An electronic newsletter Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center No: 42 20 May 1997 In this issue: (1) ANTI COMMUNIST PARTY IN CHINA MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOMBINGS IN BEIJING
(2) U.S. SAYS CHINA NOT A MILITARY THREAT
(3) MORE NATIONALITY STUDENTS TAKE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEST
(4) ETHNIC IRE LOOMS ON INFLUX OF WORKERS
(5) HONG KONG BUSINESS AWARDED XINJIANG LAND CONTRACT
(6) AN UYGHUR STUDENT DIES ON THE WAY FROM PAKISTAN
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (1) ANTI COMMUNIST PARTY IN CHINA MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BOMBINGS IN BEIJING
It was reported by a confidential source that the recent terrorist attacks in Beijing might be conducted by members of the anti communist party established in China on April, 1990, almost one year after the Chinese government's crackdown on the pro-democracy student demonstration in Beijing. [Abduljelil Karkash, Munich] (2) U.S. SAYS CHINA NOT A MILITARY THREAT
SINGAPORE - The top U.S. military commander in the Asia-Pacific region said on Tuesday that China was not a threat to Washington but disagreements with Beijing would not go away and must be resolved between the two countries. Admiral Joseph Prueher, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, told reporters it would take 15 to 20 years for China to acquire the ability to project military power in the region. "I do not see China as a threat," he said. "Our strategy with China is one of constructive engagement. It means dealing in a responsible way with China." Prueher said the United States was not worried by China's recent acquisition of two destroyers from Russia or its plans to have an aircraft carrier in the future. He said the destroyers were "matters of interest but not of over-concern or alarm for us." Prueher said recent trips to China by senior U.S. officials such as Vice-President Al Gore and a summit between Presidents Bill Clinton and Jiang Zemin should help foster a good working environment between the two countries. "We are putting in place the pieces to have good dialogue with China, to work at resolving conflicts and to work at resolving differences of opinion that we will have," he said. The differences include human rights, protection of intellectual property rights, trade disputes and Taiwan. China reacted angrily last year when two U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups were deployed in waters near Taiwan after Beijing fired missiles and conducted war games in the area ahead of the island's presidential elections. China has regarded Taiwan as a renegade province since a civil war split them in 1949. Beijing acknowledged the war games were a bid to warn Taiwan voters not to drop a pledge to reunify with the mainland. Prueher said the United States would maintain a force of 100,000 soldiers in the region and that historic animosities between several countries in the region meant it had a role to play, even if peace arrives in the Korean peninsula. "Our commitment to a U.S. presence and stability transcends the Korean peninsula," he said. He also raised the possibility that the U.S. navy might call more often at its former base at Subic Bay in the Philippines. "In our discussions with the Philippines and Subic Bay, some have expressed an interest in our ships using that again on a different basis than before," Prueher said. "So that might be a place we would use more in the future than we do now." The U.S. navy was forced to abandon Subic Bay in 1992 after the Philippine Senate rejected a new 10-year bases agreement. (3) MORE NATIONALITY STUDENTS TAKE CHINESE LANGUAGE TEST
"Chinese Language Standard Text Shows 'Temperature Rise' in Xinjiang" Not long ago 2,100 nationality students in Urumqi and Kashi took the National Chinese Language Standard Text. Called the Chinese language "thank you," the National Chinese Language Standard Text, since first being introduced on a trial basis to Xinjiang by the Xinjiang Finance and Economics Institute in June of last year, because of its prominent scientific and practical nature, has produced a strong echo in all higher schools in Xinjiang, and has drawn a high degree of attention in the autonomous region. For this reason the autonomous region's people's government specially issued a document, which was disseminated to all institutes of higher learning (including some middle schools) in order to raise the Chinese language level of Xinjiang's nationality students, so that, through the study of the Chinese language, they would obtain more and wider knowledge. On 12 January the National Chinese Language Test began to be taken at the Xinjiang Finance and Economics Institute, Xinjiang University, and Kashi Teachers College. According to a briefing given by the responsible person at the Xinjiang examination point, this time the number of examination halls increased from last year's one to this year's three; an examination hall was opened in southern Xinjiang; the number of persons taking the test increased from last year's 1,600 to this year's 2,100; and the setting up of the examination hall in southern Xinjiang had been arranged beforehand on the initiative of the Kashi Teachers College. The National Chinese Language Standard Test has really shown a "temperature rise" in Xinjiang. (4) ETHNIC IRE LOOMS ON INFLUX OF WORKERS
