For us Uyghurs and Tibetans, the Chinese National Day is a day of mourning: The founding of the People’s Republic of China ended the existence of the independent Republic of East Turkestan and the independent state of Tibet. The People’s Liberation Army invaded both countries in 1949 and took away the independence of Tibetans and Uyghurs. For us, therefore, the year primarily marks the beginning of decades of oppression.