Category: China

China Reports Breakup of More Suspected Terrorist Groups Ahead of Olympics

Chinese state media says authorities have broken up 12 terrorist organizations in the western region of Xinjiang so far this year.

Officials in the city of Kashgar says the groups, including the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and Hizb ut-Tahrir, were linked to international terrorist organizations.

In recent weeks Chinese authorities have reported disrupting or dismantling several terrorist groups that allegedly posed a threat to August’s Olympic Games in Beijing. The state-run news agency Xinhua announced last week that police broke up five groups in Xinjiang and arrested 82 suspected terrorists.

Beijing  has repeatedly said that terrorism poses the biggest threat to the Olympics. But human rights groups say the government is using terrorism as an excuse to crush dissent in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang has eight million ethnic Uighurs, most of whom are Muslims. The Chinese government has cracked down on separatist activity in the area, and accused Uighur activists of trying to make Xinjiang an independent state.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

East Turkistan: Munich Uyghurs Protest Executions and Arrests

 Monday, 14 July 2008

Over 200 protesters met in Munich on 12 July 2008 to bring attention to the continuing and escalating human rights violations towards the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China.

Below is an article by UNPO:

In Munich this Saturday, 12 July 2008, Uyghur protestors and supporters gathered together at Karlplatz Stachus, a central and highly touristic part of the city, to demonstrate against recent arbitrary arrests and executions in East Turkistan. More than 200 participants attended the demonstration, according to the World Uyghur Congress, but numerous of passer-bys stopped to show support for the Uyghur cause.

Currently, East Turkestan and Tibet are both in a state of emergency, living in fear of oppression by the Chinese government. On 9 July 2008, police shot to death five young Uyghurs in Urumchi, under the auspice that they were involved in an alleged “holy war training” against the state. Later the same day, there was a mass sentencing in Kashgar where two Uyghurs were executed and 15 others were handed sentences ranging from 10 years in prison to the death penalty. Although charged with terrorism, the accused had no evidence presented against them to substantiate these claims.  

In light of the upcoming Olympic Games, starting 8 August 2008, international pressure has intensified concerning the human rights situation in China. Unfortunately, the added attention is not enough to persuade the Chinese government away from its oppressive policy towards ethnic minorities, particularly in East Turkistan and Tibet. The Olympic Charter obliges the host country to a strict adherence to the international standards of human rights, yet the Chinese government has failed to live up to these standards.

The World Uyghur Congress and UNPO continue to urge Chinese government to end persecution of ethnic minorities in China as well uphold the international standards of fundamental human rights. UNPO stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples in China.