An electronic newsletter Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center No: 33 11 April 1997 In this issue: (1) XINJIANG VICE CHAIRMAN DENIES REBIYA IS BEING DETAINED
(2) QUAKE KILLS NINE, INJURES 39 IN NORTHWEST CHINA
(3) EASTERN TURKESTAN
(4) XINJIANG OFFICIAL STRESSES SECRETS, PROTECTION WORK
(5) XINJIANG OFFICIAL STRESSES SECRETS, PROTECTION WORK
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (1) XINJIANG VICE CHAIRMAN DENIES REBIYA IS BEING DETAINED
"Xinjiang Uygyr Autonomous Region Vice Chairman Denies rumor on Rebiya Being Detained for Pursuing Splittist Activities, Saying Xinjiang Enjoys Social Stability, Economic Growth" Vice Chairman Li Donghui of the Xinjiang Uygyr Autonomous Region People's Government stated that the several violent terrorist incidents that have taken place were the doing of a small handful of minority national separatist elements. Their objective was to split the unification of the motherland, and sabotage national solidarity; naturally, they must come under legal sanction. He indicated that the conditions in Xinjiang are fine now, and the region is enjoying social stability and sustained economic growth; Xinjiang will continue to implement the policy of reform and opening up. Li Donghui was present at a news conference yesterday for the "1997 Urumqi Foreign Economic and Trade Talks" held in Hong Kong. When a reporter asked whether or not the bus blasts that had taken place in Xinjiang earlier would affect the climate of foreign investment, Li Donghui indicated that those who have knowledge of Xinjiang's history know that since ancient times Xinjiang has always been China's inseparable territory; the 16 million people of various nationalities in Xinjiang live as one big family of the motherland; nevertheless, some hostile forces overseas and a small handful of national separatist elements in Xinjiang have engaged in activities sabotaging national solidarity under the cloak of religion in the hope of splitting the unification of the motherland. He said that aside from some publicity activities, those national separatist elements were used to pursue infiltration through religion, and now they have resorted to violent terrorist activities. Here lies the source for the violent terrorist activities that have taken place in Xinjiang. Li Donghui stressed that there is a very strong rallying force among people of various nationalities in Xinjiang; any attempt to split Xinjiang from the motherland is unpopular, while national separatist elements are just a very small faction in Xinjiang. Li Donghui said that the conditions in Xinjiang today are fine. Despite the fact that the terrorist incidents caused some damage and interference, but on the whole they have not affected Xinjiang's development, reform and opening up. This can be verified by facts: the 15 Xinjiang ports open to the world remain open; the shipping volume of those ports increased by 15 percent in the first quarter of this year over the same period last year; the volume of foreign trade increased by 87.7 percent in January-February this year over the same period last year, of which, export increased by 1.1-fold, and foreign investment increased by 48 percent. Li Donghui stressed that the situation in Xinjiang now is stable, and the government has further enhanced work in all aspects, installation as well as conditions for receiving tourists have been improved, and people should feel free to tour, visit, and invest in Xinjiang. With respect to the rumor that Rebiya, the wealthy Uygur business woman has been kept in administrative detention for activities sympathizing with, and providing financial aid to national separatist elements, Li Donghui stated that Rebiya used to be an ordinary Uygur working woman, and she became rich through developing trade under the state policy of reform and opening up; she has not forgotten to repay society, and has done lots of work in supporting the impoverished, education, and providing help and support to social welfare undertakings. Li Donghui said that he did not believe Rebiya would pursue any separatist activities, for she has benefited from the state policy of reform and opening up and national stability. Besides, every citizen comes under the protection of state laws. Particularly, because Rebiya is a National People's Political Consultative Conference member, nobody could keep her under administrative detention unless with CPPCC approval. Li Donghui said that he himself could be held responsible in pointing out that Rebiya has not been kept in detention, and she is still pursuing her business activities in Xinjiang. When a reporter asked whether or not it is possible to let Rebiya herself stand up to clarify the rumor, Li Donghui said that it would be a good idea, and he will relay the message to Rebiya when he is back in Xinjiang. (Provided by Bill Mitchell) (2) QUAKE KILLS NINE, INJURES 39 IN NORTHWEST CHINA
BEIJING - An earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale hit the quake-prone northwest Chinese region of Xinjiang on Friday, killing at least nine people, a local seismological official said. The State Seismological Bureau (SSB) said the quake struck Jiashi county in western Xinjiang at 1:34 p.m. (0534 GMT). It left at least 39 injured. It was the sixth quake with a magnitude of 6.0 or more to hit the county since the beginning of the year. "So far, the rescue teams have found nine bodies and we have reports of 39 injured, of whom 25 are in a serious condition," an official with the Xinjiang seismological bureau said by telephone from the regional capital, Urumqi. "The death toll is sure to rise as a lot of buildings have collapsed and we are still searching for victims," the official said, adding that aftershocks and further quakes were expected. The regional government has sent health and civil affairs officials to the site of the quake, while a working team from the SSB in Beijing was scheduled to arrive in Jiashi on Saturday. The exact epicenter of the quake was put at latitude 39.7 degrees north and longitude 76.8 degrees east. According to a Jiashi government official, the majority of building collapses were in villages in the countryside. Most