Ք RESEARCH 119 Ք EAST TURKESTAN EAST TURKESTAN REPORT Religious And Ethnic Pressure From Past To Present JULY 2020 NUREDDIN IZBASAR www.insamer.com [email protected] JULY 2020 RESEARCH 119 EAST TURKESTAN REPORT Religious And Ethnic Pressure From Past To Present Research 119 East Turkestan July 2020 Prepared By Nureddin İzbasar Executive Editor Dr. Ahmet Emin Dağ Editor Ümmühan Özkan Web Editor Mervenur Lüleci Karadere Translation Suheir Zaghal Proofreading Nurfitri Taheer For Citation: İzbasar, Nureddin. East Turkestan Report: Religious And Ethnic Pressure From Past To Present, Research 119. INSAMER. July 2020. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this publication lies entirely with the authors. ©İNSAMER 2020 All rights are reserved. The use of quotations is allowed only by providing reference. Nuhun Gemisi Cover and Page Design M. Masum Kır Printing: Pelikan Basım Maltepe Mh. Gümüşsuyu Cd. Odin İş Merkezi No. 1/28 Topkapı-İSTANBUL INSAMER is a research center of IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation. EAST TURKESTAN 2 iii CONTENTS Introduction 1 Where is East Turkestan? 2 Historical Background 5 Communist China’s Invasion and 9 Colonization July 5 Massacre 13 Humanitarian Situation and Violations 15 Internment Camps 18 Conclusion 24 End Notes 25 Karagümrük Mh. Kaleboyu Cd. Muhtar Muhittin Sk. No:6 PK.34091 Fatih / İstanbul - TURKEY www.insamer.com • info.insamer.com JULY 2020 RESEARCH 119 INTRODUCTION The resistance of East Turkestan against Turkestan with the world was cut by a assimilation and from being labeled as wide intelligence network and security Chinese was considered a political challenge measures. Subsequently, all kinds of interventions that violate basic human by the central Chinese administration and this rights were easily implemented. situation was perceived as a security problem that would hinder China’s industrialization The resistance of East Turkestan against especially in the 1980s. assimilation and from being labeled as Chinese was considered a political challenge for the central Chinese administration and this situation was perceived as a security problem that would hinder China’s industrialization especially in the 1980s. In the 1990s, turbulent political developments and the The region had intermittent autonomy collapse of the communist bloc triggered and occasional independence until 1949 many changes in the Central Asian when the forces attached to the Chinese geography including East Turkestan in Communist Party (CCP) occupied it. which tensions accelerated. Following China systematically and mercilessly occupied the region and forced to September 11 2001, the Chinese integrate its people into the Chinese government started justifying and even population. China also monopolized facilitating its repression and actions the region’s agricultural lands and rich toward the Uyghurs as part of the underground assets. After an organized global “War on Terror”. Its systematic intense influx of Chinese settlers in escalation policy has been constantly and the region, the connection of East continually implemented until present. EAST TURKESTAN 1 2 As its strength in global politics and continues for the transformation of economy is increasing day by day, by people in East Turkestan, actions have 2010 China showed itself remarkably been accelerated to destroy the Uyghur sensitive to criticism related to cultural and religious heritage. repression and rights violations of the East Turkestan people. Many families This report in your hands explains in East Turkestan have been detained the transformation of East Turkestan and considered potential risks. Millions throughout history and elaborates the of people are gathered in camps and period of ongoing violations it survived deprived of their liberty. While pressure under the Chinese occupation. WHERE IS EAST TURKESTAN? East Turkestan is the name of the in the world. East Turkestan is borded eastern region of Central Asian lands by Russia and Mongolia to the north; previously known as Ulu Turkestan Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, (Great Turkestan) that has been divided Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, and into two parts throughout historical India to the west; Mongolia and China to developments. East Turkestan’s area is the east and its southeast is distinguished 1.823.000 km2, third of which lays in by the Dark Mountains and the Tibetan Taklamakan, the second-largest desert plateau. JULY 2020 RESEARCH 119 The major water resource in East Turkestan were the Tarim’s basin, Turfan Plain, is the 2000 km-long Tarim River. Ili and Komul steppes, and Ili Plain, while the Irtysh rivers are also the region’s important Kazakh Turks were the majority in the rivers that also provide clean water to other southern parts of the Altai Mountains, countries. The wide agricultural areas Tarbagatai and Kunes plateaus. Moreover, irrigated by these rivers have shaped the Kyrgyz Turks and Tajiks lived as nomadic region's most ancient