Washington DC, Sept. 15 -- The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) marked its 22nd anniversary on September 14, with its president, Dr. Mamtimin Ala, reiterating calls for the independence and sovereignty of East Turkistan.

In a statement, Dr. Ala said the ETGE was established on September 14, 2004, in Washington, D.C., when Uyghur, Kazakh and other East Turkistani leaders came together with the stated objective of restoring the region's political voice, preserving the continuity of its statehood and reaffirming the right of the East Turkistani people to national self-determination, independence and sovereignty.

According to his statement, the ETGE was established as the political successor to the East Turkistan Republic, which he...