dogu-turkistan-sempozyumu

Dr Izzeddin al-WardaniResearcherTranslated from Arabic by Salih GunaydinRoad to Freedom and Self-determination:Imagining the Future of East TurkestanThe road to freedom and self-determination for any nation requires theconsideration of the present reality, as the present can be decisive in determiningthe future. It is the reality that identifies the options and establishes priorities.At present, the territory of East Turkestan is under occupation. The people aresuffering due to a weak economic situation and the political marginalization ofthe government in their own territory, which has been granted autonomy withinChina. At the same time, the human rights of the people of East Turkestan arecontinually being violated. Their religious identity and cultural rights are beingsubjected to sustained attempts to weaken or eliminate them.Moreover, their cause is not receiving enough support at an internationallevel, either in theory or in practice.East Turkestan is confronted with a major non-democratic power, which hasa growing economic and political influence in today’s world, and which does noteven want to discuss the possibility of self-determination, at least at the presenttime. In addition, China is continuing efforts to control the people of Turkestanand their organizations. They are forming international alliances which focus onsecurity issues and assist in subduing Turkestan movements and activists at homeand abroad; for example, they there are supporting the international campaignagainst terrorism, which has been directed in particular against Muslims afterthe events of September 11 th , in the United States. The most dangerous of thesealliances is the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which is comprised of themost important countries surrounding East Turkestan. These Turkic countriesrepresent potential support for East Turkestan, at present and in the future,because they all share a common race, history and religion. The purpose of thisalliance is to neutralize the influence of these countries and exclude them from573