Anti-hijacking forces for China

March 8, 2002 Posted: 3:05 AM EST (0805 GMT)
 

Anti-terror units are to be set up in all of China's 31 provincial capitals

Staff and wires
 

BEIJING, China -- China has set up special anti-terror and anti-hijacking units in all of its 31 provincial capitals in a bid to fight off any terror threats in the wake of September 11 attacks on the United States.

Mobile anti-terror forces had also been created in areas "under heavy threat from possible terrorist attacks," senior police officer Liu Hongjun was quoted as saying in the China Daily newspaper on Friday.

The newspaper said few details were available on which counties were involved and Liu declined comment on the size of the anti-terror units.

China has backed the U.S.-led war on terrorism but wants international support for its campaign against Muslim Uighur activists in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

The militants are seeking an independent state of East Turkestan.

"The threat posed by terrorist groups and terrorist members has increased in China because September 11 has actually served as a guide book for these terrorist forces," Liu was quoted as saying during the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) or parliament.

The region of Xinjiang was taking unspecified measures to crack down on Uighur militants, the paper quoted Xinjiang NPC deputy Abudu Reheman Ayli as saying.

Blame

China has blamed Uighurs for more than 200 violent incidents between 1990 and 2001 in Xinjiang and says Osama bin Laden, chief suspect for the September 11 attacks, provided financial and material aid to them.

Several human rights groups have accused the Chinese government of using the global campaign against terrorism as an excuse to justify crackdowns on political opponents and peaceful separatist campaigns.

An annual global human rights report issued by the U.S. State Department this week said China had intensified its crackdown on some religious groups in 2001 and used the war on terrorism to justify a campaign against Uighur separatists.

China blasted the report and told Washington not to hold double standards in the war on terrorism.

"We shall resolutely safeguard national unity and stability in minority areas while doing everything to protect the religious activities of minorities," the paper quoted Ayli as saying.