US Congress hosts captive nations briefing as ETGE, Tibet call for independence, condemn China's oppression

Washington DC [US] July 22 (ANI): A congressional briefing focused on Captive Nations took place in the Rayburn House Office Building of the US Congress to observe Captive Nations Week 2025, which was established under Public Law 86-90, known as the Captive Nations Resolution, on July 21, 1959. The event brought together representatives from East Turkistan, Tibet, Southern Mongolia, U.S. national security officials, and Congressional staff to discuss the continuous occupation, oppression, and erasure experienced by these nations.
As stated in a release by the East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE), the Captive Nations Resolution (Public Law 86-90) recognises nations that have been oppressed by communist imperialism and calls for US assistance in restoring their freedom and sovereignty. It specifically refers to captive nations, such as Turkistan and Tibet, advocating for their liberation and the right to self-determination.
Salih Hudayar, who serves as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Security for the East Turkistan Government in Exile, delivered a powerful keynote speech, declaring, "East Turkistan was identified in the 1959 Captive Nations Resolution, not as a part of China, but as a nation oppressed by communist imperialism." He continued, "That law is still active. And tragically, so is our captivity," according to ETGE's post.
Hudayar outlined a continuing genocide, stating, "Millions are confined in concentration camps and prisons, and over one million children have been separated from their families," while referencing 2024 Congressional testimony that revealed "between 25,000 to 50,000 Uyghur and Turkic youth are killed each year for their organs to be sold," ETGE's post reported.
He condemned Turkiye's collaboration with Chinese intelligence to stifle East Turkistani independence and cautioned against the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) ongoing attempts to "divide and assimilate Uyghur organisations overseas." Hudayar urged Congress to acknowledge East Turkistan as an occupied nation, hold hearings on East Turkistan's fight for independence, and investigate and halt Chinese infiltration and transnational repression within the East Turkistani/Uyghur diaspora.
He concluded by stating, "Simply removing the CCP is not sufficient. The Chinese empire must be dismantled. Restoring liberty and independence for East Turkistan is not merely a dream. It is a responsibility defined in the Captive Nations Resolution."
Tenzin Wangdu, a representative of the Tibetan-American community and the Tibetan Rangzen [independence] movement, highlighted Tibet's unique identity, asserting, "Tibet has never been legally recognized as a part of China... We had our government, our culture, and our distinct identity for over a thousand years," as noted in the ETGE report.
He proclaimed, "The Chinese occupation of 1951 was an invasion rather than a liberation. The time for empty rhetoric has passed. We require concrete action." Wangdu emphasised that only independence can secure the survival of the Tibetan people. (ANI)