Solidarity Across Ethnic Lines: Uyghur Community and Allies Rally in Amsterdam to Commemorate 29th Anniversary of Ghulja Massacre
AMSTERDAM, Feb. 5, 2026 — Despite the bone-chilling February winds, a determined group of freedom advocates gathered today at Amsterdam’s iconic Dam Square. At 2:00 PM, the Stichting Support Uyghurs (Support Uyghurs Foundation) and the Voice of Dutch Anti-CCP jointly launched a protest rally to mark one of the darkest chapters in modern Uyghur history: the 29th anniversary of the Ghulja Massacre.
This was not a commemoration limited to a single ethnic group. Alongside Uyghurs draped in the azure flag of East Turkistan were pro-democracy activists from across China, supporters of the Cantonese and Guangxi independence movements, and concerned Dutch citizens.
A diverse array of flags fluttered in the square—the Star and Crescent of East Turkistan, the black flag of the Voice of Dutch Anti-CCP, the three-colored Kapok flag of Cantonia, and the flag of Guangxi independence. Yet, their voices merged into a singular, powerful demand: "Remember history, stop the genocide, and let justice prevail."
Echoes of History: From the Ili River Valley to Amsterdam
On February 5, 1997, during the holy month of Ramadan, thousands of Uyghur youths took to the streets of Ghulja (Chinese: Yining) in northern East Turkistan. It was a peaceful petition calling for an end to the ban on Meshrep (traditional Uyghur cultural gatherings) and demanding solutions to severe ethnic discrimination, unemployment, and the region's spiraling drug crisis.
The Chinese government’s response was devastating. According to Amnesty International and eyewitness accounts, authorities deployed armed police, regular army units, and paramilitary militia, using machine guns, high-pressure water cannons, and attack dogs to bloodily suppress the civilians.
In a statement marking the anniversary, the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) noted: "The Ghulja Massacre was an early sign of state terrorism against Uyghurs, a gradual process that ultimately led to today's genocide."
Twenty-nine years later, this painful memory was given physical form at Dam Square. A six-meter-long banner displayed the faces of over one hundred Uyghurs currently detained in concentration camps—photos originating from the leaked "Xinjiang Police Files." Every face served as a silent indictment of current policies.
A Solemn Oath
The rally began with a somber atmosphere as the national anthem of East Turkistan, the March of Salvation (Qurtulush Marshi), played.
In the biting wind, every Uyghur present performed a unified gesture: placing their right hand over their heart. Known as the "Hand-on-Heart Salute," this gesture in Turkic culture symbolizes an oath sworn by one's heart and life. It represents the highest tribute to national destiny, the homeland, and the conscience of fallen compatriots.
For a moment, Dam Square seemed to bridge time and space, connecting directly to the frozen streets of Ghulja 29 years ago.
(Photo: Left: Abdurehim Gheni; Top Right: Kalbinur Sidik; Bottom Right: Elshat Eslam. Photo provided by volunteer Jiang Peikun.)
Indictment and Witness: Voices of Survivors and Leaders
Abdurehim Gheni, Chairman of the Stichting Support Uyghurs and the event's organizer, delivered an impassioned opening speech detailing the atrocities of the crackdown.
"This peaceful demonstration ended in a bloodbath," Gheni stated. "Thousands of innocent young men were arrested. Beyond the cold dungeons, many were gathered in open squares on snow and ice, forced to walk barefoot. Military police sprayed icy water on their bodies, causing severe frostbite to fingers and legs, leading to vicious amputations. Some froze to death."
He emphasized, "This memory will never fade from the collective consciousness of the Uyghur nation."
Abulqasim Abdulaziz, Chairman of the East Turkistan Education Association in Europe, drew a sharp line between history and the present. "This was not an accident, nor a police conflict; this is genocide," he declared. "Families are forcibly separated; culture, language, and faith are systematically destroyed. We stand here today because silence itself is a crime."
Elshat Eslam of the East Turkistan Youth represented the anger and awakening of the younger generation. "Until today, more than 3 million East Turkistanis remain detained in concentration camps. It is 2026—can you imagine that concentration camps still exist?" he asked. "Wake up, Netherlands; wake up, Europe. Say 'No' to China before it is too late."
