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Category: China

  • Two police killed in China’s Xinjiang region, Uighur group says

    Two police killed in China’s Xinjiang region, Uighur group says

    DPA

    Beijing – Two Chinese paramilitary police were killed in a clash with Uighurs in the restive Central Asian region of Xinjiang, leading to the arrest of at least 20 people, Uighur activists said Thursday. Two officers were seriously injured and several others were hurt in the clash that occurred Wednesday in Xinjiang’s Jiashi city, about 100 kilometres east of China’s westernmost city of Kashgar, Dilxat Raxit of the German-based World Uyghur Congress said in a statement. 

    More than 20 Uighurs were detained after the clash, Raxit quoted witnesses as saying. 

    A hospital employee in Jiashi county confirmed the clash had taken place but declined to give details on the number of casualties while local police refused to comment. 

    The World Uyghur Congress said Monday that Chinese police had detained 500 Uighurs in the Xinjiang region over the past two weeks. More than 100 people were also arrested in Kashgar after an August 4 attack that killed 16 paramilitary officers in the city, it added. 

    The attack, which China said was carried out by two Uighur men, was among a string of deadly assaults carried out against government, police and security personnel in Xinjiang before and during this month’s Beijing Olympic Games. 

    At least 26 people were killed in a 10-day period. 

    Human rights groups have criticized China for not making a distinction between violent terrorists and Uighurs expressing peaceful dissent, including those who favour independence, which they said should not be a crime. 

    The Uighur group said earlier that about 90 people were arrested after a series of bombings in Kuqa county on August 10. Ten “terrorists” were killed by police bullets or their own bombs, the government said.

  • Defying the great Chinese dragon

    Defying the great Chinese dragon

    By GRAEME GREEN – Thursday, August 21, 2008

    The Muslim Uighurs claim China has used the ‘war on terror’ to label all Uighur nationalists as terrorists and supress their culture and religion While the Olympic Games have provided a chance for China to present its most polished face to the world, they have also given marginalised groups the opportunity to bring their agendas to the world’s attention.

    As the games draw to a close, we look again at China’s ‘enemies’ before they slip back intothe white noise of international news.

    The UighurWho? The Uighur, predominantly Muslim, live in Xinjiang, an autonomous region in north-west China.

    Spanning 1.6million sq km, it occupies approximately a sixth of the country.

    More than 19million people live in Xinjiang; about 8.3million are Uighur. Traditionally once an obscure nomadic tribe, the Uighur rose to challenge the Chinese Empire.

    The name Xinjiang, which means ‘new territory’ in Chinese, is considered offensive by advocates of Uighur independence who prefer historical or ethnic names such as Uyghurstan or East Turkestan.

    Why protest? Uighurs have reported arbitrary arrests, torture and executions.

    Human rights organisations have voiced their concern that, since 9/11, the ‘war on terror’ has been used as an excuse by the Chinese government to repress ethnic Uighurs; China claims Islamic fighters operating in the region have been trained and funded by Al-Qaeda and repeatedly refer to Uighur nationalists as ‘terrorists’.

    The Chinese government has also been accused of suppressing Uighur culture and religion.

    Falun Gong

    Who? Falun Gong (Work of the Law Wheel) is a religious and spiritual practice of ‘self cultivation’ based on ancient teachings but brought to public attention in 1992 by Master Li Hongzhi.

    It mixes Taoist and Buddhist principles and exercises such as meditation and the importance of truthfulness and compassion.

    Though numbers are contested, the group has an estimated 100million members worldwide (the Chinese Communist Party has 60million), including 70million in China.

    Why? After 10,000 followers staged a 24-hour silent protest outside Communist Party headquarters in Beijing in 1999 against the arrests and beatings of several of their leaders, Falun Gong was banned and declared an ‘evil cult’, accused of engaging in illegal activities, advocating superstition and jeopardising social stability.

    A German protest against Chinese presence in Tibet Since then, the state has cracked down on its followers with, say Amnesty International, torture, beatings, illegal imprisonment, psychiatric abuses and ‘re-education’ through forced labour camps.

    More than 800 followers are said to have been beaten or tortured to death in custody, though actual figures are thought higher.

