An electronic newsletter Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center No: 38 1 May 1997 In this issue: (1) THE CURRENT NEWS FROM EASTERN TURKISTAN
(2) COURT SENTENCES 32 ETHNIC CHINESE FOR UNLAWFUL RALLY
(3) XINJIANG ARMY MOBILIZED TO STUDY HIGH-TECH
(4) XINJIANG CRACKS DOWN ON SEPARATISM
(5) RADIO DISAVOWS SUPPORT FOR XINJIANG TERRORISM
(6) UYGHUR WITNESS: OVER 50 KILLED IN XINJIANG INCIDENTS
(7) XINJIANG EXECUTES CRIMINALS FOR MURDER, EXPLOSION
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (1) THE CURRENT NEWS FROM EASTERN TURKISTAN
* At noon of April 13, a planted bomb exploded at the pigs market of the 16th production military region located in Uchturpan county of Aksu wilayet killing 6 and heavily injuring 7. The government suspects the Uyghurs in planting the bomb, but no evidences were found so far. * A 12 years old Uyghur girl from Kartal village of Aksu was raped and brutally killed. Her mutilated body was found on April 18. The victim's parents and friends suspected 4 Chinese soldiers from the 18th production military region of the Tarim 3d division. They complained to the administration of the military region, but were accused in lying and were driven away. Shortly after, the girl's mother committed suicide by hanging herself. Sexual assaults on young girls are extremely rare in Eastern Turkistan, and this event shocked the Uyghur community in the region. (2) COURT SENTENCES 32 ETHNIC CHINESE FOR UNLAWFUL RALLY
ALMATY, Apr 29 (Interfax-Kazakhstan) -- An Almaty district court handed out sentences ranging from one to seven days in custody to 32 ethnic Uygyrs who had held an unauthorized rally outside the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan on April 28, Yusupbek Mukhlisi, head of a national Uygyr organization, told Interfax- Kazakhstan. The 32 were charged with disturbing the public peace and violating the rules of holding rallies, a court official said. The Kazakh Uygyrs protested Monday the reprisals against Uygyrs in the Xinjiang Uygyr Autonomous Region in China. The court session was held on the same day. (3) XINJIANG ARMY MOBILIZED TO STUDY HIGH-TECH
By correspondents Zhang Yangsheng, Zhao Ninggang On the morning of 26 March, a "mobilization meeting for studying high-tech knowledge" was ceremoniously held by the Xinjiang Military District. Major General Yan Chonghou, deputy commander of the Xinjiang Military District, addressed the meeting on behalf of the party committee of the military district. He said: The party's leading cores of the three generations called on officers and men to study and master advanced science and technology, while Chairman Jiang Zemin also stressed the need "to swiftly set off an upsurge of extensively, thoroughly, and persistently studying high-tech knowledge". Studying and mastering high-tech knowledge is the objective requirement for the rapidly-changing new tech revolution, the inevitable choice for our army's quality upgrading, and the fundamental way to improve cadres' quality. Yan Chonghou urged all the troops to formulate overall plans for the study of high-tech knowledge with standards of study clearly defined; insist on letting leaders play a leading and exemplary role; employ scientific methods for the purpose of application; and establish a competition mechanism for a stronger momentum of study. He hoped that with assiduous study, all the troops of the military district would strive to master high tech and apply it extensively, thus making greater contributions to their revolutionalization, modernization, and standardization. (4) XINJIANG CRACKS DOWN ON SEPARATISM
From the "Regional News Hookup" program The regional party committee recently held a work meeting in Urumqi. At the meeting, participants studied the spirit of the central authorities' instruction on further strengthening stability in Xinjiang and mapped out comprehensive arrangements for launching an intensive special campaign to improve public security and to severely crack down on violent terrorist crimes in some key areas in the region. [Video opens with a long shot of a conference hall with several hundred people, cutting to show close shots of Wang Lequan and Abdulahat Abdurixit; then it pans other regional leaders] The regional party committee's standing committee presided over the meeting. Wang Lequan, secretary of the regional party committee; and regional chairman Abdulahat Abdurixit made important speeches at the meeting. Amudun Niyaz, Janabil, Keyum Bawudun, Zhang Wenyue, Aisihaiti Kelimubai, Wang Chuanyou, Hailiqiemu Silamu, Li Fengzi, Abdurehim Amiti, Zhang Yunchuan, Chen Demin, Wu Dunfu, and (Wu Jiayan); as well as other regional party, government, and Production and Construction Corps leaders and senior officials from all prefectures, cities, and regional departments; attended the meeting. The meeting analyzed the situation of stability in Xinjiang and pointed out: The situation of stability in Xinjiang is generally good. Since last year, the region has conscientiously implemented the central authorities' important instruction on maintaining stability in Xinjiang and stepped up efforts to strengthen stability in all fields. Through launching "strike-hard" and a series of campaigns, we have dealt a severe blow to hard-core crimes, cracked a number of violent terrorist cases, brought the overwhelming majority of criminals to justice, improved the basic work at the grass-roots level, and replenished the strength of township and town police substations and people's armed forces departments. The violent terrorist case, which took place earlier this year, has been effectively solved; and the trial has proceeded smoothly according to the law. Through these measures, we have dealt a powerful blow to the national separatist forces and violent terrorist activities; and scored significant victories in our struggle against the enemy and for maintaining social stability. The region enjoys economic and political stability, ethnic unity, and strong border defense, which form the mainstream of the situation as a whole in Xinjiang. However, because of the international background and complex domestic factors, the struggle between separatism and anti-separatism is very acute and fierce in Xinjiang. The hostile forces have resorted to terrorism to create ethnic contradictions and stir up ethnic hatred, seriously impeding the normal production order and everyday life of society, endangering the safety of lives of the masses, undermine the excellent situation in the region, and causing a negative impact on the macro environment of reform and opening up in Xinjiang. [as the announcer reads the report, video pans participants in the conference hall] The meeting said: With a view to safeguarding the common interests and the safety of lives and property of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, there is a pressing need at present to wage an intensive struggle to improve public order and severely crack down on violent terrorist crimes in key areas. Striking hard at the national separatists and religious extremists is a call for Xinjiang's fundamental interests of realizing its cross- century magnificent blueprints for prosperity; it is also an urgent demand for developing the excellent situation, as well as a strong demand of the broad masses of people. Calling on leading cadres at all levels and the broad masses of people throughout Xinjiang to continue to hold high the banner of safeguarding the dignity of law, interests of the people, unity of ethnic groups, and unification of the motherland, the meeting said: We should unify thinking, enhance understanding, fully utilize the legal weapon, and adopt strong and effective measures to deal a heavy blow at the core members of national separatist forces, violent terrorist criminals, and ringleaders of religious extremist forces; and to firmly clamp down on rampant crimes. [After showing a close-up shot of Wang Lequan, camera continues to pan the conference hall as Wang reads his speech from a prepared script] At the beginning of the meeting, Wang Lequan made an important speech, which was entitled: "Strike Hard at Violent Crimes, Resolutely Maintain Xinjiang's Stability." He said: We should adopt firm and effective measures to improve public order in key areas, and strive to achieve tangible results. We should, first of all, lay bare the enemy's reactionary nature and sinister scheme and increase the awareness of the struggle among cadres and people at large. Our struggle against national separatists and religious extremists is neither an ethnic nor a religious problem; it is a life-or-death struggle between ourselves and the enemy, a struggle between those who safeguard the motherland's unification and ethnic unity and those who split the motherland and undermine ethnic unity. A small handful of national separatists have stirred up turmoil and carried out violent terrorist activities of beating, smashing, looting. What they have encroached upon are the supreme interests of the country, the common interests of the big family of the Chinese nation consisting of 56 ethnic nationalities, and the fundamental interests of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The vast cadres and people throughout the region should see clearly the enemy's reactionary essence and sinister aim and unite together in waging a resolute struggle against the enemy. Second, we should steadfastly trust and rely on cadres and the masses at large. We should realize with a sober mind that the small number of national separatists and religious extremists basically do not represent the people of various ethnic groups, nor do they represent a certain ethnic group in Xinjiang. The decades-long practical experience of a large number of patriotic religious personalities who have grown to maturity since Xinjiang's liberation bears testimony to the fact that they all can be trusted. For years, the patriotic religious personalities have conscientiously implemented the party's policy toward religion. They ardently love the motherland and safeguard its unification while continuing their normal religious practice. They have done a great job. The patriotic religious personalities are always the forces that we want to unite and rely upon. Under the current circumstances, we should continue to show clearly our trust, support, and protection for patriotic religious personalities. Meanwhile, we