CUS Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 01, 2025
Contact@uyghurstudy.org
Washington, D.C. — Today marks seventy years since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) declared the so-called “Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region” on October 1, 1955. For the Uyghur people, this day does not symbolize autonomy, but the institutionalization of the Beijing government’s occupation of East Turkistan. What is presented to the world as “self-government” actually marks the beginning of a relentless campaign of repression that has turned into genocide, cultural erasure and the denial of religious freedom.
Executive Director Abdulhakim Idris said about the so-called declaration of autonomy, which marks one of the darkest pages of Uyghur history:
“October 1, 1955 did not bring autonomy; it brought occupation. The Chinese Communist Party has been using this false label of ‘autonomy’ to hide its genocidal campaign against the Uyghur people for seventy years. Xi Jinping’s recent visit to my homeland, deliberately coinciding with the anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army’s takeover of Urumchi, underscores China’s continued colonial domination and systematic repression of East Turkistan.”
Since then, Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims have faced waves of persecution. The CCP’s policies have systematically dismantled Uyghur religious life, from demolishing thousands of mosques and shrines to banning Islamic education, burning Qurans, and spying on families during Ramadan. Religious practices such as wearing the hijab or fasting have been criminalized under vague charges of “extremism”. Imams and community leaders have been imprisoned, tortured, or forced to publicly condemn their own beliefs.
The establishment of state-run boarding schools has cut Uyghur children off from their families, cutting them off from their language, culture, and religion. Camps and prisons in the Uyghur Region continue to hold more than one million Uyghurs, where detainees are subjected to indoctrination, forced labor, and punishment for practicing their faith.
Testimonies from international organizations, human rights experts and survivors confirm that China’s actions meet the definition of crimes against humanity and genocide. Many democratic governments, including the United States, have recognized this fact. But seventy years later, human rights still remain uncertain, and the Uyghur people continue to suffer under one of the most brutal regimes of modern times.
For Uyghurs around the world, October 1st is a day of grief and remembrance, remembering the deprivation of their homeland and the violent suppression of the faith of millions of people. It is also a call to action for the global community to confront China’s ongoing violations and demand accountability.
“October 1, 1955 did not bring autonomy; brought brutal colonization. The Chinese Communist Party has been using this false label of ‘autonomy’ to hide its genocidal campaign against the Uyghur people for seventy years. Our mosques were destroyed, our children were separated, our faith was treated as a crime. Nevertheless, we resist despite any attempt to erase us. The world should no longer be silent. We call on the international community, and especially Muslim-majority countries, to defend justice, protect religious freedom, and stand with the Uyghurs in our struggle for survival.” Idris added.
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