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Ahmet Igamberdi is the self-proclaimed president
of the Uyghur Government in Exile.
This organization fights for the independence of Xinjiang,
a region in West China that Uyghur nationalists call East Turkistan,
and consider occupied by China.
China is an occupying country.
East Turkistan declared its independence so many years ago,
but in 1949 our independent state was occupied because of the agreement
between two dictators, Stalin and Mao.
So we were sold to Communist China.
Igamberdi has lived exiled in Australia since 1985.
We met him in Istanbul,
where he was invited by some Uyghur nationalist organizations.
Mr. Igamberdi, how is the situation now in Xinjiang?
The so-called Chinese Liberation Army came to our country 60 years ago.
Since then, everything changed. Promises were changed.
Now the Chinese government is implementing a policy of genocide.
The Chinese government is killing our people.
It's implementing a genocide policy.
They want our land, our natural resources,
but they don't want our people.
Our people, in their own country,
have become second-class citizens of China.
So for this reason there is no guarantee for democracy
or human rights. Only independence can solve our problem.
If we don't get independence, there won't be a guarantee for democracy
What are the goals of your organization?
Our goal is independence.
This is the will of the East Turkistan people,
as it is also established in our foundational chart.
We will carry the independence flag to the top.
How is your relationship with the World Uyghur Congress?
We are not connected to this Uyghur Congress,
but sometimes we are together.
For example, if they are working on some democracy or
human rights problem, we support them, we are not against them.
When asked, "Is your problem a national problem," they say, "No."
"Is yours a religious problem?" "No."
"Our problem is freedom," they say.
Our goal is independence.
They talk about "freedom,"
but that is abstract.
What importance does Islam have in your organization?
Our problem is, first, national, and also religious.
East Turkistan people cannot live without Islam,
and they also cannot live without their national identity.
So, in order to solve this national and religious problem,
we need independence.
They call us radical Islamists, but no, we are not radical Islamists.
Our government program is secular, religion and state are separated.
State administration will be secular, like Turkey.
A secular, democratic republic. We are not radical Islamists at all.
What about the Chinese government's claims about terrorism?
China says we are terrorists, but we are not.
China is the terrorist.
The events that recently happened in East Turkistan are proof
We are not responding to this violence with more violence.
We are not looking for revenge,
we just want to have our separate state from China.
My last question, Mr. Igamberdi.
Do you have hope for the future?
We have, at the moment.
Our duty is to survive - the the national identity
of East Turkistan people.