(1) CHINESE DOCTORS POISONED 150 CHILDREN 15 May 1998, Eastern Turkistan Information Center A team of Chinese doctors poisoned 150 children in the Kipekyuzi village of Ghulje (Yinin). (2) ETIC NEWS BRIEFS The Chinese government urgently transferred 30,000 elite armed police troops from Jilin province to Eastern Turkistan. A group of armed men attacked an arms depot of Bingtuanand stole a large number of guns and ammunition. On May 3, a bomb exploded in one of the buildings of Bingtuan # 29 located near the city of Korla killing 41 Chinese soldiers and wounding many others. (3) KYRGYZ PRESIDENT OVERSEES BATTLE WITH "EXTREMISTS" 14 May 1998, RFE/RL NEWSLINE Askar Akayev is personally supervising the battle against religious extremism. (4) KYRGYZ RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS FORM COMMITTEE TO PROTECT ISLAM 15 May 1998, RFE/RL NEWSLINE A number of religious organizations have established a committee in Bishkek to counter anti-Islamic measures by the Kyrgyz leadership. (5) EU MOVES ON TIBET, ORGANS, 'HURT TIES' 20 May 1998, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Beijing yesterday blasted European Parliament resolutions on Tibet and alleged mainland organ trafficking as "placing a regrettable obstacle" in the path to better Sino-European relations. (6) CHINA/BEATING 19 May 1998, Voice of America, by ROGER WILKISON A Canadian television crew using a hidden camera has captured dramatic footage of suspects being beaten by Chinese police at a Shanghai police station. V-O-A correspondent Roger Wilkison reports the footage disproves the Chinese authorities' contention that they protect prisoners' rights.
(1) THE UYGHUR CORRESPONDENT OUSTED FROM THE PRESS-CONFERENCE 11 May 1998, Eastern Turkistan Information Center A correspondent of the Uyghur newspaper "Vijdan Avazi" was not allowed in to a press-conference by the Minister of National Security of Kyrgyzstan. (2) KYRGYZ MUFTIAT COMPLAINS ABOUT MEDIA COVERAGE OF MUSLIMS 11 May 1998, RFE/RL NEWSLINE Kyrgyzstan's Muftiat or Spiritual Directorate of Muslims has denounced the coverage of Islam by two of the country's newspapers. (3) MUFTIYAT CONDEMNS PAPERS 8 MAY 1998, KYRGYZ NEWS (Naryn Aiyp) The Vecherniy Bishkek daily, reporting on "Uighur terrorism" and wahhabism, carried a picture in its edition on 1 May, where a Kalashnikov and a grenade were put on the opened Koran. (4) UIGHUR ORGANIZATION'S MEETING 5 MAY 1998, KYRGYZ NEWS (Naryn Aiyp) The Ittipak Uighur organization of Kyrgyzstan held its meeting in Bishkek today. The article in the Vecherni BIshkek daily, entitled "Djihad: sacrifices and hostages" and published in its edition on 1 May, was discussed. (5) JIHAD: VICTIMS AND HOSTAGES "Vecherni Bishkek", 1 May 1998 By O. Dyadyuchenko and A. Otorbayeva. The collage by V. Lomkova. "For the first time, an actively functioning channel for sending our citizens to illegal camps training Jihad commandos has been tracked down in Kyrgyzstan. A man, arrested and taken into the SIZO of the Ministry of National Security is giving testimonies." (6) KAZAKH PRIME MINISTER IN CHINA 11 May 1998, RFE/RL NEWSLINE Nurlan Balgimbayev told Chinese officials on 8 May that his country "does not have and will not have" groups supporting Muslim separatists in China's Xinjiang Province (the Uyghur Autonomous Region).
(1) KYRGYZSTAN ARRESTS UYGHUR SEPARATISTS 4 May 1998, RFE/RL NEWSLINE ITAR-TASS on 1 May reported that Kyrgyz authorities have arrested 20 Uyghurs who were allegedly involved in terrorist activities. According to Kyrgyz press reports cited by the Russian agency, those arrested belong to the organization "For Free Eastern Turkestan" and were in possession of weapons and Wahhabi training videos at the time of their arrest. (2) UZBEKISTAN TIGHTENS CONTROLS OVER RELIGIOUS GROUPS 4 May 1998, RFE/RL NEWSLINE Karimov added that "such people (the Wahhabis) must be shot in the head. If necessary, I'll shoot them myself, if you lack the resolve." (3) WASHINGTON STATE FEELS EFFECTS OF ASIAN DUST STORM 30 April 1998, Associated Press A powerful storm that started April 18 and lasted three days in the Chinese province of Xinjiang whipped up a plume of dust that drifted east on prevailing winds. The cloud moved quickly across the Pacific Ocean, arriving on the West Coast five days ago. (4) A MASSIVE DUST CLOUD WREAKS HAVOC ON XINJIANG 21 April 1998, CNN (5) DUST ENSHROUDS NORTHWEST CHINA Aired April 26, 1998 - 2:03 p.m., CNN A sandstorm struck some 10 cities and towns in eastern and southern parts of Xingjiang. In western Xingjiang, 11 people have been confirmed missing in the disaster. (6) BEIJING NO. 1 THREAT, SAYS INDIA OFFICIAL 4 May 1998, South China Morning Post Defence Minister George Fernandes said yesterday China was a bigger threat to India than Pakistan. "The potential threat from China is greater than that from Pakistan and any person who is concerned about India's security must agree with that." (7) INDIA PLANS TO REVIVE MISSILE TESTS 4 May 1998, South China Morning Post Indian scientists plan to revive testing of a missile that could hit targets deep inside China (8) BOLD PROJECT TRANSFORMS DEADLY DESERT INTO OASIS 27 December 1997, Xinhua " ... tunnels will be dug through the Kunlun and Altun mountains on the Xinjiang-Qinghai border to divert water from the Yarlung Zangbo and Yangtze rivers to the Tarim Basin in southern Xinjiang."
The WUNN electronic newsletter is published by
Eastern Turkistan Information Center
WUNN editors: Abdulrakhim Aitbayev,
Bill Mitchell
The WUNN is devoted to the current political, cultural and economic developments in Eastern Turkistan and to the Uyghurs related issues. Eastern Turkistan or Uyghuristan are the name used by the Uyghurs, the indigenous people of the territory. Eastern Turkistan is the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China at present.
Eastern Turksitan was colonized by the Manchu Empire in 1877, and was made its Xinjiang province in 1884. Two Eastern Turkistan Republics existed in Eastern Turkistan in 1933-1935 and 1944-1955. Xinjang Uyghur Autonomous Region was established by the communist Chinese government on October 1, 1955.
WUNN brings information on situation in Eastern Turkistan from the Uyghur and other sources to the attention of the international community.
Credits must be given to all sources cited. ETIC is responsible only for the reports from its own sources.