should educate and mobilize the large number of patriotic religious personalities and religious followers to take an active role in waging a struggle against dregs of the nation, dregs of the religion, national separatists, and illegal religious activities. Third, we should care about the people's livelihood and pay attention to the work method. Helping the people in remote areas develop production and shake off poverty is the important foundation for us to unite the broad masses of people to smoothly launch the struggle against the enemy. So long as we bear in mind the masses' well-being and sincerely seek benefits for them, they will trust us and side with the party and the government and will take a clear-cut stand in fighting against national separatists, religious extremist forces, and violent terrorist activities. The day when the masses are mobilized comprehensively will be the day when the enemy is annihilated. [Video shows a close shot of Abdulahat Abdurixit, reading from a prepared script] Abdulahat Abdurixit spoke at the closing of the meeting. He emphasized: We should work hard to ensure success of the intensive campaign according to the central and regional arrangements. To this end, we should pay close attention to work in the following fields: We should strengthen the leadership and clearly define responsibilities; we should pay particular attention to selected spots and link work in selected spots with that in the entire area; we should launch a preemptive strike against the enemy and combine strike with prevention; we should mobilize the masses and rely on the grass roots; we should strengthen the management of religious affairs according to the law and resolutely crack down on illegal religious activities; and we should implement the party's policy comprehensively and in its entirety and do things strictly according to the law. Abdulahat Abdurixit also emphasized: We should implement the central authorities' important instruction on maintaining Xinjiang's stability comprehensively and deeply and hold high the banner of patriotism and ethnic unity in jointly safeguarding Xinjiang's long-term stability and order. He said: Implementing the central authorities' important instruction on maintaining Xinjiang's stability is a long-term task. We should further arm the minds of cadres and people of all ethnic groups with the spirit of this important instruction; and we should hold high the great banner of patriotism and ethnic unity and unite more closely in forming the broadest national united front to safeguard the motherland's unification and to oppose national separatism. In our socialist big family of nationalities, the hearts and destiny of all ethnic groups are linked by the common cause. Only the great unity can bring along Xinjiang's big development and beautiful future and contribute to the overall interests of the country. [coverage ends with a long shot of the conference hall] (5) RADIO DISAVOWS SUPPORT FOR XINJIANG TERRORISM
Station Observer (Mitrovanov's) commentary; from the "Good Evening, China" program Chinese President Jiang Zemin's Moscow visit and the documents signed during the visit, including the accord on the reduction of forces along border areas, have received ample coverage in the media. But one thing was not adequately reported. Station observer [Mitrovanov] notes: We are referring to the promise made by Kazakh and Kyrgyz leaders that their countries would not be involved in the separatist activities in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister Qian Qichen had pointed out that the views of [Kazakh President] Nazarbayev and [Kyrgyz President] Akayev, and President Jiang Zemin were identical, namely: The aforementioned countries would not provide the footholds for those forces which attempt to divide China on grounds of ethnic and regional characteristics. The three leaders' consensus of view may [words indistinct] sober up foreign observers who have been stubbornly searching for traces of Xinjiang's incidents in Central Asia. It is true that, because of historical reasons, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Uygurs are residing in Central Asian countries. However, the overwhelming majority of them are law-abiding citizens who (?have no intention to see) Xinjiang be seceded from China and become an independent Xinjiang state. On the other hand, there are also other ethnic minorities living in China, including ethnic Uzbek, Kyrgyz, and Mongolian. Of course, the discontent of (?certain) people in Xinjiang has its objective cause. We think that it is primarily because of the great differences between the economic development and [words indistinct] people's living standards between the eastern and western parts of China. However, the Chinese Government's recent moves shows that they are taking measures to change this situation, but this takes time. In the meantime, it is regrettable to note that certain forces are still instigating some people in Xinjiang to do what is against the law, including terrorist activities. The means which the terrorists employed was nothing more than blasting buses and railway stations [words indistinct] likely in the Middle East rather than in the former USSR republics. (6) UYGHUR WITNESS: OVER 50 KILLED IN XINJIANG INCIDENTS
