An electronic newsletter

Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center

17 August 1996

17 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

17 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

17 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

17 August 1996, People's Daily.

16August 1996, Reuters

12 August 1996, CND-Global

12 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

8 August 1996, , Voice of Eastern Turkistan

8 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

3 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

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(1) ENLARGED CONVENTION OF THE XINJIANG COMMUNIST PARTY

17 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

Urumchi Radio reported on August 13 that an enlarged convention of the Xinjiang Communist Party Committee took place on August 12-13. The convention adopted 10 resolutions. One of them says: To undertake all possible actions to restore cities, villages, transportation and power station damaged by recent floods, and with all means implement this

years production plan outlined by the party. To achieve these goals all people of Xinjian must be used in recovery activities. This means that the local farmers are forced to recovery works without any pay. In another resolution: To continue without mercy the "Strike Hard" campaign which was resumed in Eastern Turkistan on August 14.

(2) THE CONTROL OVER RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES

17 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

Urumchi Radio reported on August 15 that in Gulja a big group of religious people was identified for reeducation, and several underground religious schools were closed. On August 16, the Urumchi authorities organized searches in many of the city's religious cites. In result, 30 mosques and Islamic schools were closed, 60 people were charged in illegal religious activities, and a great number of "superstitious" books was confiscated. The radio also reported that in Boritala city the TV and Radio station and more than 30 culture cites were searched, and many items of "illegal" property were confiscated.

(3) "THE MOTHERLAND MESSENGER" HEADQUARTER.

17 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

The Urumchi radio reported that after recent nuclear tests the oil pressure in some Tarim basin wells rose, and it is considered as a positive sign by the Chinese authorities. "The Motherland Messenger" reported that high oil pressure caused explosions in several wells around Kuchar causing severe environmental pollution in surrounding areas.

(4) PRESIDENT WARNS OF FOREIGN FORCES OUT TO SPLIT CHINA

17 August 1996, People's Daily.

If President Jiang Zemin has one wish on his 70th birthday today, it would be to wish his foreign critics away.

Through the official People's Daily, he has warned the country of the threat of hostile foreign forces attempting to split the country.

The latest problem areas, outside of the human-rights issue, are in the religious and military spheres.

This explains why China is pushing hard for spiritual civilization, or the moral and cultural well-being of the nation, to be at the top of the agenda for its all-important party meeting next month.

"Hostile international forces resort to ethnic and religious issues to 'westernise' and 'split' socialist countries and step up religious infiltration," the People's Daily said.

The call was made amid fears that religion was loosening Communist Party control and fanning the fervour of ethnic separatist groups in regions such as Buddhist Tibet and Muslim Xinjiang.

Similarly, the Chinese believe that there is a Western conspiracy to paint China as a potential military threat.

The People's Liberation Army, in particular, has become increasingly angered by what it sees as a Western campaign to portray the country as a threat to world peace and unable to contain its thriving economy and growing military might.

Things reached a point where a senior Chinese general warned that Western powers were trying to drive a wedge between the ruling Communist Party and the military, while troops were being subverted with money and individualism.

Yet the bigger worry for Mr. Jiang's drive for spiritual civilization could come from within. Last year, public disgust at the huge numbers of graft-tainted officials forced him to launch a vigorous anti-corruption campaign.

The 1989 Tiananmen Square demonstrations were precipitated partly by high-level corruption in the government and the rise of the "princelings".

These are the children of high-level cadres who are said to have moved swiftly upwards because of their connections.

So far, the most-senior official to be charged is former Politburo member Chen Xitong, and the locals are not convinced that graftbusters have moved higher and wider enough.

Beijing has just launched a nationwide tour to check if the local authorities are following central government rules aimed at wiping out corruption.

The Chinese called it the "Strike Hard" campaign and while all efforts are directed at the locals, Mr. Jiang is hoping that its success will also silence foreign critics of his leadership.

Remarks: This is the headline of the lead story that took up nearly half a page, and a summary in point form.

Headline: Jiang turns 70, secure in grip over army. The President, a technocrat without military experience, has top brass under control.

The new patriarch

• 1985: First big break when appointed as Shanghai party secretary.

• 1987: Joins the big boys in Beijing as Politburo member.

• 1989: Rises to the highest rank as General Secretary of Chinese Communist Party, and takes over military commands as Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

• 1993: Becomes state President -- new appointment means he now has total control.

• 1992 to 1995: Carries out major reshuffles of high-ranking officers.

• June 1996: State-controlled media urges all citizens to support him.