    There are also reports followers have been executed to harvest organs for the profitable transplant trade.

    Tibetans

    Who? Tibet is a mountainous region in Central Asia. It was formerly an independent kingdom but, after China invaded the country in 1950, it became part of the People’s Republic of China (which claims Tibet has always been a part of China).

    It’s now known as the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Its capital, Lhasa, was previously home to the mainly Buddhist country’s spiritual and political leader, the 14th Dalai Lama, who is living in exile in India.

    Why? Since invading Tibet, China has clamped down on religious and cultural freedoms, with documented cases of human rights abuses, religious persecution and torture.

    Many Tibetans, both within the country and in exile, continue to demand a return to independence.

    Chinese authorities have also been accused of trying to bring about demographic change or ‘cultural genocide’ by giving jobs and other incentives to Chinese populations within Tibet and plundering the country’s natural resources, both likely to be hastened by the construction of a new rail connection between China and Tibet.

    Internal dissidents

    Who? Despite claiming the Beijing Olympics would open China up to the world, clamping down on dissidents and activists continues.

    Individuals and groups calling for democratic change, freedom of information, internet and other media, freedom of expression, workers’ rights and religious freedom are among those jailed or punished.

    A recent example is Hu Jia, accused of ‘inciting to subvert state power’ for writing articles about freedom, democracy, the environment and Aids and for repeated contact with foreign journalists.

    After months of house arrest, he was recently jailed for three-and-a-half years. His wife and baby daughter went missing on August 7, the day before the Olympics started, both thought to have been taken into police custody.

    Why? Chinese authorities continue to take a tough stance against internal criticism, often handing out lengthy jail sentences for ‘dissent’ or ‘subversion’ of state power.

    Activists abroad and inside China are calling for the release of dissidents in prisons or forced labour camps, and to end torture and intimidation.

    Many dissidents have sought asylum in other countries and would be arrested if they attempted to re-enter China.

    From: yawoozezzat@yahoo.com [mailto:yawoozezzat@yahoo.com]
    Subject: The Uighur

  • Wrestler Sahin wins gold for Turkey in close bout

    Wrestler Sahin wins gold for Turkey in close bout

    Turkey's Ramazan Sahin prays after his victory over Ukraine's Andriy Stadnik during their wrestling men's 66kg freestyle gold medal contest in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the China Agricultural University Gymnasium in Beijing on August 20, 2008. Sahin won the gold medal. (Agencies)
    Xinhua
    Updated: 2008-08-20 20:30

    BEIJING — Ramazan Sahin of Turkey won the men’s freestyle 66kg wrestling title to earn Turkey their first gold medal here on Wednesday evening at the Beijing Olympic Games.

    The reigning world champion lost the first period to Ukrainian Andriy Stadnik but took the next two for a 2-1 (2-2, 2-1, 2-2) victory. The first period was decided on the last point given to Stadnik, while the third period went to Sahin because he had one 2-point technique to his opponent’s two 1-point techniques.

    “The final was the most difficult round,” said Sahin. “I lost to him the last time we fought, but I felt quite relaxed and confident this time.”

    “The gold is for the Turkish people. I would like to give my appreciation to my coach and all the people who support me.” added Sahin.

    Turkey's Ramazan Sahin carries national flags to celebrate his victory over Ukraine's Andriy Stadnik (not in photo) in their men's 66kg freestyle gold medal wrestling match at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on August 20, 2008. (Agencies)
    Stadnik was happy to win the silver because he thought he did better than his wife, bronze medalist Mariya Stadnik of Azerbaijan in women’s freestyle 48kg wrestling.

    “It’s nice to realise that you compete against your own wife and you are the winner,” said Stadnik.

    “Reaching the final is already a good result. I have been ready to win. I have competed against Sahin three times, and I only won once.”

    The bronze medal was shared by Otar Tushishvili of Georgia, a semifinal loser to Sahin, and Sushil Kumar of India.

    Tushishvili won the medal by points over Cuba’s Geandry Garzon, scoring the last of two takedowns of the second period after dominating the first one.

