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Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center No: 54 10 September 1997 In this issue: 1) CLASHES BETWEEN UYGHUR GUERILLAS AND THE CHINESE TROOPS IN KHOTAN MOUNTAINS Eastern Turkistan information center, 9/10/97, Abdullah Pamir 2) THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES INVITED KIRGYZSTANI JOURNALISTS TO VISIT UYGHUR REGION Eastern Turkistan information center, 8/26/97By Rabiye Yakub and Rakhim Aitbayev 3) HUMANITARIAN AID MONEY IS STOLEN Eastern Turkistan Information Center, 8/18/97, By Burkut 4) COMMEMORATIONS OF LUTPULLAH MUTELLIP IN BISHKEK Eastern Turkistan Information Center, 9/9/97 5) 'NO MERCY' ORDER AGAINST SEPARATISTS Agence France-Presse in Beijing, 9/19/97 6) BRIDGE COLLAPSE KILLS 39 IN XINJIANG Associated Press, 8/28/97 7) XINJIANG 'FOILS HANDOVER PLOT' Agencies, South China Morning Post, 8/29/97 *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (1) CLASHES BETWEEN UYGHUR GUERILLAS AND THE CHINESE TROOPS IN KHOTAN MOUNTAINS Eastern Turkistan information center, 9/10/97, Abdullah Pamir [ETIC, 9/10/97] The Uyghur pro-independence fighters conducting military training were noticed by six Chinese mushroom hunters in the mountains of Kargalik and Poskam counties of Khotan on September 4. Being afraid that the Chinese will report to the authorities, the Uyghur guerillas killed 5 of them, but one managed to escape. The Chinese military immediately arrived to the region, and arrested about 150 young Uyghurs suspecting them in the separatist activities. It was reported that armed clashes took place between the Uyghurs and the Chinese soldiers. [Abdullah Pamir] *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (2) THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES INVITED KIRGYZSTANI JOURNALISTS TO VISIT UYGHUR REGION Eastern Turkistan information center, 8/26/97 By Rabiye Yakub and Rakhim Aitbayev [ETIC, 8/26/97] Following an initiative of the Chinese Embassy in Kirgyzstan, journalists of several Kyrgyzstani newspapers toured Eastern Turkistan on August 26. The media in Kyrgyzstan had recently been covering human rights violations in Eastern Turkistan. It is believed that the Chinese authorities organized this tour to demonstrate to the media that there are now human rights violations in the region. Nevertheless, an access to the region for the international journalists is strictly restricted. Earlier this year, a BBC crew was expelled from Eastern Turkistan by the Chinese authorities for attempts to gather information about recent clashes in Gulje. International journalists stationed in China, being afraid of expelling from the country, restrain themselves from going to Eastern Turkistan despite numerous witnesses reports on human rights violations and ethnic unrest. [Rabiye Yakub, Rakhim Aitbayev] *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (3) HUMANITARIAN AID MONEY IS STOLEN Eastern Turkistan Information Center, 8/18/97, By Burkut [ETIC, 8/18/97] Three million RMB humanitarian aid to victims of earthquakes in Payzawat donated by the residents of Eastern Turkistan was recently stolen. The Chinese deputy administrator of the Payzawat county gave the money to his own people, the Dungbi Chinese, but they took the money and run away. A group of prosecutors from Kashgar have been investigating the theft without any positive results. Meanwhile situation of the earthquake victims remains extremely difficult. [Burkut] *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (4) COMMEMORATIONS OF LUTPULLAH MUTELLIP IN BISHKEK Eastern Turkistan Information Center, 9/9/97 [ETIC, 9/9/97] Commemorations of the Uyghur poet-democrat Lutpullah Mutellip, devoted to the 75 anniversary of his tragic death, will take place in Bishkek city of Kyrgyzstan on September 18. The event is organized by the "Ittipak", the Uyghur association in Kyrgyzstan, and the department of the Uyghur writers at the Kyrgyzstan Writers Union. A young Uyghur poet Lutpullah Mutellip devoted his lyrics to inspiring the Uyghur people to raise against the Chinese oppressors, and was buried alive by the Chinese. [N. Kanji] *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (5) 'NO MERCY' ORDER AGAINST SEPARATISTS Agence France-Presse in Beijing, 9/19/97 A top government official has told authorities in the troubled region of Xinjiang to show no mercy in their fight against separatists and religious activists. "There is not even the slightest room for compromise," National People's Congress (NPC) Vice-Chairman Tomur Dawamat said in a speech published on the front page of the Xinjiang Daily. All cadres must "put their full trust in the people to isolate as many separatists as possible and then attack them without mercy," Mr Dawamat told provincial leaders at a meeting in Urumqi, capital of the Muslim-majority region. Mr Dawamat is the NPC's highest-ranking ethnic Uygur Muslim. Despite recent successes in uncovering separatist activity, he warned that the "anti-splittist" struggle in Xinjiang was far from over. "They will never cease in their efforts to infiltrate the region and carry out their subversive, separatist and sabotage activities," he said. Mr Dawamat's speech was the latest in a series of high-level warnings, reflecting concerns in Beijing that religious militants in Xinjiang are gaining ground in their efforts to whip up public support for their separatist campaign. China has ruled Xinjiang in varying degrees for centuries and re-established control there in 1949 by crushing the short-lived state of East Turkestan that emerged during the Chinese civil war. Beijing has adopted a policy of Han Chinese migration to dilute nationalist tendencies of the Uygur majority. But hopes of Xinjiang independence were rekindled after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the Muslim states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. In his speech, Mr Dawamat stressed religion was not the issue in Xinjiang. "Our struggle is not about opposing religion. It is a fight to defend ethnic solidarity, social stability and economic prosperity," he said. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (6) BRIDGE COLLAPSE KILLS 39 IN XINJIANG Associated Press, 8/28/97 A makeshift wood and earth bridge collapsed under the weight of a tractor-trailer in northwestern China, killing 39 people, an official report seen on Thursday said. The bridge collapse which occurred on August 21 sent all 56 people aboard the tractor-trailer plunging into the river near the city of Kashgar, in remote Xinjiang, the Xinjiang Daily said. Of the 39 who died, 30 were women and some were children, the report said. Five people were injured and the rest were rescued unharmed from the two-metre deep stream. It said most of the victims were going to visit relatives in Kashgar. One family lost nine people in the tragedy. *=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= (7) XINJIANG 'FOILS HANDOVER PLOT' Agencies, South China Morning Post, 8/29/97 Authorities smashed a separatist plot to stir up anti-Chinese unrest in the Muslim region of Xinjiang on Hong Kong's handover day, a top lawmaker has revealed. "Their plot to launch an all-out strike on July 1 was smashed," Amudun Niyaz, chairman of Xinjiang's Regional People's Congress, said in a speech to cadres just published in the Xinjiang Daily. Mr Niyaz gave no details but said separatists were arrested for rioting in the town of Yining on February 5 and firearms and explosives were seized. Prepared by: Abdulrakhim Aitbayev (rakhim@lochbrandy.mines.edu) and Bill Mitchell (turpan@ix.netcom.com). 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 |