to allegations of human rights violations, including widespread detentions in 're-education camps' and instances of forced labor.

As the world focuses on the plights in Xinjiang, the East Turkistan National Movement continues its advocacy, stressing that independent governance is crucial for ensuring the rights and futures of Turkic youths in the region.

(With inputs from agencies.)