JOINT STATEMENT


"Fifty Years Is Long Enough!"


September 30, 1999


We are demonstrating here today to tell the world that for us, the 50th anniversary of the People's Republic of China is not a cause to celebrate, but instead a cause to condemn the following:

(1) China's systematic human rights violations against the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Inner Mongolians, including political repression, cultural genocide, arbitrary and summary executions, torture of political prisoners, and denial of these ethnic groups' rights to determine their own political destinies;

(2) China's unwarranted military threats towards the Taiwanese for simply exercising their right to decide on their own political future;

(3) China's gross disregard for its obligations to the international community demonstrated by its repeat violations of international human rights agreements it has ratified, as well as customary international human rights law, to which all nations are bound;

(4) And China's perpetual lies about the Uyghurs', Tibetans', and Inner Mongolians' history, traditions, and political goals to the people of China and to the international community.

Let us resolve here today that continue to work diligently to assure that the Chinese government's campaign of terror against the Uyghurs, Tibetans, and Inner Mongolians, and its threats towards the Taiwanese do not last for another fifty years and that in the near future, the memory of the Chinese government's oppression will be overshadowed by these groups' enjoyment of freedom, human rights, and democracy.

Signed,

Uyghur American Association
Capitol Area Tibetan Association
Inner Mongolian People's Party
Formosan Association for Public Affairs
Taiwanese Association of Greater Washington
Eastern Turkestan National Freedom Center