Page 124 - Communist Chinas Policy of Oppression in East Turkestan

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to the Chinese. The Uighur alphabet consists of Arabic letters, they are
all Muslim, and they have been living by Turkish customs and beliefs
for more than 1,000 years.
All of these historical, geographical and sociological facts make it
clear that East Turkestan is not part of China, but rather a separate re-
gion that China has sought to assimilate. Even under the harshest and
most difficult conditions, the people of East Turkestan never accepted
Chinese rule, and frequently sought to regain their independence, at
times even resorting to armed struggle. For example, when East
Turkestan fell under Manchu rule between 1759 and 1862, the Muslim
people rose up and rebelled against the Chinese more than 40 times.
Why is China so determined to maintain its position on East
Turkestan in the face of all the facts? This should be discussed before
turning to the long years of Chinese oppression.

WHY DOES CHINA REFUSE TO GIVE

EAST TURKESTAN UP?
A basic knowledge of geography makes it easy to understand the
Chinese view on East Turkestan. Two important obstacles to communi-
cations exist between China and the West: the first is the 5,000-kilome-
ter Taklamakan Desert, and the second is the Great Wall of China that
stretches along the entire length of the China border.
East Turkestan is the only Chinese territory beyond the desert and
the Great Wall, thus making it China's window to the West. The politi-
cal effect of its location (and its geographical and strategic advantages)
make East Turkestan indispensable to China. That is one reason why,
instead of withdrawing from East Turkestan, China is trying to impose
their occupation on the local population by means of force and violence.
On the one hand, it takes away the peoples' freedoms, including those
of receiving news and communications, by closing East Turkestan off
and keeping the region as far from the world's awareness as possible.

Communist China’s Policy
of Oppression in East Turkestan