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POLICE AND ARMY ON ALERT IN GHULJA
A report by East Turkistan
Information Center
On September 17, 2002, a meeting on
"Physical Training of Minorities" was convened
in Ili Prefecture. More than ten
thousand people came to the opening ceremony including
many high ranking officials. The head of the
government of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region,
Mr. Ablet Abdureshid, and another high ranking
official, Esget Kerimbay, are attending the event. The
meeting is taking place in three different locations
of Ili Prefecture.
Two days prior this event,
emergency meetings took place in many local law
enforcement agencies that addressed a special
intelligence report that a certain underground
organization headed by a person named Mutellip is
preparing an unsanctioned event in three locations of
Ili prefecture: the city of Ghulja (Yining), Jeliyuz
county, and Chapchal county. It is reported that about
300 young people might be involved in this
organization and that these people are already on the
ground to stage the event.
It is reported that police have
arrested two members of the organization, Ibrahim and
Nurmet.
Local law enforcement agencies were
ordered to be on alert for possible disturbances.
The city of Ghulja was put under
curfew as during and after February 5 events of 1997.
26 young men were detained in
Ghulja on September 16, and 18 more on September 17.
About 500 armed soldiers and police
are guarding places of the meetings. Communist party
and government office buildings are also guarded by
armed police and soldiers.
The end.
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