settlements. Kashgar, tribes in East Turkestan. Apart from the Yarkent, Karakash, Hoten, Bachu, Aksu, Turks, a small number of Mongolian tribes Kuqa, and Karashehir are the largest cities lived a nomadic life in the region as well. of the oases. In these oases, grain products Following the Chinese Manchu invasion are harvested twice a year. Moreover, these in 1759, Chinese ethnic people first oases are the largest cotton production inhabited regions such as the Muslim- areas in East Turkestan. Chinese Dungan tribe and the Sibe branch The oldest settlements of East Turkestan of the Manchu tribe, along with some other prior to the communist Chinese invasion ethnic groups. EAST TURKESTAN 3 4 East Turkestan’s 1953 official statistics said there was over 4 million Turkish-origin East Turkestan is rich in natural resources, population, including 3,640,000 Uyghur, containing 138 different mineral types so far, 504,000 Kazakh, and 70,000 Kyrgyz. In the constituting 78% of the variety of minerals same period, the Chinese population in the region was about 300,000. Accordingly, in China. 90% of the region was composed of Muslims of Turkish origin, while only 7% were Chinese. have been identified so far in the region, By the 1980s, China’s official statistics which makes up 78% of the variety of reported that the Han Chinese population China’s minerals. Actively operating in East Turkestan reached almost mines in East Turkestan are 85% of all 8,600,000, equal to almost 40% of the mines in China. The most prominent total population of the region, while the mines include chrome, salt, iron, Uyghur Turks fell to 11,303,000, which asbestos, manganese, copper, silicon, is approximately 55% of the population. lead, diamond, gold, silver, coal, and Apart from these two ethnic groups, there uranium. Since most of these metals are also 1,590,000 Kazakh Turks that live are not found in the inner regions of in the region. East Turkestan academics China, they are converted into usable affirm that the official figures do not raw materials and then transported reflect the reality; they claim that the to factories of the inner regions. For number of Muslim Turks in the region is example, according to 2015 data, a at least three times the reported numbers. total of 27,880,000 tons of crude oil extracted from four major oil basins in China founded the city of Urumqi after East Turkestan in one year were moved the invasion of East Turkestan due to the to the inner regions of China. By the strategic importance of the region, making end of 2020, China plans to increase the city with the highest immigrant its extraction to 29 million tons of oil population. Aside from Urumqi, China and 36 billion cubic meters of natural built other crowded industrial cities with gas annually. More than 60% of China's many oil companies. Apart from that, annual oil production is extracted from Altai, Tarbagatai, and Tacheng are the East Turkestan. In terms of energy cities resided mostly by Chinese. Recently, resources, East Turkestan is very rich due to the increasing number of arrests with oil. According to geologists, there and as a result of mass internment camps, is a total of 60 billion tons of oil reserves the region became sparsely populated in East Turkestan. In addition to oil, 30 with many Han Chinese that settled there billion cubic meters of natural gas are with serious financial support. transported to Shanghai, Fujian, and East Turkestan is rich with natural Guangzhou regions through three large resources, 138 different mineral types pipelines with a total length of 7,378 km. JULY 2020 RESEARCH 119 China plans to increase the number of largest cotton pr oducer, 84% of China’s pipelines to five. Besides, being the world's cotton comes from East Turkestan.8 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Many historians describe the Altai region in 752, local states based in Mountains on the northern border East Turkestan emerged such as the of East Turkestan as the place where Kara-Khanid Khanate State in 842 and the Turks first appeared. According the Qocho Kingdom Khanate in 845, to written historical sources, East after the Turks in the region accepted Turkestan was part of all the states Islam. The stability of the region, founded by Huns, Gokturks, and which was governed as regional Islamic Uyghurs that have ruled the region Khanates, was disturbed by the Mongol since the 4th century. attacks since the beginning of the 13th During this period when the Turkish century. As a result, East Turkestan was states firstly emerged, The Chinese ruled by Chagatai, the son of Genghis. people had simultaneous intensified When the Chagatai Khanate weakened, attacks on the region. While the the Timur Empire was established, Chinese had to withdraw from the and soon new divisions took place EAST TURKESTAN 5 6 The Seyyid Kingdom interval, which was full of political turmoil, created a security weakness and paved the way for “The preparatory era of the Chinese invasion” which occurred years later.