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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.
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. |
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Category: Asia and Pacific
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Renewed violence in west China
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CFP- Armenia and Armenians in International Treaties, U of Mich, Mar 18-21, ’09
Posted by: Gloria Caudill <gcaudill@umich.edu>
Armenian Studies Program
University of Michigan, Ann ArborCall For Papers
International Conference on Armenia and Armenians in International TreatiesThe Armenian Studies Program (ASP) at the University of Michigan, Ann
Arbor, will be convening an international conference on the theme
Armenia and Armenians in International Treaties. The conference will
be held on the campus of the University of Michigan, March 18-21, 2009.International treaties represent critical moments in the history of
Armenia and of the Armenian people that had serious implications for
their status and future as well as that of neighboring peoples and
countries. International treaties also constitute the linchpin of
diplomatic history, an aspect of Armenian history that has been
neglected. The purpose of the conference is to determine patterns and
processes which might shed light on the challenges faced by Armenia
and Armenians in their long history.For the purposes of this conference the term treaties will include
also international agreements such as the one between the Armenian
merchants of India and the British East India Company in 1688 or the
May 1896 agreement regarding the Eastern provinces of the Ottoman Empire.Scholars interested in the subject of Armenian diplomatic history from
earliest times to the present are invited to submit abstracts for
their proposed papers on the theme to Ms. Gloria Caudill, ASP
Administrator, (gcaudill@umich.edu) by Friday, October 3, 2008. ASP
will notify scholars regarding the acceptance of their proposal by the
end of October, 2008. Final papers should be submitted two weeks
before the conference, by February 18, 2009. The papers will be made
available to all participants in order to limit presentations during
the conference to 20 minutes per participant and provide time for
discussion during panels.The conference will begin with a reception on the evening of
Wednesday, March 18, followed by three full days of panels. The
conference will be webcast live internationally. Professor Gerard
Libaridian is the main convener of the conference.The language of the conference will be English, although presentations
in Armenian as well as in French, Russian and Spanish will be accepted
as long as the presenter can provide an English translation of the
paper two weeks before the conferenceASP will cover all expenses related to travel, lodging and meals for
participants.For further information, please contact Ms. Gloria Caudill at the ASP office:
Email: gcaudill@umich.edu
Telephone: (1) 734-763-0622. -
Timeline by 12th of August From the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia
12 August
10:15 Russian planes bombed Gori. The territory around administration building and city market have been bombed.
In the morning ours of 12 August Russian airplanes bombed the village of Tkviavi near Tskhinvali once again.
03:25 Russian envoy to the UN Churkin announced on the press conference that Russia will not support the resolution. Georgian envoy Alasania announced that suggested resolution is acceptable to Georgia.
02:15 Emergency meeting of the Security Council of the UN started. The resolution about cease-fire prepared by France was discussed. (more…)
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Bush Warns Russia to Reverse Course in Georgia
US President George W. Bush made a statement about the situation in Georgia. Bush is demanding Russia withdraw from Georgia saying that such Russia’s actions are unacceptable in 21st century.
“Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people, ” said Bush.
“Russia’s actions this week have raised serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region. These actions have substantially damaged Russia’s standing in the world. And these actions jeopardize Russians’ relations — Russia’s relations with the United States and Europe. It is time for Russia to be true to its word and to act to end this crisis,” said US President.
He said he was “deeply conerned” that Russian troops had moved beyond the zone of conflict.
“There’s evidence that Russian forces may soon begin bombing the civilian airport in the capital city,” he said. “If these reports are accurate, these Russian actions would represent a dramatic and brutal escalation of the conflict in Georgia. And these actions would be inconsistent with assurances we have received from Russia that its objectives were limited to restoring the status quo in South Ossetia that existed before fighting began on August the 6th,”
He calls upon Russia to reverse the course and respect Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. He also told Russia to accept the peace agreement.
“Russia’s government must respect Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on, and accept this peace agreement as a first step toward resolving this conflict,” he said.
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STATEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GEORGIA
Russian occupation forces have already gone beyond the conflict zone. Until recently Russia limited itself to aerial assaults outside of the boundaries of the conflict zone, however, now the Russian forces are attempting to seize the control of entire Georgia. Russian regular army is located in Zugdidi, Khobi and Senaki. Also, numerous Russian troops moved beyond Tskhinvali region, blocked the major highway and headed towards the capital of Georgia (Tbilisi). All of this happened following Georgian Government’s unilateral declaration of ceasefire, regroupment of Georgian troops outside of the conflict zone and, finally, the signing of the document prepared by Foreign Ministers of Finland, France and Georgia regarding unconditional ceasefire. Until this very moment the Georgian Government was and continues to fulfill the terms of the abovementioned document. Throughout the night and following the unilateral ceasefire, the Russian jets continued the bombardment of capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, and other cities and villages. Only within one night more than 10 assaults have been carried out, which resulted in the damage of civil aviation radar system, civil aviation telecom system, residential buildings, as well as, road infrastructure. Then, Russian “peace keepers”, in violation of their mandate and international standards, entered Zugdidi region, occupied Police and other administrative buildings and started “patrolling” Western part of Georgia. All of the abovementioned, suggests that the Russian actions have nothing to do with the enforcement of peace and that it was all pre-planned strategy aimed at conquering Georgia.
Today the statehood of Georgia is in great danger, and, thereby, leaving existing world order in uncertainty. We appeal to the world community to stop the Russian aggression and assume the responsibility for the developments in the region.
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Russia Occupies Georgia
Georgia’s President Mikheil Saakashvili said at a session of National Security Council that the highway passing through Gori is taken under Russia control.
Saakashvili said that the army should struggle to the end. This is the attempt to destroy and occupy Georgia, he said.
The humanitarian and moral support from the international community is received, he said but Georgia needs more today.
“But we want them to stop these barbaric aggressors,” he said. “Our armed forces will carry out regrouping and we will protect and continue fighting for our future,”
Earlier Saakashvili addressed nation saying that the present events proved that it is a planned occupation and annexation of Georgia’s conflict regions and as a result of it the annexation of the whole Georgia.
The force entered Georgia is big, serious and is “a fatal threat to the Georgian statehood.”
The previous statements showed what was behind the Russian actions, he said.
“Yesterday and the day before yesterday official statements were made that the operation aimed at changing the Georgian authorities, changing Georgia’s course,” Said Saakashvili.According to him it means Russia’s aims to end with Georgia’s independence.
“I want to say with full responsibility that we want to immediately end this military confrontation.” Said Saakashvili, “We want to end the war that we have not launched.”Source: Georgia Today