• July 1996: His portrait hung on walls in every army barracks, alongside those of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

(5) REUTERS INTERNATIONAL SUMMARY

16August 1996, Reuters

Diplomats in Geneva say Western countries may force a showdown with India next week over a nuclear test ban treaty by making it publicly veto the text. The risky tactic would prevent the Conference on Disarmament from formally approving the global accord, and could set a dangerous precedent for future negotiations in the Geneva forum. But it would pave the way for the treaty's sponsors to send the unapproved text on their own behalf to the U.N. General Assembly, where they hope it could be opened for signature next month. India has objected to the pact because it fails to commit the five declared nuclear powers (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) to a timetable for total nuclear disarmament.

(6) CHINA ACCUSES HOSTILE FOREIGN FORCES OF USING RELIGION FOR SECESSION

12 August 1996, CND-Global

WANG Zhaoguo, a senior Communist Party official, said Monday that hostile international forces resort to ethnic and religious issues to stir up secessionist movements in China, UPI and Reuters reported. Wang said problems have arisen in recent years. Religion had interfered in government administration, judicial matters, education, and marriages. In some places widespread construction of temples and churches had also created a heavy economic burden. Wang told religious leaders to obey the law. All churches and temples are required to register under a regulation took effect in 1994. Beijing has also tightened border controls in the restive region to prevent weapon smuggling. (Shiji SHEN, Jian LIU)

(7) ARRESTS CONDUCTED UNDER "STRIKE HARD" CAMPAIGN

12 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

In the "Strike hard" campaign initiated in April, the Chinese dictators have taken under arrest 20 thousand people in Eastern Turkistan. Recently, the authorities began to trial those arrested. In particular, in Aksu 10 Uyghurs were transferred into prisons from detention centers. On August 9, the Urumchi Radio reported that 240 people from 900 arrested in Ili Wilayet (District) were imprisoned after court sentences. The names of those imprisoned both in Aksu and Ili have not been revealed.

The Urumchi radio reported on August 12 that on a previous day the transportation was resumed on the railroad in the Southern Eastern Turkistan, which was not operated from July 20. About 10 thousand people had been working to repair the railroad.

Nothing is reported on situation on Xinjiang - Liangju line. Disruption of transportation on this road caused many passengers to stuck in Kumul. The Kumul authorities try to accommodated them in the Kumul schools because all city motels and hotels are already overcrowded.

The Urumchi radio reported on August 12, that the authorities have taken 130 religious people for reeducation in Baren. In 1990 a riot took place in Baren protesting religious persecution by the Chinese authorities.

The Urumchi Radio reported on August 11 that Altay Wilayet is suffering from severe droughts. The water level in Irtish river decreased to 37%.

(8) TRAIN ACCIDENT IN KUMUL.

8 August 1996, , Voice of Eastern Turkistan

Almost 5 thousand passengers gathered in Kumul after the transportation had been broke off on the Liangju - Shinjiang railroad and some important highways. 2 thousand of the passengers were departed to Urumchi on buses via Barkol road. The radio reported that due to the extremely bad conditions of the Barkol road many busses broke down on the half way to Urumchi causing additional sufferings to the passengers. The administration in Urumchi is undertaking extreme measures to rescue those people.

(9) FLOOD DAMAGES IN EASTERN TURKISTAN.

8 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

Urumchi and Beijing Radios reported on August 4-5 that strong rains caused severe floods in many parts of Eastern Turkistan. To investigate flood damages, the Chinese minister of Water Resources recently visited Eastern Turkistan, and estimated the situation there as "the heaviest flooding disaster in the known history of Xinjiang". The government of the XUAR presented a report to the minister with preliminary damage estimates. In particular, the report states that 20 counties, 176 villages, 1 million families, 1 million MU of cultivated land, several plants and power stations suffered from the floods. After the report, the minister said: "Rely on yourselves in restoring your region". By Yusuf Muhlisi, Almaty.

(10) THE "STRIKE HARD" CAMPAIGN NEWS

3 August 1996, Voice of Eastern Turkistan

The "Strike Hard" campaign to fight "crime" in the south of Eastern Turkistan began by turning upside down with searches in Charklik Nahiye (County) of Kashgar Vilayet (District). The Urumchi Radio reported on August 3 that the Chinese security service officers searched 150 homes of Yengisheher Nahiye and confiscated many printed and hand written materials. Also, on August 4 they searched in "some places" of Guma Nahiye of Hoten Villayet and confiscated many publications in Uyghur and musical instruments.

Prepared by:

Abdulrakhim Aitbayev (rakhim@lochbrandy.mines.edu)

WUNN newsletter index

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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.

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EASTERN TURKISTAN INFORMATION CENTER

Director: Abduljelil Karkash

Lindwurmstr 99, 80337 Munich, Germany

http://www.uygur.com

Fax: 49-89-54 45 63 30 Phone: 49-89-54 40 47 72

E-mail: etic@uygur.com