Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS 12 September 1997

(AYusuf7454@aol.com)

September 11, 1997

On September 8, 1997 Anwar Yusuf, the President of Eastern Turkistan National Freedom Center ( ETNFC), met with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. During the meeting Mr. Yusuf raised the cause of freedom and independence for his homeland, Eastern Turkistan, which has been under the illegal occupation of the People's Republic of China since 1949. In addition, Yusuf raised the issue of China's human rights violations of the people of Eastern Turkistan, elaborating on China's brutal religious persecution of Muslim-Uyghurs and presenting a video

tape of the two most recent large incidents which occurred between 1995 and 1997 in the Khotan and Ili regions of Eastern Turkistan. The video shows China's arrest, questioning, sentencing for long term imprisonment, and public execution of many Uyghur young men who were trying to express their resentment against the government of China in non-violent ways.

The meeting with congressman Rohrabacher is the latest event in a two-year old campaign by the ETNFC to encourage U.S. government action on be half of oppressed Uighur and others living under Chinese rule. Congressman Rohrabacher informed Mr. Yusuf his decision to offer an amendment to House Resolution 1685 designed to protect the religious freedom of Muslim Uyghurs. He will present the amendment next week.

The text of the amendment follows:

AMENDMENT TO H.R. 1685 OFFERED BY MR. ROHRABACHER

On page 4, insert the following after line 3 and redesignate the succeeding paragraphs accordingly:

(7) In Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, formerly the independent republic of East Turkistan, where the Muslim religion is inextricably linked to the dominant Uyghur culture, the Government of the People's Republic of China has intensified its control over the Uyghur people by systematically re pressing religious authority, restricting religious study and traditional practice, destroying mosques, and increasing the persecution of religious clergy and practitioners.

If congressman Rohrabacher's amendment is approved, it will represent an important statement of U.S. policy on be half of Muslim Uyghurs and could led to economic penalties against China.