ISTANBUL (CÝHAN) - The Association of Immigrants of Eastern Turkistan called on the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) to condemn China for violating human rights and for restricting people's religious freedoms in Eastern Turkistan.
The General Secretary of the Association of Immigrants of Eastern Turkistan, Ahmed Türköz said in a press conference in Istanbul on Tuesday that people in Eastern Turkistan were detained if they perform their religious duties. They are pursuing their cultural and economic rights, and they are punished with torture.
Türköz said that after the attacks on September 11, 2001, China has executed atrocities in Eastern Turkistan under the name of combat against terrorism. The atrocities are well documented by International Amnesty.
Türköz said that Beijing's administration was making mass arrests in Eastern Turkistan and alleging that these people were trained in Al-Qeda camps in Afghanistan. But these people were arrested because they were defending their cultural identities and carrying out their religious duties.
Türköz said that children and women were arrested on the holiest night of Islam and the Chinese government prohibited Muslim people from fasting.
Ürköz said, "We expect the condemnation of the People's Republic of China by the Muslim countries' delegations. People were prohibited from fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan and mosques are demolished by China."
Eastern Turkistan immigrants also demanded the OIC to condemn the forceful abortion of Muslim Turk women in Eastern Turkistan and demanded that OIC countries bring the issue of Eastern Turkistan to the agenda of the United Nations and to condemn China in the final declaration of the 31st Summit of Foreign Ministers of Organization of Islamic Conference.