Urgent Appeal to All Uyghur and East Turkestan Organizations in the Netherlands
It is our responsibility and obligation to our nation to raise our voices against China’s colonial policies and all forms of injustice against the Uyghur identity.
”On July 10, 2025, the Amsterdam City Council officially recognized the name ”East Turkestan,“ marking a historic step in the Uyghurs’ struggle for identity. However, the rejection of this decision by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema has broken the hearts of Uyghurs in the diaspora. We must not remain silent on this issue.
It is our urgent task at this moment for Uyghur and East Turkestan organizations in the Netherlands to act together and respond to Ms. Femke Halsema’s statements. In this regard, I would like to make a serious appeal to all Uyghur and East Turkestan organizations in the Netherlands and share my thoughts on cooperation based on the following two important points:
Writing a Response Letter Against the Mayor’s Rejection
Last week, on July 10, the proposal by Denk Party MP Süleyman Koyuncu to change the name ”Xinjiang“ to ”East Turkestan“ was accepted by the Amsterdam Parliament, bringing immense joy to all East Turkestanis in the diaspora.
While we have all expressed our gratitude to Mr. Süleyman Koyuncu, unfortunately, this historic political decision, which filled East Turkestanis with pride, was rejected by Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema on the grounds that the name ”East Turkestan“ has a divisive character and is a politically unrecognized name in the international arena. This constitutes an insult to the historical and cultural identity of our homeland and has wounded the national pride of Uyghurs in the diaspora.
On July 11, I conducted a live interview with Mr. Süleyman Koyuncu on the ”Uyghur Tea House Chat Platform“ under the title ”Historic Decision in the Amsterdam Parliament: The Name East Turkestan Accepted,“ and I thanked him on behalf of all East Turkestanis.
During the interview, Mr. Süleyman Koyuncıu provided an excellent explanation of how this historic decision was made, its significance, and the reason behind Mayor Femke Halsema’s rejection.
During the live interview, when I asked, ”As Uyghurs and East Turkestan organizations in the Netherlands, would it be okay if we wrote a letter expressing our reaction to Ms. Femke Halsema’s rejection?“ he replied, ”If you write it, it’s okay, but don’t write separately; it would be better if all the organizations wrote together.“
Therefore, all Uyghur and East Turkestan organizations in the Netherlands should organize seriously, prepare a letter, and send two separate copies to Ms. Femke Halsema, Mayor of Amsterdam, both by email and by post, with the signatures of all organizations, demanding a clear answer as to why she referred to ”East Turkistan“ as a divisive name.
The letter should also state that the Chinese occupying government refers to Tibet as ”Xizang,“ but all countries outside China use the term ”Tibet,“ that this does not imply separatist intent, but that the Chinese occupying government’s occupation of the colony ”East Turkistan,“ which shares a similar fate with Tibet, does imply separatist intent. We should express our strong opposition to her statement, which is an affront to the national pride of the people of East Turkestan.
(Before organizations come together to write a protest letter on this issue, it would be better to discuss each organization’s views in detail to come up with better ideas.)
Organize a demonstration in front of the Amsterdam city hall to commemorate the Yarkand massacre and issue a statement of protest against the mayor’s refusal
July 28 marks the 11th anniversary of the Yarkand Massacre, which was carried out by the Chinese government against Uyghurs in Yarkand in 2014. On this occasion, let us organize a demonstration in front of the Amsterdam City Hall to commemorate the massacre and submit a protest statement against the mayor’s decision. Let us also officially deliver our protest letter to the city hall on that day.
The demonstration should be organized jointly by all Uyghur and East Turkestan organizations that have signed the letter. We should apply for official permission for the demonstration by July 20.
We should contact the Amsterdam local television channel TV5 and invite them to conduct a live interview about the demonstration. In the interview, we should emphasize the historical and cultural importance of the name ”East Turkistan“ and its similarity to Tibet.
In conclusion, let us urgently gather this week to discuss the above two proposals and reach a decision. All Uyghur and East Turkestan organizations in the Netherlands should seriously consider this matter, swiftly prepare the protest letter, and apply for permission for the demonstration in advance to ensure comprehensive preparation.
The Importance of the Call
The Amsterdam City Council’s acceptance of the name ”East Turkistan“ is a political blow against the Chinese government’s colonial policies. This decision is a strong political signal against China in the Netherlands and the international community, and an important step in supporting the Uyghurs’ just struggle and recognizing their historical identity. It has been a strong response to China’s efforts to impose the name ”Xinjiang“ on the international community. However, Femke Halsema’s rejection and the rejection of a similar proposal in the Dutch Parliament three months ago show that the difficulties in the Uyghurs’ identity struggle continue.
Therefore, organizations in the Netherlands must unite to defend this historic decision and continue to fight against China’s colonial policies. East Turkestan organizations in the diaspora must continue to raise this issue in the parliaments of their respective countries to strengthen our voice on the international stage. Let us seize this opportunity! Our movement in the Netherlands can serve as an example for Uyghurs in other countries.
Abdurehim Gheni Uyghur
Written date: July 17, 2025
Here is the link to the ”Uyghur Teahouse Platform“ regarding this topic:
