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Category: East Asia & Pacific

  • New protest in China city torn by deadly rioting

    New protest in China city torn by deadly rioting

    Chinese residents protested deteriorating public safety Thursday after reported syringe attacks in the western Chinese city of Urumqi where ethnic rioting in July killed nearly 200 people.

    People living near the city center reached by telephone said hundreds, possibly thousands, of members of China’s majority Han ethnic group gathered downtown to denounce the regional government and deteriorating law and order in the city of 2.5 million.

    Despite official claims of calm returning, safety fears have remained high since the July 5 riots among members of the region’s main Uighur ethnic group who targeted Han, residents said.

    Renewed unrest in Urumqi and the vast surrounding region of Xinjiang could pose a vexing problem for China’s leadership now engaged in an all-out campaign to ensure stability ahead of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the communist state on Oct. 1.

    Han resident Zhao Jianzhuang said he joined a large crowd of protesters at a downtown intersection who were being blocked by riot police from marching on central People’s Square, less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) away.

    He said people were pushing and shoving police and some in the crowd had been beaten. Participants were shouting slogans including “The government is useless,” and calling for the dismissal of the regional Communist Party boss Wang Lequan, a noted hard-liner and ally of President Hu Jintao.

    The official Xinhua News Agency confirmed the protest. People assembled at several places, including more than 1,000 in the residential area of Xiaoximen, to demand a “security guarantee” from authorities after a series of syringe attacks were reported in city, it said.

    Police seized 15 suspects for attacking people with hypodermic needles in the city, Xinhua said. No reason was given for the attacks.

    A Uighur woman who runs a shop near the Grand Bazaar in the Uighur district described the atmosphere as tense. She said there were few people on the street by mid-afternoon.

    “Earlier, a lot of people ran over saying ‘something’s happened, something’s happened,’ so I quickly closed my shop and rushed home,” said the shopkeeper, who did not want to give her name for fear of government reprisals.

    Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said she had no knowledge of the protest, but told reporters at a regularly scheduled news conference that China’s government “is competent to safeguard social stability and national unity.”

    Thursday is the 15th day of the seventh lunar month — an important day when Han Chinese honor the dead by inviting them back for meals. The date may have been cause for agitation as most of the victims in the July violence were Han Chinese.

    Zhao said anger was stoked by a perceived delay in trials for those arrested over the riot, as well as a recent spate of stabbings by people wielding syringes. He claimed more than 460 people had been injured.

    “There are so many security forces deployed here, yet they’re incapable of protecting us,” Zhao said.

    Xinhua gave no information about when the stabbings occurred or the number of victims, but quoted a deputy director of the region’s health department as saying nobody had been infected or poisoned and medical workers were conducting regular follow-up checks.

    The July riots — China’s worst ethnic violence in decades — killed 197 people, injured 1,700 more and sparked a massive security crackdown in the traditionally Muslim western region of Xinjiang, of which Urumqi is the capital.

    The protest also comes a day after an international trade fair opened in Urumqi, with the government trumpeting the area for foreign investment.

    “It is safe for foreign businesspeople to invest in Xinjiang. They should not have safety concerns,” He Yiming, the regional commerce department head, was quoted as saying by the state-owned China Daily newspaper on Wednesday.

    On a visit to Xinjiang late last month, Hu called for the strengthening of ethnic unity and Xinjiang’s local economy.

    China claims the July riot was instigated by exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer, an accusation she strongly denies. Uighurs have long complained of discrimination and economic marginalization by Han migrants who have flooded into Xinjiang since communist troops entered the region in 1949. Like Tibetans, another restive minority, many Uighurs claim they were independent for much of their history.

    The July unrest broke out after police stopped an initially peaceful protest by Uighur youths, prompting crowds to smash windows, burn cars and attack Han Chinese. Two days later, Han vigilantes carried out revenge attacks.

    03 September 2009, Thursday

    AP BEIJING

    TodaysZaman
  • Turkey seeks shield amid missile-defense negotiations

    Turkey seeks shield amid missile-defense negotiations

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    Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu says it’s not so and American officials are mum, but according to a top defense lobbyist, “negotiations are ongoing” over U.S. plans to deploy a missile-defense shield in Turkey, a possibility floated last week by a Polish newspaper.

    Riki Ellison, chairman of the U.S.-based Missle Defense Advocacy Alliance, or MDAA, insisted to the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review that claims by the Polish newspaper are valid.