of the people in Jiashi, which is just 60 kilometers (38 miles) east of the city of Kashgar, are Moslem ethnic Uighurs, who make up the majority of Xinjiang's population. Chinese seismologists had warned of the likelihood of another major quake hitting Jiashi, although most forecasts had been for a moderate shock with a magnitude of around 5.0. Friday's quake was the strongest of the six to strike the region this year. On January 21, two quakes measuring 6.4 and 6.3 on the Richter scale hit the county, killing 12 people, followed by a 6.0-degree quake on March 1 that left one dead. Earthquakes registering 6.3 and 6.4 struck on April 6. "The quakes hitting the area have shown no obvious signs of decline in terms of magnitude in the near future," said Ding Jianhai, a research fellow with the SSB. "The geological location of the county is also one of the major factors which triggered the earthquakes," Ding said, pointing out that Jiashi straddled the meeting point of two major seismological belts. A similar phenomenon occurred in 1961, when three earthquakes above six on the Richter scale jolted the area, and after-shocks continued for 20 months. "Compared with China's annual average number of 20 earthquakes above 5.0 on the Richter scale, the number of strong earthquakes occurring earlier this year has revealed that China has entered into another peak period of seismic activities," Ding said. Xinjiang has been rocked by 10 earthquakes of more than 6.0 on the Richter scale in the past decade. The strongest, in November, 1996, measured 7.1 but was centered on the remote and mountainous Karakorum region and resulted in no deaths or damage. An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hit Jiashi in March last year, killing 24 people and injuring 80. (by Giles Hewitt) (3) EASTERN TURKESTAN
Thursday, 10 April - Condemning China for a policy aimed at the suppression of the Islamic faith in the region, the resolution calls for the release of prisoners accused of rioting and the respect of the Chinese Code of Criminal Procedure. The Chinese government is urged to start political dialogue in the region and to allow journalists and human rights monitors to go there. (4) XINJIANG OFFICIAL STRESSES SECRETS, PROTECTION WORK
Addressing a recent regional conference on secrets protection work, Zhou Shengtao, deputy secretary of the regional party committee and chairman of the Secrets Protection Commission under the regional party committee, emphatically pointed out that we must fully understand and stress, from a political and strategic perspective, the utmost importance of secrets protection work in the new situation. Zhou Shengtao pointed out: "Xinjiang is in a period of major change, development, and growth. Secrets protection means protecting stability, development, ethnic unity, and the unification of the motherland. Party committees and governments at all levels must take additional steps to strengthen unified leadership over secrets protection work and implement the leadership responsibility system over secrets protection. We must take earnest steps to ensure that secrets protection organs have adequate manpower and budgets. We must launch propaganda and education drives in a deep-going and sustained manner to enhance the whole nation's awareness in protecting secrets. We must strengthen management of secrets protection work, sternly deal with violations of secrets protection statutes and secrets leaking cases, and commend and award those who had outstanding performance. We must raise the standards of secrets protection cadres and strengthen the building of a secrets protection contingent to meet the needs of modernized secrets protection work." (by reporter Chen Yan) (5) XINJIANG OFFICIAL STRESSES SECRETS, PROTECTION WORK
Addressing a recent regional conference on secrets protection work, Zhou Shengtao, deputy secretary of the regional party committee and chairman of the Secrets Protection Commission under the regional party committee, emphatically pointed out that we must fully understand and stress, from a political and strategic perspective, the utmost importance of secrets protection work in the new situation. Zhou Shengtao pointed out: "Xinjiang is in a period of major change, development, and growth. Secrets protection means protecting stability, development, ethnic unity, and the unification of the motherland. Party committees and governments at all levels must take additional steps to strengthen unified leadership over secrets protection work and implement the leadership responsibility system over secrets protection. We must take earnest steps to ensure that secrets protection organs have adequate manpower and budgets. We must launch propaganda and education drives in a deep-going and sustained manner to enhance the whole nation's awareness in protecting secrets. We must strengthen management of secrets protection work, sternly deal with violations of secrets protection statutes and secrets leaking cases, and commend and award those who had outstanding performance. We must raise the standards of secrets protection cadres and strengthen the building of a secrets protection contingent to meet the needs of modernized secrets protection work." (by reporter Chen Yan) Prepared by: Abdulrakhim Aitbayev (rakhim@lochbrandy.mines.edu) WUNN newsletter index*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The World Uyghur Network News electronic newsletter is produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center (ETIC) in cooperation with the Taklamakan Uighur Human Rights Association (USA), and is devoted to the current political, cultural and economic developments in Eastern Turkistan and to the Uyghur people related issues. Eastern Turkistan (Sherqiy Turkistan in Uyghur) is a name used by the indigenous people of the region for their motherland located in what is at present the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic China. The World Uyghur Network News brings information on situation in Eastern Turkistan from the Uyghur and other sources to the attention of the international community. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= EASTERN TURKISTAN INFORMATION CENTER |