The Barin Resistance, which ended in a brutal massacre by the Chinese army, led to the first organized protests by Uyghurs abroad and the formation of Uyghur organizations, beginning in Germany in 1990.
On April 5, 1990, 35 years ago, in response to the Chinese Communist regime’s oppression, political persecution, racial discrimination, and ethnic and religious extermination policies in East Turkistan, the Uyghur people in the town of Barin, located in the Aktu District, launched a resistance movement led by Zeynidin Yusuf. This movement soon turned into an armed uprising in reaction to China’s military intervention.
The Barin resistance, a beacon of hope for the Uyghurs suffering under oppression, would spread to other regions of East Turkistan. However, the Chinese government sent more than 20,000 armed soldiers, tanks, helicopters, and airplanes to blockade the area. As a result of the ruthless massacre by the Chinese army, including the resistance leaders, 107 people were martyred, and 289 others were arrested.
Unable to contain their anger, the Chinese armed forces began a cleansing campaign throughout the town, carrying out a horrific massacre and mass arrests, indiscriminately killing and arresting elderly people, women, children, and men. During this time, it is claimed that even innocent women and children were executed. In July 1990, the Uyghur Autonomous Region government announced that 7,900 people had been arrested in the region for “ethnic separatism and similar crimes.”
The Barin Resistance, which resulted in a brutal massacre by the Chinese army, led to the first organized protests and mobilization of Uyghurs abroad, beginning in Germany in 1990.
THE FIRST PROTEST BY UYGHURS IN A WESTERN COUNTRY DUE TO THE BARIN RESISTANCE
Upon hearing about the events in Barin, Uyghurs living in Munich, Germany, organized a protest in the second week of April 1990 in front of the Chinese Embassy in Bad Godesberg, near Bonn, Germany.
At the time, there were only 7-8 Uyghur families living in Munich and two families in Frankfurt. The protest was attended by a total of 20 Uyghurs and more than 10 Turks. A letter of condemnation was delivered to the Chinese Embassy.
In the following video about that year’s protest, Mr. Enver Can who wad working at the RFE/RL inc. in Munich is handing over a protest letter to the Secretary of Chinese Embassy in Bad Godesberg, Germany.
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One of the organizers of the protest, Enver Can, who shared the protest video with Uyghur News, recalled the event as follows:
“As you can see in the video, I went to the Chinese Embassy with two German police officers to deliver the letter of condemnation in my hand. A Chinese diplomat who introduced himself as the embassy secretary came out. I extended the letter and said, ‘Your government has killed many innocent people. We protest this.’ The Chinese diplomat refused to accept the letter, saying, ‘There is no such situation.’ I replied, ‘Your government admitted that 22 people were shot and killed.’ The discussion continued, and the German police interrupted the Chinese diplomat, saying, ‘There is no need for discussion; either you accept the letter, or you reject it by saying “I will not accept it.”‘ The Chinese diplomat said, ‘Fine, I will accept the letter, but I do not agree with what is being said,’ and he accepted the letter of condemnation. Finally, I returned to the area where the protest had taken place, accompanied by the police.“
ORGANIZATIONS IN WESTERN COUNTRIES BEGAN WITH THE BARIN RESISTANCE
Enver Can emphasized that the Barin Resistance also played a significant role in the establishment of the first Uyghur organizations in democratic Western countries. He continued:
“The Barin Resistance was also a key factor that led us Uyghurs to officially organize in a democratic Western country, resulting in the establishment of the European East Turkistan Union in Munich. In October 1990, seven Uyghurs officially founded the European East Turkistan Union in Munich. This first organization later led to the creation of the World Uyghur Youth Congress in 1996, the East Turkistan (Uyghuristan) National Congress in 1999, and in 2004, both congresses merged, prioritizing the interests of our people, to form the World Uyghur Congress.“
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