    The stir began last week when the Warsaw-based daily Gazeta Wyborcza reported that U.S. President Barack Obama has “all but abandoned” plans to locate parts of a controversial U.S. missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic. The newspaper said the Pentagon has been asked to explore switching planned interceptor-rocket launch sites from the two Central European states to Israel, Turkey or the Balkans.

    U.S. plans to deploy a missile-defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic have created serious tension between Russia and the United States in the past. Russia has repeatedly responded to U.S. missile-defense plans with countermeasures.

    It is no secret that the Obama administration’s promise to “reset” relations with Russia prompted Obama to launch a strategic review of the defense shield.

    Amid the Pentagon’s search for a new strategy, last week’s reports turned heads toward Turkey. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu immediately responded to the claims, saying that the government has not received any request from the United States or NATO regarding the missile-defense project.

    Ellison said he hopes to see a working missile-defense shield in operation by 2013. Ellison’s MDAA is a nonprofit organization launched in 2002 to advocate deployment of an anti-missile program.

    Ellison said he believes there will be a concerted effort from the United States to work with the Turkish government to install missile shields at four bases in Turkey. “Negotiations are happening already and they will continue to go forward,” he said.

    Ellison is evidently well informed on the strategy. However, Turkey’s acceptance of the missile-defense plan may not be realistic, given the risk to its relations with Russia, already frayed by other tensions. Turkey may be a U.S. ally, but Russia supplies the majority of its energy and has a hand in Turkey’s future in the Caucasus.

    Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s Aug. 6 visit to Ankara for talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan secured some 20 agreements covering energy, trade and other areas, including nuclear cooperation. Russian authorities have also agreed to scrap regulations requiring the full inspection of Turkish goods at customs.

    Turkey has been playing a very careful game for some time when it comes to its relations with Russia. Ankara does not want to make an enemy out of Moscow.

    Accepting the deployment of U.S. defense shields in Turkey would be a major step toward a whole new round of tense Turkish-Russian relations at a critical and vulnerable time. Russia would probably play its energy card against Turkey and could even annul this year’s previous agreements.

    The deployment could also have a negative impact on Turkey’s relations with its neighboring countries in the Middle East. Starting with the Turkish Parliament’s March 2003 decision to prevent the United States from invading Iraq through Turkish territory, Turkey has been trying to follow a relatively independent line in its foreign policy. Acceptance of the missile shield would destroy most of Turkey’s diplomatic capital among Middle Eastern countries, which perceived Turkey as making its own decisions after the 2003 bill.

    There is another scenario that sounds more realistic: Turkey currently has no defense against ballistic missiles. According to past news reports, Turkey has been planning to purchase a missile-defense system for some time. Turkey has begun “preliminary talks with the United States, Russia, Israel and China with regard to its plans to buy its first missile defense system, worth more than $1 billion,” wrote the Daily News last year.

    This invites the question: Is missile defense a matter of packaging? Might Turkey avoid allowing the United States to install a missile-defense system on her soil? Rather, might the rumors circulating stem from a bid by Turkey to buy a missile-defense system for herself?

    It is hard to imagine the difference would calm Russia. It is known that Russia is firmly against any U.S. missile shields in Turkey, just as it is against the installations in Central Europe. And despite its determination to expand its military capabilities, Turkey would probably like to stay out of the struggle between Washington and Moscow.

    Hurriyetdailynews
  • EU Parliament Rights Head Calls For Uyghur Inquiry

    EU Parliament Rights Head Calls For Uyghur Inquiry

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    A U.S.-based Uyghur group issued this photo soon after the Xinxiang violence erupted, showing clashes in Urumqi.

    September 01, 2009

    BRUSSELS (Reuters) — The head of the European Parliament’s human rights committee has backed a call for an independent international inquiry into deadly riots in northwest China’s Xinjiang region in July.

    “We have got some quite worrying information about events of July 5,” Heidi Hautala told a joint news conference with Rebiya Kadeer, exiled leader of China’s largely Muslim Uyghur ethnic group who earlier addressed the parliamentary committee.

    “I believe that there is a case for an independent international investigation so that all human rights violations from all sides can be cleared and investigated,” Hautala said.

    She said such an inquiry should be conducted by the United Nations with the backing of the European Union.

