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East Turkestan People's Revolutionary Party
The East Turkestan People's Revolutionary Party (Uyghur: Shärqiy Turkistan Khälq Inqilawi Partiyisi; Chinese: 东突厥斯坦人民革命党) was a Uyghur communist party[citation needed] and armed separatist group in Xinjiang. It was founded in 1969 or earlier[2] during Mao Zedong's Cultural Revolution, and was the largest armed separatist group in the Xinjiang conflict before its dissolution in 1989.[3] PurposeThe ETPRP's goal was to initiate a second "Revolution of the Three Districts" to establish an independent Marxist–Leninist Uyghur state in the Xinjiang region[citation needed], with help from the Soviet Union. Support from the Soviets increased during the Sino-Soviet split and subsequent border dispute.[4] HistoryThe ETPRP was founded in 1969 or earlier in Xinjiang, China. It was made up of mainly Uyghurs, but also had a small number of Kazakh fighters.[1] According to Chinese historian Zhang Yuxi, the ETPRP may have been established secretly in 1963.[2] Former members of the ETPRP claimed that the party had around 60,000 members and 178 underground branches in 1969; however, this had not been verified by a third-party.[1] After a failed insurrection in 1969, the ETPRP gradually weakened due to the arrest and exile of most of their members.[1] The ETPRP blamed the Soviets for their "lack of commitment" to their cause.[2] The party disbanded in 1989. References
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