For the past 68 years, China has been waging a war on the Uyghur people.

They are participating in ethnic cleansing by effectively trying to get rid of these people. I do not know about you, but I have never heard of this issue. Why is the world not talking about this?

In East Turkistan, China's government has been effectively trying to get rid of the Uyghur people. I will elaborate on this more shortly. But I would like to highlight how the international community has responded to this reality; most nations forthrightly turn a blind eye, while some have even reported and returned Uyghur refugees running away from the oppression they face.

While I was in D.C. I had the privilege of hearing stories from the Uyghur people themselves and felt a strong urge to share their story with anyone willing to hear. I should warn you, if you have not already heard about this— it is amongst the most disturbing things I have ever been told in my life. But it is important to create awareness of this issue by any means possible.

East Turkistan is home to the indigenous Uyghur people and many others from Turkish descent. Due to the plethora of oil buried under their land, the nation is extremely rich.

On December 20, 1949 the Chinese invaded, occupied, and continue to occupy East Turkistan. Upon their occupation, the Chinese renamed the territory as their new homeland and are attempting to eradicate the Uyghur people by essentially making their existence illegal.

The details are horrifying. I will be honest, I am not fully informed on the policies (if any) China is using to commit these crimes. Yet, let me tell you what was shared with me.

For the last sixty years, the Chinese have been arresting Uyghur men without cause and putting Chinese governmental officials into their homes to live with their wives and children— to sleep in their beds and do whatever the hell they want to their people. In total, about 1.3 million Chinese officials live in Uyghur homes to ensure that they are respecting the Chinese state.

Another set of Uyghur people have been rounded up and put into camps said to be for the purpose of political-education. Within these camps, Uyghur people are being starved, raped, tortured, abused, and killed. The Chinese are performing inhumane medical experiments on them as well as harvesting their organs for transplantation. When people die, they are not even allowed funeral services. They harvest their organs for the sake of Chinese people and get rid of their bodies immediately after.

All over East Turkistan mosques have been destroyed. Uyghur scholars have been arrested and killed for teaching their culture and religion. All while, the Uyghur youth are being put into atheist camps to rid them of any religious curiosity.

There have also been a number of bans placed on the Uyghur people. To name a few: basting, religious texts, having beards, holding funerals, and praying. Oh, and one of the most insane parts: at hospitals, Uyghur women are being forced into having abortions. Uyghur women are being trafficked and forced into arranged marriages with Chinese men.

This is ethnic cleansing in it's most explicit form.

Listening to the woman I spoke with uttering these facts about the fate of her people prompted my tears, immediately. How can this be happening? How is this happening?

If you are left with similar feelings and care to learn more or maybe even contribute to the efforts to #SaveEastTurkistan or#FreeTheUyghurs, visit www.nationalawakening.org for more information.

Or you can connect with the cause on

Twitter: @VoiceUyghur

Facebook: TalkToEastTurkistan

Email: contact@nationalawakening.org

Call: 202-766-9293