The US has removed the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) from the list of terrorist organisations, signaling Washington’s intent of beginning to recognise the rights of the Uyghurs to fight for their homeland, watchers of developments linked to the East Turkistan Republican Party, considered to be ideologically close to the ETIM, said.

 “The removal of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement from the terror list may lead to  more horrific and accelerated Chinese genocide against the completely empty-handed Uyghurs,” the sources said.

The Uyghur community residing beyond East Turkistan are also likely to be persecuted by soft and hard means in accordance with Chinese traditions and methods, they said.

“China is not so afraid of the Uyghurs because the Uyghurs do not have the tools, ability or power to get rid of China by military force. But China fears that the Uyghur struggle for independence will gain the support of countries such as the United States, Europe and India, so the Chinese have resorted to all tricks to discredit the Uyghurs in the Western world,” they further said.

The political existence of the Uyghurs depends on getting rid of China and accordingly the National Anthem of the East Turkistan State, established on November 12, 1933, is known as the March of Salvation, the outfit said.

“The Uyghurs declared independence in the last century in Kashgar in 1933 and on November 12, 1944 in Ghulja. Since then, although we have not been able to get rid of China, but have been looking for all possible ways to get rid of them, it  said.

The outfit also views Afghanistan as a gateway of resolution of the Uyghur issue and denied the Chinese charge that the group has any relations with the Al Qaeda. The ETIM was created and enlarged entirely under China’s intelligence program. They were deployed to Afghanistan? Pakistan and Syria and vigorously promoted through the Chinese-influenced media, and have played a role in China’s plan to portray the entire Uyghur nation as terrorists and lay the groundwork for genocide, it alleged, adding that the Uyghurs in general are peace-loving and dream for building a modern state for the community.