China used ETIM's designation as terrorist group for genocide of Uyghurs: Campaign For Uyghurs
Washington DC [US]: The designation of East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) as a terrorist organization was used by China as a pretense for the genocide of the Uyghurs and people have been falsely linked to the ETIM movement for expressing their ethnic identity and religious beliefs, according to the human rights group Campaign For Uyghurs (CFU).
While lauding US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's decision to revoke the designation of ETIM from its terrorist list, CFU said in a statement that "the integrity of this decision speaks volumes, and as the leadership of the Chinese regime has changed to a softer tone as it tries to suck up to what it views as the sure next US administration."
This statement comes after the US government's decision to remove ETIM from its terrorist list after nearly two decades that has led to the weakening of China's anti-terror pretext for a draconian crackdown on Uyghurs in its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Pompeo announced that the group had been removed from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, according to an order issued on October 20 made public on Thursday.
Reacting to the latest development, CFU said, "...it is absolutely clear that despite any domestic political changes, the United States must continue with resolve on the same path to hold the Chinese regime accountable."
It said the previous designation could be viewed as direct kowtowing to Chinese authorities, and an action that lent legitimacy to the brutal lies that the regime perpetrated, harming millions.
