United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan
| United National Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan | |
|---|---|
| شەرقىي تۇركىستان بىرلەشمە مىللىي ئىنقىلابىي فرونتى | |
| Leaders | Yusupbek Mukhlisi |
| Foundation | 1975 |
| Dissolved | 2001 |
| Active regions | Xinjiang, China |
| Ideology | |
| Allies | Soviet Union (until 1989) |
| Opponents | China |
| Battles and wars | Xinjiang conflict |
The United National Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan also known as the United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan (URFET) (Russian: Объединённый революционный фронт Восточного Туркестана; Chinese: 東突厥斯坦聯合革命陣線) was a Uyghur nationalist group in the Soviet Union and Xinjiang that participated in the Xinjiang conflict as an armed separatist force. It was led by Yusupbek Mukhlisi, who operated in-exile with other former URFET members in Almaty, Kazakhstan.[1]
According to retired GRU (Soviet Union) (Soviet military intelligence) officer Vladimir Suvurov, the Soviet Union helped establish the United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan in Almaty in 1975 during the height of Sino-Soviet tensions as a means of destabilizing Xinjiang.[2][3]
In July 1996, the United Revolutionary Front of East Turkestan (URFET) engaged in armed clashes with Chinese security forces. The organization claimed to have killed approximately 450 Chinese troops and security personnel during the fighting.[4]
The group was allegedly supported logistically by the Soviet Union until 1989.[5] In September 2001, the URFET merged with the Uyghur Liberation Organisation (ULO) and became the Uyghurstan People's Party.[6]
References
- ^ "Riots sparked off by public executions, says leader of exiles". The Irish Times. 12 February 1997.
- ^ Wishnick, Elizabeth. "Strategic Consequences of the Iraq War: U.S. Security Interests in Central Asia Reassessed". US Army War College. USAWC Press. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ Alibekov, Ibragim (2 January 2003). "Uighur Issues May Become Factor in China-Kazakhstan Relations". Eurasianet. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ Pannier, Bruce (22 September 2020). "Why Are Central Asian Countries Silent About China's Uyghurs?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
- ^ The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat - J. Todd Reed, Diana Raschke, p. 37.
- ^ Reed, J. Todd; Raschke, Diana (2010). The ETIM: China's Islamic Militants and the Global Terrorist Threat. ABC-CLIO. p. 36. ISBN 9780313365409. Retrieved 28 May 2018.