An influx of large numbers of migrant workers into Xinjiang cotton fields threatens to stir up ethnic unrest. For the first time, the Xinhua (the New China News Agency) has admitted hundreds of thousands of surplus workers from other rural areas are pouring into the trouble-hit province for the harvest. Beijing has said Xinjiang's rapid development - its economy rose about 10 per cent last year - would benefit all, including the Uygurs, a key ethnic group there. However, Uygur separatists have complained the boom has attracted a large number of Hans, China's main ethnic group, to Xinjiang and they fear the Hans may soon outnumber them. At the end of 1995, Uygurs accounted for 59.1 per cent of Xinjiang's 16 million population. A spokesman for the regional government did not know how many migrant cotton workers there were, as they were not required to obtain permits. He said: "These farmers are told by their relatives or friends that there are cotton harvesting jobs available in Xinjiang. They are temporary workers and most of them leave Xinjiang after the harvest." The Xinjiang Government had no information about the migrant workers because they worked for Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps farms, a paramilitary group with equal political status. Xinjiang is China's largest cotton producer, accounting for a quarter of the national output. The migrant workers are attracted by high wages. Xinhua quoted a couple from Sichuan province as saying they earned more than 4,000 yuan (HK$3,720) picking cotton in southern Xinjiang last autumn - equal to five years' pay back home. The couple stayed and since February have been managing a four-hectare cotton plot. "The employer will pay them 7,200 yuan by the end of August when the cotton picking begins," Xinhua said. Some workers have begun growing cotton themselves in the province. Seven years ago, Yu Bishuang and his wife arrived in Shache, China's largest cotton producing county. He planted two-thirds of a hectare of cotton in 1995, but did not make any money because he lacked the necessary skills. However, Mr Yu planted a further two hectares last year and has now reaped a profit of more than 30,000 yuan. (5) HONG KONG BUSINESS AWARDED XINJIANG LAND CONTRACT
"Hong Kong Business Awarded Contract on Nearly 20,000 Mu of 102nd Regiment Farm's Land" A contract on all the land of an agricultural military company has been awarded to a Hong Kong business for its operations, a first in the history of PLA [People's Liberation Army] Corps agricultural development. On 12 January, Chang Ch'eng [1728 2110], chairman of the board of the Manpang International Development Company, Ltd., and Zhang Xiaoping [1728 2556 1627], chairman of the board of the Jilike Development Company, Ltd., formally signed with Zhang Linze [1728 2651 3419] a "two-way provision for land operation." A total of 5,000 mu of cultivated land and a total of 14,300 mu of abandoned cultivated land that can be recovered and utilized—all belonging to the 16th Company of the 102nd Regiment Farm--will for the next 30 years be operated under contract by the newly formed Mapang-Jilike Industrial Company, Ltd. Ding Wenbin [0002 2429 2430], deputy corps commander, and Hua Shifei [5478 1102 7378], the Sixth Agricultural Division's standing committee secretary and political commissar, attended the signing ceremony. The Notarization Office notarized the contract, which thus became effective. This Hong Kong business, after more than one month of on-the-spot surveys and repeated consultations, reached an agreement that the purpose of the 30-year contract for the land of the 16th Company, 102nd Regiment Farm, is to engage in the overall operational activities of cultivation, raising, and processing. Based on the state's laws and regulations and on the autonomous region's and corps' policies, the sides, in line with the principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity, mutual understanding, lawful operations, mutual support, joint development, and equality and free will, contract the 16th Company's 19,300 mu of land. The contract takes the form of a determinate base, which increases by stages, and guarantees a turnover to the state of contract expenses, operates on one's own initiative, assumes sole responsibility for profit and loss, and two-party payment for operations. Within the 30-year contract time limit, there are established the two parties' rights, interests, and obligations, as well as their responsibility for breaking the contract. Corps Deputy Commander Ding Wenbing maintained that agriculture is one of the investment industries with the most prospects and highest profits. The 102nd Regiment Farm's facilitation of the terms of this contract adds impetus to the formation of a tide of foreign business investment in agriculture, causing floating capital to flow toward agricultural and industrial activities in the west, and making certain that there is a climate tolerant to investment. Chang Ch'eng, chairman of the board of the Hong Kong business, also thinks that this was a gratifying first step for his business to invest in Xinjiang's agricultural development, and that it tallies with the state's major policy of tilting toward the west. He expressed full confidence in the 102nd Regiment Farm's operation of the land contract. (6) AN UYGHUR STUDENT DIES ON THE WAY FROM PAKISTAN
One of the 13 young Uyghurs deported from Pakistan earlier this month died on the way from Pakistan somewhere between Bulung Kol lake and Tashkurgan city of Eastern Turkistan. The reason of the death is uncertain. The young Uyghurs sought an asylum in Pakistan escaping from the Chinese religious and ethnic persecutions, and were deported by the Pakistani authorities complying with the official Chinese request. Recently, the Chinese authorities also requested from Pakistani government to deport about 100 more Uyghur students studying in Islamic schools in Pakistan, who legally came to that country. After the incident with the 13 Uyghur refugees, the majority of the Uyghur students are afraid of being deported to China, and they are hiding, this time, from the Pakistani authorities. The students are frustrated from the situation when the government of an Islamic Republic of Pakistan trades Muslims to communist China, which is currently conducting an official campaign to fight with the "illegal" religious schools. [Abdullah Pamir] 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 |