Communist China's Policy of Oppression in East Turkestan

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Prominent Names in East
Turkestan's Struggle For Freedom
T
The beginning of the twentieth century was a time
when national and spiritual feelings in East Turkestan
began to stir. This "national awakening" of the Uighur
Turks came about by means of Abdulqadir Damulla, who began his activities
following a trip to Muslim countries such as Turkey, Egypt and
Syria. One of the most important needs of the time was for the people
to be made aware of their sacred values and historical heritage.
Damulla opened a school called the Matla'ul Hidayat, and began to
teach the young people of East Turkestan about their
history, as well as helping to raise the popular consciousness
by means of the books he published.
Following Damulla, the struggle in East
Turkestan was taken on by the "the Three Masters,"
Isa Yusuf Alptekin, Muhammed Emin
Bugra, and Mesud Sabri Baykuzu. Baykuzu's
struggle ended with his arrest by the communist
Chinese administration in 1951 (and he was mar-
tyred by lethal injection the following year). Alptekin
and Bugra continued the struggle until the very
end of their lives.
Alptekin served as the secretary of the East Turkestan Provincial
Government, itself subordinate to China, and spent his whole life
speaking about the rightful claims of East Turkestan on international
platforms and trying to free the Muslims. He started working at the
Chinese Consulate in West Turkestan at the age of 26. This was a time
when the Soviet oppression of the Turkish Muslims of West Turkestan
Communist China’s Policy
of Oppression in East Turkestan
Isa Yusuf
Alptekin