    Kumar broke free from a defensive position in an extra time to beat Leonid Spiridonov of Kazakhstan for the bronze medal.

    Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn, 20.08.2008

  • Exiles claim China planning crackdown on Xinjiang during Ramadan

    Exiles claim China planning crackdown on Xinjiang during Ramadan

     Aug 19, 2008, 7:52 GMT

    Beijing – A group of exiles from China’s Muslim ethnic Uighur minority alleged Tuesday that police were planning to crack down on the Xinjiang region, where a series of attacks were carried out during the Olympic Games.

    The Munich-based World Uyghur Congress said Xinjiang authorities plan to hold a 40-day ‘Strike Hard’ campaign next month, coinciding with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

    Such campaigns are routinely carried out in China, but in Xinjiang they focus on finding suspected terrorists, religious extremists and separatists.

    ‘The main targets of this Strike Hard are fasting Uighurs, including cadres (civil servants) and students,’ the group’s spokesman Dilxat Raxit said in a statement.

    Fasting is a common practice by devout Muslims worldwide during Ramadan. People avoid food and drink, even water, from dawn to dusk, only eating in the early morning and at night.

    ‘With the Strike Hard activity being held around the time of Ramadan, Uighurs will be welcoming Islam’s holiday under an atmosphere of fear,’ Raxit said.

    ‘We strongly request the international community to pay attention to China’s banning of Uighurs from fasting and trampling on religious rights.’

    An employee at the Xinjiang public security department’s propaganda bureau denied the allegations when contacted by phone.

    ‘There’s no such plan,’ said the man, who only gave his surname Li.

    He also said government employees including Uighurs who work in the police department are not forbidden to fast. But he admitted that in his 20 years at the bureau, he was not aware of any Uighur colleagues fasting, either.

    ‘It’s up to them. We respect minorities’ practices,’ he said.

    An employee contacted at a post office of Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi said: ‘Some people fast, some people don’t. It’s based on their practice.’

    In Shule county, located 30 kilometers from the city of Kashgar, 12 people were arrested on charges of trying to divide the country and participating in illegal religious activities, Raxit alleged.

    Xinjiang has witnessed a spate of deadly attacks, which analysts believe were timed to coincide with the August 8-24 Olympic Games in Beijing. China blamed Uighur terrorists and separatists.

    The attacks killed at least 26 people in less than 10 days.

    On August 4, two Uighur men drove a truck into a group of soldiers on their morning jog in Kashgar city, and used homemade bombs and knives to kill 16 soldiers, injuring 16 others.

    On Sunday, more than a dozen explosions were set off in Kuqa county, damaging mostly government buildings, with 10 ‘terrorists’ killed by police bullets or their own bombs, the government said.

    On Tuesday, three security guards were stabbed to death at a roadside checkpoint near Kashgar.

    The Turkic-speaking population enjoyed brief periods of independence in the 1930s and 1940s, although Chinese dynasties have historically sought to control the region. But since Communist rule, China has encouraged an influx of ethnic Han Chinese to the region, inflaming racial tensions.

    Deutsche Presse-Agentur

  • Renewed violence in west China

    Renewed violence in west China

     
      

    Three security staff have been stabbed to death in China’s Xinjiang region, the third attack there in eight days.

    Assailants killed the men at a checkpoint near the city of Kashgar, Chinese state media said.

    Sixteen police officers were killed in an attack in Kashgar earlier this month, but state media said there was no evidence linking the two attacks.

    Xinjiang is home to many Muslim Uighurs, some of whom want independence in the region they call East Turkestan.

    There has been a rise in violent incidents in Xinjiang in recent months, which China has blamed on separatists seeking to disrupt the Olympic Games.

    Suspected Muslim separatists also launched a series of bomb attacks in Kuqa, in southern Xinjiang, on Sunday, which left 11 dead.

    Arrest report

    Tuesday’s attack happened at a checkpoint about 30 km (18 miles) from the border city of Kashgar.

    Attackers – it is not clear how many – jumped out of a passing vehicle and stabbed the men to death. Three men died and a fourth was injured, Xinhua news agency said.

    News of the attack emerged hours after Chinese state media announced that the situation in Kuqa, scene of Sunday’s attacks, had returned to normal.