    In Xinjiang’s worst ethnic violence in decades, Uyghur rioters attacked majority Han Chinese in Urumqi on July 5 after taking to the streets to protest against attacks on Uyghur workers at a factory in south China in June in which two Uyghurs died. Han Chinese in Urumqi sought revenge two days later.

    The violence left 197 people dead, mostly Han Chinese, and wounded more than 1,600, according to official figures.

    Uyghurs, a Turkic people who are largely Muslim and share linguistic and cultural bonds with Central Asia, make up almost half of Xinjiang’s 20 million people.

    Kadeer said some 10,000 Uyghurs were missing following the riots and accused the Chinese Communist government of pursuing a policy resembling “cultural genocide” in what Uyghurs call East Turkestan.

    She called in July on the international community to send an independent investigative team to the site of the riots.

    “The arrests and detentions continue,” she told the news conference, adding that most were teenage students who, she said, were being tortured in detention.

    Kadeer accused the Chinese authorities of using the international battle against Islamist militancy and the global economic downturn as pretexts to repress the Uyghur people.

    https://www.rferl.org/a/EU_Parliament_Rights_Head_Calls_For_Uyghur_Inquiry/1812564.html

  • Chinese police chief is promoted in East Turkistan

    Chinese police chief is promoted in East Turkistan

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    According to Şinhua agency, Dai Sujun, who is Chiese police chief, was promoted after the events that hundreds of Uyghurs were murdered. He did not safeguard Uyghurs from Chinese attacks, many video footages show Chinese police watched when Uyghurs were getting killed, and  moreover he ordered Chinese police force to kill hundreds of  innocent Uyghurs at a democratic demonstration.

    Tolga Çakır

    Zaman

  • Rebiya’s visit to Japan will spell trouble for China-Japan relations: Chinese ambassador

    Rebiya’s visit to Japan will spell trouble for China-Japan relations: Chinese ambassador

    TOKYO, July 28 (Xinhua) — The visit to Japan of Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the separatist World Uyghur Congress (WUC), may cause trouble for China-Japan relations, said Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cui Tiankai on Monday.

        Cui was speaking in a joint interview with Kyodo News and Japanese national broadcaster NHK on the July 5 Xinjiang riot and Kadeer.

        The deadly July 5 Xinjiang riot was neither an ethnic nor a religious issue, but was masterminded by the separatist WUC led by Rebiya, said Cui.

        “The July 5 riot in Urumqi was a serious, violent, criminal incident, which caused heavy casualties of innocent civilians,” he said.

        “Evidence showed the well-orchestrated riot was instigated and masterminded by the WUC led by Rebiya,” he said.

        The WUC called for massive bloodshed “at any cost” before the Sunday riot. And on July 5, the WUC sent out a flood of instructive messages via telephones and mobile phones to the rioters, and Rebiya herself also reminded her family of their safety in case anything should happen, Cui said.

        “The riot was not a religious issue, no Islamic clergy were involved, and nor was it an ethnic one as ethnic groups live in perfect harmony with each other in China,” Cui said.

        On Rebiya’s visit to Japan, the Chinese ambassador said China was firmly opposed to her visit to Japan and had made clear its stance to the Japanese side.

        “Her tour in Japan is aimed at distorting the facts and advocating her separatist stand,” said Cui. Rebiya’s separatist activities in Japan would spell trouble for China-Japan relations, he said.

        “China and Japan need to make a concerted effort to advance their strategic and mutually beneficial relations and jointly tackle the ongoing international financial crisis as well as regional issues,” Cui said.

        “China-Japan relations should not be undermined by the issue concerning Rebiya, nor should the two countries’ recognition for major common interests and their cooperation,” he said.

        On bilateral ties, Cui said promoting the sound, stable and long-term development of China-Japan relations was the consensus of mainstream Japanese society.

        “It is in the common interests of the two countries and embodies the common aspiration of both peoples (to build relations),” he said, adding he hoped the two sides would work together to achieve that goal.

    China View
  • Uyghur Diaspora Faces Government Pressure in Kyrgyzstan

    Uyghur Diaspora Faces Government Pressure in Kyrgyzstan

    Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 6 Issue: 156
    August 13, 2009 12:25 PM Age: 1 days
    By: Erica Marat

     

    On August 10, Kyrgyz authorities detained Dilmurat Akbarov, the leader of the Ittipak Uyghur society, and his deputy Jamaldin Nasyrov. These leaders had organized demonstrations calling for an independent investigation into last month’s riots in Xinjiang. They featured images and posters accusing Beijing of implementing cruel policies against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. According to the Kyrgyz authorities, approximately 500 people participated in the event in Bishkek (www.akipress.kg, August 10).

