DOI: https://doi.org/10.36719/2663-4619/113/218-222
Reyhana Safarova
Baku, Azerbaijan
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5168-5216
safarovareyhane@gmail.com
East Turkestan: Historical and Contemporary View of the Policy of
Ethnic and Cultural Assimilation
Abstract
East Turkestan is a region located in what is now the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and is home to a large number of Uyghur, Kazakh, and other Turkic peoples. Throughout history, the region has been under the influence of various Chinese empires, and the policies of the People's Republic of China in the 20th century have had a profound impact on the culture and ethnic identity of the local peoples. China's assimilation policies throughout history have included measures aimed at settling the region with Han Chinese and eradicating the culture of the local Turkic peoples. In recent times, the Chinese government has intensified its repressive policies, imposed religious and cultural restrictions, and sent Uyghurs and other Turks to forced labor camps. This policy has not only caused demographic, cultural, and religious changes in the region, but also seriously restricted the rights and freedoms of the local population and threatened the future of the local population. The issue of the rights of Turks in East Turkestan, who are subject to this policy of the Chinese government, requires more attention at the international level. In the future, the protection of the cultural and ethnic identities of the Turks of East Turkestan depends on the extent to which the international community intervenes in this issue.
Keywords: East Turkestan, Assimilation policy, Uyghurs, human rights, Chinese government, cultural repression