Topics like amending the By Laws, working out short and long term programmes, drawing strategis and election of new leadership are on the agenda. The delegates will also discuss ways how more effectively to raise the awareness of the international community to the tragic situation of the people of East Turkestan in light of stepped up Chinese governments’ campaign to crack down on peaceful Uyghur dissent.

As a result of the General Assembly the East Turkestan (Uyghuristan) National Congress (ETNC) and the World Uyghur Youth Congress (WUYC) will join together in a united body to represent the interests of the people of East Turkestan internationally. The ETNC was established in October 1999 as an international umbrella body, and the WUYC in October 1996 to represent the Uyghur Youth worldwide. Both diaspora Uyghur Organizations are registered in Germany as Associations and have been operating under the laws of the host country to promote, secure and lobby for the fundamental rights, to disseminate information about the human rights violations, to promote democracy amongst Uyghur people, to attract the attention of the world community to the plight of the Uyghur people and thus to contribute for their survival as an ethnic group.

The ETNC and the WUYC abhore violance and declare their uncondotional adherence to the internationally accepted human rights standards as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant and Political Rights and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; adherence to the principles of democratic pluralism and rejection of totalitarianism and any form of religious intolerance, and rejection of terrorism as an instrument of policy.

At the end of the General Assembly (on Monday the 19th of April from 10:30 to 12:00 AM CET) a demonstration is planned in front of the Consulate-General of the Peoples’ Republic of China in Munich (Romanstrasse) to protest against the stepped up crack down in East Turkestan and the Chinese claim to brand democratic exile Uyghur organizations as terrorists.