    The exact reasons for the arrests on August 10 remain unknown, since the government has avoided making any official statements. Many experts in Bishkek believe that these arrests demonstrate the Kyrgyz government’s agreement with Beijing’s policies. The arrested leaders are likely to be released soon, but their future activity based on criticizing the Chinese government will be discouraged.

    Over 50,000 ethnic Uyghurs live in Kyrgyzstan, but unofficial records claim that the actual number is much higher. Demonstrations against Beijing’s policy in Xinjiang took place in Almaty and Bishkek in July, but received little attention from the local media.

    Ittipak strived to maintain constructive relations with the Kyrgyz regime. The organization is part of the Peoples’ Assembly of Kyrgyzstan, a government body uniting different ethnic minorities. Its former leader Nigmat Bazakov was killed in 2000, allegedly by his enemies who disagreed with his overly-loyal relations with the Kyrgyz regime. At this time China’s influence within Central Asia was becoming more noticeable, according to Rustam Mukhamedov, a New-York based expert. Since then, local reports on Uyghur separatist and terrorist organizations have saturated the local media, while the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) quickly turned into a regional guarantor of security. China and Russia, both facing separatist movements at home, are the SCO’s leading members.

    Bishkek has consistently complied with Beijing’s directives in relation to the Uyghur diaspora. Mukhamedov said that Ittipak is under the close scrutiny of the interior ministry. The August 10 demonstrations were not allowed before the recent presidential election. They were also sanctioned to take place in the outskirts of Bishkek. While only two hours were allocated for the demonstrations, the activists were arrested within the first hour, halting the entire event. Ittipak leaders’ harsh criticism of Beijing’s policies expressed at the August 10 demonstrations came as a surprise to the Kyrgyz authorities. As one Kyrgyz expert told Jamestown, the top ranks of the Peoples’ Assembly of Kyrgyzstan, in which Ittipak is a member, are likely to be sacked soon for allowing these anti-Chinese demonstrations to take place.

    As Chinese influence in Kyrgyzstan increased, Ittipak struggled to balance its image between supporting the Uyghur legacy and avoiding being labeled as an extremist organization. This prompted its leaders to publicly express their support for the regime. According to Akbarov, the diaspora supports Kyrgyzstan’s development by organizing charity work, helping veterans and the victims of earthquakes, and promoting the incumbent government (www.ittipak.biz). Most of Ittipak’s initiatives are funded through contributions by local Uyghur businessmen.

    Ittipak hopes to celebrate its twentieth anniversary this year. In 2004, the diaspora encountered difficulties in commemorating its fifteenth anniversary. Since then, Ittipak members have avoided mentioning their ideas in the mass media about the unity of the Uyghur peoples across Central Asia and Western China. Due to the August 10 demonstrations, this year’s celebrations are also likely to fail, further complicating the Kyrgyz regime’s relations with the Uyghur diaspora.

    Both former president Askar Akayev and the incumbent Kurmanbek Bakiyev have utilized the Peoples’ Assembly to promote support for the government among the country’s ethnic minorities. Local diasporas were allowed some freedom to stage cultural events and preserve their customs and traditions, but were equally expected to support the regime. In this way, Ittipak also supported Bakiyev in the July 23 election, convincing Uyghurs in Kyrgyzstan to vote for him (www.ittipak.biz, June 2). Likewise, the leaders of other ethnic minorities such as the Dungans and Koreans are forced to maintain friendly relations with the regime.

    As a member of the SCO, Kyrgyzstan is under strong geopolitical pressure from its larger neighbors. The diaspora was officially warned by the Kyrgyz government to avoid undermining Kyrgyzstan’s relations with China (www.akipress.kg, August 10). Ombudsman Tursunbek Akun promised to investigate the arrest of the Ittipak activists, but he suggested that the movement must terminate its demonstrations.

    Last month’s riots in Xinjiang revealed strong sentiments among Central Asian Uyghurs about their shared history and identity. Consequently, family ties were rediscovered between the Uyghurs in Kyrgyzstan and China. “The majority of Uyghurs have relatives back in East Turkistan. Therefore, people are worried about their relatives,” Mukhamedov told Jamestown.

    https://jamestown.org/program/uyghur-diaspora-faces-government-pressure-in-kyrgyzstan/