The presence of Kalbinur Sidik, a concentration camp survivor and former Chinese language teacher, added a palpable weight to the event, her very existence serving as evidence of the ongoing crisis.
(Photo: Left: Former Armed Police officer Rao Xing; Right: Du Binghui. Photo provided by volunteer Jiang Peikun.)
Cross-Ethnic Solidarity: From 'Enemies' to Allies
A defining feature of the rally was the significant participation of activists from Chinese backgrounds, defying Beijing's narrative that positions Han Chinese and Uyghurs as natural adversaries.
Wei Zhijian, a Guangxi independence activist, described the plight of East Turkistan as a "mirror image" of his own homeland. "As people of Guangxi, we know this pain: culture is being erased, resources plundered," Wei said. "If there is no justice for East Turkistan, there is no future for Guangxi. The oppressor is the same."
Jiang Peikun, an activist for Cantonese independence (Cantonia), appealed to universal values. "On that day in 1997, young Uyghurs made two simple demands: freedom and dignity. They carried dreams, but were met with bullets," Jiang said. "East Turkistan wants freedom! Cantonia wants independence!"
Perhaps the most striking speech came from Rao Xing, a former member of the Chinese People's Armed Police (PAP) turned human rights defender. As a former "enforcer" within the system, his defection to the side of the oppressed carried immense weight.
"We gather here not for hatred, but for memory, dignity, and justice," Rao stated. "What is happening in the Uyghur homeland today is not a 'historical dispute,' but an unfolding human rights catastrophe. Freedom belongs to East Turkistan, to Tibet, to Hong Kong, and to the Chinese people."
Liu Bowen, a pro-democracy activist from Xiaogan, Hubei, analyzed the tragedy through a political lens. "The problem is not what the Uyghur people did 'wrong,' but that a regime refuses to acknowledge their rights as human beings," Liu argued. "We support the East Turkistani people's pursuit of freedom and independence. This is not extremism, but a response to oppression."
Memory as Resistance
Hao Wangyong, a Christian dissident from Gansu, introduced the concept of "living memory." " The CCP's most powerful weapon is not violence, but oblivion," Hao warned. "Now that Ili has evolved from physical suppression to a digital 'open-air prison,' remembering the Ghulja Massacre is the first line of defense against tyranny."
Epilogue: Fire in the Freezing Cold
Throughout the rally, chants of "Fascist China," "Terrorist Xi Jinping," and "Stop the Genocide" echoed through the city center. Dutch photographer Bob Rootsman volunteered his time to document these historic moments.
As the event concluded at 3:30 PM, participants lingered. In an interview, Du Binghui, a dissident from Luoyang, Henan, voiced the sentiment of many Han participants: "We join the Uyghur rally to condemn CCP crimes because justice knows no ethnicity. As a Han person, supporting this cause isn't 'opposing myself'—it is supporting a more inclusive future."
Yu Yang, an activist from Anhui, added: "I am here to demand the closure of the concentration camps. I support the Uyghur people's pursuit of identity and freedom, and I support the independence of East Turkistan!"
Though the gathering was intimate in number, the cross-ethnic unity displayed on this freezing winter day sent a searing message: For Uyghurs, the gunshots of 29 years ago have never ceased; and for all who seek freedom, no one is truly free while an entire nation remains in chains.
(Photo: Group photo following the conclusion of the event. Photo provided by volunteer Jiang Peikun.)
Background: The Ghulja Massacre On February 5, 1997, a peaceful demonstration broke out in Ghulja, East Turkistan, protesting the suppression of the traditional "Meshrep" culture and ethnic discrimination. The Chinese government responded with military force, resulting in significant civilian casualties (human rights organizations estimate hundreds of deaths). In the subsequent crackdown, thousands were arrested, with many subjected to torture or execution. The event is widely regarded as a turning point in the region's history and remains an indelible trauma in the collective memory of the Uyghur people.
Contact: Voice of Dutch Anti-CCP / Stichting Support Uyghurs [Insert Contact Info Here]
Translated and edited from the original Chinese report by Voice of Dutch Anti-CCP editor Jiang Peikun.
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