Yusupbek Mukhlisi (1920–2004)[1][2] was a Uyghur nationalist, former military officer, and the leader of the United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan (URFET)[3][4] who advocated for the restoration of an independent East Turkistan Republic.[5]
Yusupbek Mukhlisi | |
|---|---|
| يۈسۈپبەگ مۇخلىسى | |
| Leader of the United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan and the East Turkistan National Committee | |
| In office 1969 – August 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1920[1] Atush, Republic of China |
| Died | August 2004 (aged 83–84)[2] Almaty, Kazakhstan |
| Political party | United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Second East Turkistan Republic |
| Branch/service | East Turkistan National Army (Ili National Army) |
| Years of service | 1945-1949 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Early life edit
Yusupbek Mukhlisi was born into a Uyghur family in the town of Atush and later moved to the city of Chöchek with his family in 1929.[6] In 1935, at age 15, he enrolled into the provincial gymnasium school in Urumchi and later studied at the former Xinjiang Institute (know known as Xinjiang University until the 1940).[6] Following the declaration of the Second East Turkistan Republic on November 12, 1944, Yusupbek Mukhlisi joined the East Turkistan Republic's National Army (Ili National Army) and rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[7] After the overthrowal of the Second East Turkistan Republic and the incorporation of the East Turkistan National Army (Ili National Army) on December 22, 1949, Mukhlisi spent the periods of 1950-1958 traveling across the Uyghur heartland in Tarim Basin engaging in cultural and historical research.[8] In the early parts of 1959, Mukhlisi was labelled as a "local nationalist" by the Chinese authorities and sent to work in a forced labor camp in the Turpan region.[8]
Life in Exile edit
Mukhlisi lived in-exile with other former East Turkistan Republic (ETR) members in Almaty, Kazakhstan,[9][10] after fleeing to the Soviet Union in 1960.[11] He co-founded the National Committee for East Turkistan in late 1960s along with former ETR officials, including General Zunun Taipov and Colonel Ziya Samedi to advocate for the independence of East Turkistan. He began handwriting and publishing the "Voice of East Turkistan" newspaper in the Uyghur language in 1979.[12]
In 1996 Mukhlisi travelled to the United States to meet with members of the U.S. Congress and the U.S. State Department and the next year he announced an armed campaign against China.[13] He again met with U.S. State Department officials in Washington, DC in 1997.[14]
Along with Taynutdin Basakov, Mukhlisi led the Committee for East Turkestan until its dissolution around the late 1990s.[2]
References edit
- ^ a b "Kazakhstan: Exiled Uighurs Step Up Fight Against Beijing". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ a b c Reed, J. Todd; Raschke, Diana (2010). The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat. ABC-CLIO. p. 40. ISBN 9780313365409. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Hutzler, Charles (11 February 1997). "Chinese blame riots on Islamic sect, exile group blames executions". AP News. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Reed 2010, p. 37
- ^ Bransten, Jeremy (9 October 997). "Kazakhstan: Exiled Uighurs Step Up Fight Against Beijing". Radio Liberty.
- ^ a b Qutlan (6 March 2018). "Yüsüpbeg muxlisining ömür yoli (1): dawalghup turghan yillardiki ösmürlük". Radio Free Asia.
- ^ Kurban, Ikil. "BUNDAN TAM 50 YIL ÖNCESİYDİ [IT WAS EXACTLY 50 YEARS AGO]". GokBayrak.
- ^ a b Qutlan (13 March 2018). "Yüsüpbeg muxlisining ömür yoli (2): ili inqilabining aldi-keynidiki untulmas yillar". Radio Free Asia.
- ^ "Riots sparked off by public executions, says leader of exiles". The Irish Times. 12 February 1997.
- ^ Gottlieb, Esther (2017). Identity Conflicts: Can Violence be Regulated?. Routledge. ISBN 9781351513876. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Cook, Ian G.; Murray, Geoffrey (2001). China's Third Revolution: Tensions in the Transition Towards a Post-communist China. Psychology Press. p. 133. ISBN 9780700713073. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
- ^ Qutlan (30 March 2018). "Yüsüpbeg muxlisining ömür yoli (3): "Wetensiz neghme-nawa manga rawa emes!"". Radio Free Asia.
- ^ "Australia: Refugee Review Tribuna: Xinjiang Independence Movement –". UN Refugee Agency. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
- ^ "No Space Left to Run: China's Transnational Repression of Uyghurs". Uyghur Human Rights Project. Retrieved 7 February 2024.