Ahmet Igamberdi is the
self-proclaimed president 
of the Uyghur Government in Exile.
This organization fights for the
independence of Xinjiang,
a region in West China that Uyghur
nationalists call East Turkistan,
and consider occupied by China.
China is an occupying country.
East Turkistan declared its
independence so many years ago,
but in 1949 our independent state was
occupied because of the agreement
between two dictators, Stalin and Mao.
So we were sold to Communist China.
Igamberdi has lived exiled
in Australia since 1985. 
We met him in Istanbul,
where he was invited by some
Uyghur nationalist organizations.
Mr. Igamberdi, how is the
situation now in Xinjiang?
The so-called Chinese Liberation
Army came to our country 60 years ago.
Since then, everything changed. 
Promises were changed.
Now the Chinese government is 
implementing a policy of genocide.
The Chinese government
is killing our people.
It's implementing a genocide policy.
They want our land, our
natural resources, 
but they don't want our people.
Our people, in their own country,
have become second-class
citizens of China.
So for this reason there is no 
guarantee for democracy
or human rights. Only independence
can solve our problem.
If we don't get independence, there
won't be a guarantee for democracy
What are the goals of
your organization?
Our goal is independence.
This is the will of the 
East Turkistan people,
as it is also established in
our foundational chart.
We will carry the independence
flag to the top.
How is your relationship with 
the World Uyghur Congress?
We are not connected to
this Uyghur Congress,
but sometimes we are together.
For example, if they are working
on some democracy or
human rights problem, we support
them, we are not against them.
When asked, "Is your problem a
national problem," they say, "No."
"Is yours a religious problem?"
"No."
"Our problem is freedom," they say.
Our goal is independence.
They talk about "freedom,"
but that is abstract.
What importance does Islam 
have in your organization?
Our problem is, first, national,
and also religious.
East Turkistan people
cannot live without Islam,
and they also cannot live without
their national identity.
So, in order to solve this 
national and religious problem,
we need independence.
They call us radical Islamists, but
no, we are not radical Islamists.
Our government program is secular, 
religion and state are separated.
State administration will
be secular, like Turkey.
A secular, democratic republic.
We are not radical Islamists at all.
What about the Chinese government's 
claims about terrorism?
China says we are 
terrorists, but we are not.
China is the terrorist.
The events that recently happened
in East Turkistan are proof 
We are not responding to this
violence with more violence.
We are not looking for revenge,
we just want to have our 
separate state from China.
My last question, Mr. Igamberdi.
Do you have hope for the future?
We have, at the moment.
Our duty is to survive - the
the national identity
of East Turkistan people.