    Q&A: China and the Uighurs

    Early on Sunday, a string of explosions took place in supermarkets, hotels and government buildings across the city.

    One security guard died, two attackers blew themselves up and eight were shot by police, Xinhua said.

    A Uighur activist has accused Chinese authorities of arresting dozens of people in the wake of the blasts.

    Dilxat Raxit, of the pro-independence World Uighur Congress, said more than 90 people had been arrested in Kuqa, as well as others in nearby counties.

    Local people had heard the sound of detainees being beaten and tortured, he said in a statement.

    He urged the international community to put pressure on China to end “inhumane crimes against ethnic Uighurs”.

    But the Kuqa local government said that Mr Raxit’s allegations were untrue.

    Xinjiang is home to more than eight million Uighurs.

    China says it is bringing development and prosperity to the region, but activists accuse Beijing of suppressing traditional Uighur culture and religion.
  • Chinese Islamic group threatens Olympics

    Chinese Islamic group threatens Olympics

    updated 10:10 p.m. EDT, Thu August 7, 2008

    • Story Highlights
    • Reported warning comes days after assailants killed 16 border police in Xinjiang
    • SITE: Group also calls on Muslims to offer support financially, physically, spiritually
    • SITE: Warning implicitly targets those “complicit” with Chinese regime

    BEIJING, China (AP) — A Chinese Islamic faction that has threatened to attack the Olympics released a new video, warning Muslims to stay away from the Beijing Games and avoid buses, trains, planes and buildings used by Chinese, a U.S. group that monitors militant organizations said Thursday.
    A police officer asks girls to move away from the fence outside the National Stadium in Beijing on July 27.

    On the six-minute video issued Wednesday, two days before the opening of the games, a representative of the Turkistan Islamic Party reiterates the group’s threats against the Olympics made in a video last month, according to SITE Intelligence Group. It shows images of the Beijing Olympics logo in flames and an explosion over an Olympics venue.

    “Choose your side,” says the speaker, grasping a rifle and dressed in a black turban and camouflage with his face masked. “Do not stay on the same bus, on the same train, on the same plane, in the same buildings, or any place the Chinese are,” he warns Muslims, according to SITE.

    The video accuses China of using the Olympics to hide its actions from the world.

    The TIP representative spoke the Turkic language of the Uighurs, a largely Muslim minority in China’s restive western Xinjiang territory near the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Uighurs have a long history of tense relations with the central government.

    The Turkistan Islamic Party is believed to be based across the border in Pakistan, where security experts say it has received training from al Qaeda. Last month, the group issued videotaped threats and claimed responsibility for a series of recent bus bombings in China.

    On Monday, assailants killed 16 border police and wounded 16 others in the Xinjiang city of Kashgar when they rammed a stolen truck into the group before tossing homemade bombs and stabbing them. Chinese authorities called the raid a terrorist attack and said they had arrested two men who are Uighurs. No group has claimed responsibility.

    The latest video claims the communist regime’s alleged mistreatment of Muslims justifies holy war. It accuses China of forcing Muslims into atheism by capturing and killing Islamic teachers and destroying Islamic schools, according to the SITE. It says China’s birth control program has forced abortions on Muslim women.

    “They are implying that anyone who is complicit with the Chinese regime is a legitimate target,” Rita Katz, director of SITE, told The Associated Press.

    “The reason for the increased propaganda from TIP at this time is likely due to the fact that the international media’s attention on the Olympics in China provides the group with the perfect platform to publicize their existence and activities on a global scale,” Katz added.

    The group also calls upon Muslims to offer support financially, physically and spiritually, SITE said.

    News of the video came just hours after President Bush landed in Beijing for a three day visit to attend the games opening ceremony and some Olympic events.

    “I think what they’re doing is they’re trying to capitalize on the buildup to the games,” said Ben Venzke of Washington-based IntelCenter, another group that monitors militant groups.

    Terrorism analysts and Chinese authorities have said that with more than 100,000 soldiers and police guarding Beijing and other Olympic co-host cities, terrorists were more likely to attack less-protected areas.  

    Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved