Produced by the Eastern Turkistan Information Center

11 November 1996

11 November 1996, CND Global

11 November 1996, Monitor - Vol. II, No. 211

9 November 1996, CND-Global

8 November 1996, CND-Global

8 November 1996, CND-Global

8 November 1996, Monitor - Vol. II, No. 210

7 November 1996, OMRI Daily Digest

(8) GEORGIAN-CHECHEN RAPPROCHEMENT COULD DEPRIVE MOSCOW OF MAJOR POLICY CARDS.

7 November 1996, Monitor - Vol. II, No. 209

7 November 1996, Eastern Turkistan Information Center

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(1) BIG CITY DWELLERS TAKING BIGGER PRIDE

11 November 1996, CND Global

A recent survey by Horizon Research indicates an increasing tendency for Chinese to identify themselves with their place of residence, and an ascending pride in major cities is coming together with market reforms and economic growth. Most city residents surveyed admitted that they don't trust people from other parts of the nation, and found people from competing urban regions unbearable. "Different cities have different impressions in the mind of most people," said the researchers, "but these images they have are often negative, inaccurate and exaggerated." Guangzhou people are often seen to be rich and often involved in "shady deals"

by people from other areas, whereas Guangzhou residents consider people from other parts of the country "dumb and stingy". Shanghainese are seen as "astute" but "stingy" by people from other areas, but they see themselves as "intelligent, capable and precise". Beijingers are highest rated in the poll and are considered to be "frank, passionate and cultivated" by Guangzhou and Shanghai dwellers. However when asked to judge themselves, Beijing residents often called each other "lazy". Taiwanese are seen as "stingy" and "shy", and Hong Kongers are seen as "smooth" and "slippery" by most people polled. (Tongbin LI, Jian LIU)

(2) MAJORITY OF RUSSIANS OPPOSE SECESSION.

11 November 1996, Monitor - Vol. II, No. 211

Sixty-two percent of Russians oppose the idea of giving Russia's regions and republics a constitutional right to secede from the Federation. In a poll conducted in early November by the VCIOM polling organization, 20 percent of respondents were in favor and 18 percent were undecided. Those opposed tended to be better educated and in professional and managerial posts, whereas blue-collar workers and unemployed people tended to favor the right to secession. (Interfax, November 10)

(3) BEIJING CLAIMS SUCCESS IN PLA RECRUITMENT.

9 November 1996, CND-Global

People's Daily, the communist party's mouthpiece, reports that young people of the nation have enthusiastically responded to the recruitment drive by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Approximately a hundred thousand Beijing youths have registered since last Saturday, and the national figure is yet to be available. As newspaper and TV propaganda permeated cities and the countryside, more recruitment stations have been set up. The report claimed that both the political and physical criteria for admissions are more stringent this year. The PLA reduced its membership in the late 80s by 1/4 and ended up with 3.2 million in 1990. (Frank LING, Jian LIU)

(4) NEW ZEALAND RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS WITH CHINA'S LI PENG

8 November 1996, CND-Global

New Zealand Foreign Minister Don McKinnon raised human rights issues with Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng at a brief unofficial meeting on Wednesday. Li was en route for South America. Earlier in Auckland, human rights group Amnesty International unrolled a 75 m petition signed by 8,000 New Zealanders in recent months to protest against China's human rights record. (XU Ming Yang, Jian LIU)

(5) CHINA TO EASE TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS ON CITIZENS

8 November 1996, CND-Global

By the end of this year China will ease restrictions on foreign travel by its citizens, according to the China Daily. Exit visa procedures will be simplified, approval conditions and fees will be uniform, approval time limit will be set and applicants for passports won't be required to submit supporting documents. Passports will be valid for five years.

Between 1990 and 1996, 4.3 million Chinese were allowed to private travel abroad. Another 4.6 million travelled to Hong Kong and Macau and 140,000 to Taiwan. (XU Ming Yang, Jian LIU)

(6) CENTRAL ASIAN BATTALION TAKING SHAPE.

8 November 1996, Monitor - Vol. II, No. 210

At a three-day meeting in Bishkek, which ended yesterday, Defense Ministry officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan reviewed progress in creating a Central Asian peacekeeping battalion. It is to be comprised of troops from these three countries and earmarked for UN-sponsored operations.

The meeting adopted a detailed plan for organizing the battalion's first-ever field exercise, scheduled for next year as part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program. The two-stage exercise, to be held at Kazakh and Uzbek military bases, will be supervised by Russian, U.S., and Turkish officers at battalion level, and by Danish, Ukrainian, and Baltic officers at company level. Military representatives from most of these countries attended the Bishkek meeting. (Interfax, November 7)

The battalion was formed last spring pursuant to a decision by the three presidents. Tajikistan was not invited, and Turkmenistan, citing its neutral status, declined to join. Turkmenistan's neutrality also precludes it from participating in CIS military activities. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan have token and essentially inactive units in the rear echelon of nominally CIS peacekeeping troops in Tajikistan.

The creation of the Central Asian battalion, linked directly to the UN and NATO's PfP, is meant to reduce Russia's role in regional security, and symbolizes a new era for Central Asia. The distribution of roles in the international supervision of next year's military exercise does reflect an intent to keep Russia in the game, but safely flanked by countries interested in promoting Eurasian geopolitical pluralism.

(7) PRINCE CHARLES BEGINS CENTRAL ASIAN TRIP.

7 November 1996, OMRI Daily Digest

The heir to the British throne, Prince Charles, arrived in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat on 6 November, kicking off a six-day tour of four Central Asian states, RFE/RL and ITAR-TASS reported. The first member of the British royal family to visit the region, Charles will travel to Kazakstan on 7 November, to Kyrgyzstan on 9 November, and wind up the trip in Uzbekistan. -- Bruce Pannier

(8) GEORGIAN-CHECHEN RAPPROCHEMENT COULD DEPRIVE MOSCOW OF MAJOR POLICY CARDS.

7 November 1996, Monitor - Vol. II, No. 209

Chechen president-in-waiting Zelimkhan Yandarbiev and Prime Minister Aslan Maskhadov are cited as having told Georgian journalists this week that they seek a meeting with the Georgian leadership -- "any time, any place" -- to overcome differences and become "real allies" and "strategic partners." The two Chechen leaders blamed Moscow for misleading the Chechens into supporting Abkhazia's secession against Georgia.

"Unfortunately we were slow to understand that the Kremlin involved us in that conflict by telling us to help the Abkhaz as our Muslim brothers. That was a dirty policy directed not only against Georgia but, as it turned out, also against us," Maskhadov was quoted as saying. Yandarbiev, in turn, reportedly described as "impermissible Abkhazia's drift toward Russia and secession from Georgia." (Akhali Taoba [Tbilisi weekly], November 4, as cited by Ekho Moskvy, Interfax, Nezavisimaya gazeta, November 4-6)

Elite Chechen fighters under Shamil Basaev, armed and trained by Russian secret services, fought in the Russian-assisted Abkhaz war of secession against Georgia.

(9) UYGHURS IN KIRGIZSTAN DECIDE NOT TO INVOLVE IN POLITICS OR CRIPPLED DEMOCRACY IN KIRGIZSTAN

7 November 1996, Eastern Turkistan Information Center

A regular meeting of leadership of "Ittipak", an Uyghur organization in Kirgizstan, took recently place in Bishkek. Mr. Nurmehemmet Kanji was elected as a chairman of "Ittipak". The meeting adopted several decrees including the following: "Ittipak" will not be involved into political issues and will confine itself to cultural and educational matters; Plan of "Ittipak"'s work for 1996-1997; To convene the third convention of "Ittipak" in January, 1997.

On March 22 activity of a socio-political newspaper "Ittipak", which is published in Uyghur and Russian by the Uyghur society "Ittipak" in Kirgizstan, was suspended for three months by the Justice Ministry of Kirgizstan. The Ministry claimed that "Ittipak" by its critics to the Chinese policies in Eastern Turkistan violated the current agreement with China on non-interference into internal affairs. On June 25, after three months of the suspension period had been expired, "Ittipak" was allowed to resume its activity. The newspapers shut down happened just before official visit of the Chinese President Jiang Zemin to Kirgizstan. During this visit the Uyghurs organized a demonstration of protest in front of the Chinese Embassy in Bishkek. --Rabiyem Yakub, Bishkek.

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

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