Washington, May 1 Kyodo -- More than 50 people were killed in two separate violent incidents in China's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in February, a female Uygur has said in the first witness account of the two incidents. The witness, who left the troubled region for the United States after the incidents, told Kyodo News on Tuesday that she took part in a demonstration in Yining on Feb. 5 against the arrest of about 100 Muslim students seeking an end to China's rule in the region and later heard that 31 people were killed by police fire. Chinese authorities said at that time that at least 10 people died and 140 others were injured. The witness, whose identity was withheld for security reasons, also said she saw more than 20 dead bodies after a bomb exploded inside a bus Feb. 25 in Urumqi. According to the woman, after hearing a big explosion after 5 P.M., she looked through a window of her downtown apartment and saw the middle part of a three-carriage trolley bus damaged by the explosion noticing some 22 to 23 dead bodies, mostly of Han Chinese. Chinese authorities announced that nine people lost their lives and 74 incurred injuries in the bomb blast. (7) XINJIANG EXECUTES CRIMINALS FOR MURDER, EXPLOSION
[Editor's note: Dates seem to indicate that another bombing incident took place in 1996] On 30 January, the Urumqi City Intermediate Court openly sentenced a group of serious criminals in the courtroom of the autonomous regional higher people's court. Sixteen criminals involved in 13 cases were sentenced to death and deprived of political rights for life. They were executed on the same day. Also tried were two criminals who took part in the explosion on 13 February 1996 in Urumqi City. The 13 cases tried were murder and robbery committed by Zhao Jian, Wang Zhaojiang, and Bai Yuguo; murder and robbery committed by Huang Ping; murder committed by Li Xinjian; murder committed by Yilihamu Yasheng; murder committed by Maimaiti Mijiti; robbery and rape committed by Zhao Xiangqian; theft and robbery committed by fugitive Wie Changyong; robbery committed by fugitive Song Chen; robbery committed by Mao Gang; theft committed by Zhang Hongxiang and Tian Guoying; theft committed by Zhang Zhongxing; drug trafficking involving Yusufu Mayinggui; and intentional injury (fatal) committed by Liao Jianguo. Wearing masks and carrying instruments of crime, criminals Zhao Jian and Wang Zhaojiang, along with the two brothers Bai Yuwen (still at large) and Bai Yuguo, broke into a house on Zhongqiao First Lane in Urumqi City at around 0400 on 8 August 1996. Under the pretext of installing devices to prevent wiretapping, they forced open the door of the house of a Mr. Zhang, a self-employed individual. After taking 110,000 yuan in cash, they killed Mao Juhua and Zhang Lei, Mr. Zhang's wife and son; Mao Xiaoping; Mao Juhua's nephew; and Mao Lizhi and Mao Xirong, Mao Juhua's nieces, with a dagger, and seriously wounded Mr. Zhang. The Urumqi City Intermediate Court decided to sentence the three criminals to death on charges of murder and robbery and to deprive them of political rights for life, on the grounds that their crimes of teaming up to commit murder and robbery, killing five people, and seriously wounding another were exceptionally vicious crimes committed through exceptionally cruel means with exceptionally serious consequences, and that their actions constituted murder and robbery. The court decided to execute them and deprive them of political rights for life after the sentencing. The eight defendants who made up the bombing, robbery, and theft gang involved in the 13 February explosion case were Maimaiti Wubulihashengmu, Maimaiti Musilimu Abudureheman, Abudusilimu Abuduailimu, Xierli Niyazi, Yusufu Keyoumu, Maimaiti Niyazi, Rouziaji Aimaiti, and Abudureheman Aibaidula. On 13 February 1996, defendants Maimaiti Wubulihashengmu and Maimaiti Musilimu Abudureheman blew up a vehicle parked in front of the Xinjiang Military District Teachers Training Center on Donghuan Road in Urumqi City. During the explosion, a jeep and the building's glass windows were seriously damaged, resulting in 369,000 yuan in direct economic losses. The two defendants had committed other robberies and thefts before. The Urumqi City Intermediate Court sentenced Maimaiti Wubulihashengmu to death and deprived him of political rights for life on charges of explosion and robbery. It also sentenced him to life in prison on charges of theft. Combining punishments for several offenses, the court decided to execute him and deprive him of political rights for life. Because defendant Maimaiti Musilimu Abudureheman confessed his crime, the court sentenced him to death with a two-year reprieve on charges of explosion, robbery, and theft. Combining punishments for several offenses, the court decided to impose a two-year suspended death sentence on him and to deprive him of political rights for life. The other defendants involved in robbery and theft were either sentenced to life in prison or given fixed-term imprisonment. 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 |