|
Our correspondent Abdullah
Pamir reports the recent updates from the Homeland:
The Chinese authorities started the process of gathering
information the Uighurs who traveled abroad recently,
about those who have relatives abroad, and about those
who immigrated in recent years.
This work is assigned to the local security departments
and is considered as a serious political task. According
to rumors, the information is being gathered and
archived about those Uighur individuals who traveled
abroad, who have relatives in foreign countries, and who
live abroad presently. The Chinese authorities a re
afraid of information leakage from the archives, so the
closely watch and control Uighur specialists involved in
this government project.
As far as we know, the authorities did not give any
comments or explanations about this project. However,
this is what one Uighur observer told us:
The authorities do everything possible to restrict and
minimize any relations between Uighurs and foreigners,
they control and take account of every such contact,
control all relatives abroad.
Chinese authorities claim that “ if Ughurs get exposed
to the world they will cause us problems” so they
restrict long standing relations of Uighurs with the
world.
That is why the Eastern Turkistan Uighurs rarely get
travel passports and seldom travel abroad. Travels are
limited to Uighurs, and if Uighurs stay for a long
period overseas, they get interrogated upon returning
home. If Uighur travelers make any political statements
abroad, the Chinese authorities call up their parents or
relatives and tell them: “your children (or relatives)
should not get involved in political activities,
otherwise…..well, you’ve been warned…”
There is no secret that every letter sent or received by
Uighurs and every telephone call with foreigners are
strictly controlled and overlooked by public security.
In 1990s the Internet access started growing rapidly in
Asia. The Chinese schools experienced the increase of
internet forums. In recent years, the Internet access
spread from Urumchi to remote places. Uighur youngsters,
open to innovations and eager to grasp new technologies,
started to use this window to the outer world
extensively. They sacrificed their scarce financial
means at the expense of staple food and basic purchases.
Even unemployed young Uighurs tried to obtain
information from the Web.
However, the access of Uighurs to the free world fell
under strict control of the authorities who are scared
to death by the possibility of Uighurs’ exposure to the
free information. Every Internet cafe was filled in with
secret agents. These agents were spying through the
Internet cafes and even arrested several Internet users
who were checking the uncensored Eastern Turkistan sites.
In some regions of Eastern Turkistan the access to the
international web sites was strictly prohibited in the
internet cafes operated by the Uighurs.
Moreover, the access to the Web was prohibited in some
places of Eastern Turkistan. Than the Uighurs started to
use cafes owned by the Chinese in order to search the
Web. The Chinese authorities could not stand it and
ordered that anyone visiting internet cafes should sign
in special registration journals.
According to our information, anyone willing to access
Internet at home or desiring to open an Internet cafe
should get a license from the secret police – public
security forces. In recent months over 20 internet cafes
all over Eastern Turkistan were shut down by the
authorities because of ”public security concerns”.
Also, over+ 10 Uighurs were persecuted because “for
entering prohibited sites”.
Shortly, the people who call the present Eastern
Turkistan “ a prison beneath the open skies” have good
reasons for saying so.
Evidently, the Chinese regime attempts now to put a
cover roof over this prison!
2002.1.11. |
