China says Xinjiang is its 'inseparable' part

Battling a wave of international criticism over alleged mass detention of ethnic Uighur Muslims in internment camps in Xinjiang, China on Sunday issued a white paper, asserting that the volatile province is an "inseparable" part of the Chinese territory and has never been "East Turkistan" as claimed by separatists.

China is facing severe criticism from western countries over reports that it is holding one million people, mostly ethnic Uighurs, in internment camps in Xinjiang bordering India, Afghanistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and several Central Asian States in a bid to control violent attacks by separatist East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) organisation.

China blames ETIM, stated to be an affiliate of Al-Qaeda, for numerous violent attacks in the restive Xinjiang region and various other parts of the country including Beijing. Resource-rich Xinjiang province is the home of over 10 million Turkik speaking Uighur Muslims.

China, however defends the camps, describing the facilities as re-education centres aimed at de-radicalising sections of the Uighur Muslim population from extremism and separatism.

China Sunday released a white paper, asserting that never in Chinese history has northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region been referred to as "East Turkistan," and there has never been any state known as "East Turkistan."