Staff Directory
Founder & President
Salih Hudayar
Originally from East Turkistan, Mr. Hudayar is a Uyghur American business consultant-turned-political & human rights activist who founded ETNAM in July 2017; he also serves as the Ambassador to the United States for the East Turkistan Government in Exile and is pursuing a Masters in National Security Studies at the American Military University.
University of Oklahoma – International Studies & Politics B.A., 2017
American Military University – National Security Studies M.A., 2020
Languages: English, Uyghur, & Turkish
shudayar@nationalawakening.org
Director of Operations
Kyle Olbert
Mr. Olbert is an IT professional-turned-political & human rights activist who spends his free time researching issues related to China’s oppression in/of East Turkistan, Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Southern Mongolia, and Manchuria. His particular areas of interest include repression of Turkic ethnic groups, militarization of Occupied territories in Western China and of the South China Sea, and other issues related to global security.
Languages: English, Spanish
kyle@nationalawakening.org
Director of Communications
Maria Sliwa, M.A.
Maria Sliwa is the president of Freedom Now Communications, Inc. and M. Sliwa Public Relations. As a press agent for the Sudan Campaign, she played a major role in publicizing the genocide, slavery and rape of civilians in Sudan and Darfur. In 1999, she launched and managed an Internet news service, Freedom Now News, focusing on international human rights issues with over 100,000 subscribers. She continues to gain attention for human rights projects, activists and authors.
Languages: English, Spanish
msliwa@nationalawakening.org
Women’s & Family Outreach Director
Amannissa Mukhlis
Ms. Mukhlis is a Uyghur political & human rights activist from Kazakhstan. She is the great-granddaughter ofMajor General Memtimin Iminov (East Turkistan Republic’s National Army) and the grand-niece of East Turkistani independence activist Yusupbek Mukhlis (founder of the United Revolutionary Front of East Turkistan). On her free time she likes to research East Turkistani / Uyghur history, write op-eds in Russian and English.
Central Asia Director
Gani Abylayuly
Original from Kazakhstan, Mr. Abylayuly is Kazakh American entrepreneur-turned-political and human rights activist. He is an active member in the Kazakh Democracy Movement and spends his free time researching issues related to China’s oppression in/of East Turkistan, Chinese encroachment in Central Asia, and advancing democracy and freedom in Central Asia; particularly Kazakhstan.
Eurasian National University, Law J.D., 2012
Languages: Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Russian, & English
g.abylayuly@nationalawakening.org