dogu-turkistan-sempozyumu

Translated from Turkish by Selcuk YatkinAtty Gulden SonmezIHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation, Member of Administrative BoardThe Struggle in East Turkistan andNon-Governmental OrganizationsNon-governmental organizations (NGOs) which have achieved numerouslarge-scaled and successful activities in miscellaneous areas are almost as mightyand challenging as governments, thanks to the union of forces and the spiritof cooperation they have achieved today via developments in communicationtechnology. We are no longer surprised when we see a non-governmentalorganization in areas where governments are not involved.Many states and governments are aware of the powers that non- governmentalorganizations can take advantage of and how they are able to make public cases ofindividual violations and gain public support. In particular, the non-governmentalorganizations that operate in humanitarian aid and relief have become the lifebuoys and provide fresh air for the victims of the humanitarian crises that havebeen experienced in the recent past. Many states have caused great humanitariancrises by virtue of their sovereignty principles, using state forces; it is only theintervention of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that has preventedmore serious consequences in terms of humanity. This process has made itobligatory to create a common language between the international and nationalofficial/governmental branches and the non-governmental organizations 1 so thata proper legal ground in terms of states and international mechanisms can beestablished. 2When we analyze the data that has been released despite the walls that have beenerected and the communications restrictions imposed by the Chinese governmentin regard to the violations that China has committed against the people of EastTurkistan, we can easily see that there is a systematic humanitarian crisis that hasbeen produced against the people of East Turkistan and which has continued foryears. Even though these crises have yet to appear on the international agenda523