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China accuses 11 people, four
groups of Islamic separatism
BEIJING, 2003/12/15 AP
China has appealed for foreign help to catch 11
suspects accused of separatist violence in its Muslim
northwest and to shut down four "terrorist
organizations" abroad.
Monday's appeal is part of a Chinese effort to
convince skeptical foreign governments that groups
calling for an end to Beijing's rule in the Xinjiang
region are linked to international terrorism.
A wanted list issued by China's police ministry was
the first time Beijing has singled out people who it
claims are leading a campaign of bombings and
assassinations.
Citing Chinese support for the global anti-terror
fight since the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States,
the ministry said there should be no "double standard"
in thwarting terror.
"I strongly call on all countries ... to ban the four
terrorist organizations," said Zhao Yongchen, deputy
director of the ministry's anti-terrorism bureau.
Beijing wants other countries to prohibit support for
the groups and freeze their assets, Zhao said at a
news conference. The report said most were believed to
be in Central or South Asia or Germany.
Diplomats and foreign experts doubt Beijing's claims
of an organized Islamic campaign in Xinjiang. They say
most violence that Beijing blames on separatists isn't
politically motivated and appears to stem from
personal disputes.
Chinese officials offer little evidence of an
organized campaign or of foreign links. Authorities in
Xinjiang have told foreign reporters the territory has
little separatist violence.
"A lot of people sort of feel that they are using the
threat of terrorism to strengthen their control of the
region," said Dru Gladney, a specialist on Xinjiang at
the University of Hawaii.
Much of the evidence cited by China was obtained in
confessions from suspected operatives, and "we know
that China can be very harsh in its treatment of
prisoners," Gladney said.
The four groups are: East Turkestan Islamic Movement,
or ETIM, the Istanbul-based Eastern Turkistan
Liberation Organization, the World Uyghur Youth
Congress and the East Turkistan Information Center in
Germany.
Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the Information Center,
denied any involvement in violence.
"China's anti-terrorism activities cannot be believed,"
Raxit said by telephone from Stockholm, Sweden. "We
hope that Western countries don't fall into the trap
set by the Chinese government."
Raxit said his German-based group is being targeted "because
we have been exposing the negative side of the Chinese
government." He said China often blames unsolved
crimes on the Uighur ethnic group in Xinjiang.
China said the Information Center commits violence,
incites religious extremism, and hires "fugitive
convicts" and foreign-trained terrorists to gather
information.
The report said that two men arrested in March while
plotting to blow up a railway line in western China
confessed to acting for the center's leader, Abdujelil
Karikax, who lives in Germany. Karikax is among the 11
cited in the report.
A spokeswoman for the German Embassy in Beijing said
it had no comment.
In November, visiting Pakistan President Gen. Pervez
Musharraf promised China his country would oppose ETIM,
state television reported at the time.
The report also cites ETIM leader Hasan Mahsum, who is
believed to be in South Asia. Last year, the United
States agreed to include his group on its own list of
terrorist organizations.
Also listed are Mamtimin Hazrat, who China says fled
to Turkey in 1989 and founded the Eastern Turkistan
Liberation Organization; Dolkun Aisa, head of the
World Uyghur Youth Congress and based in Germany;
Abdukadir Uapqan, Abdumijit Mamatkrim, Abdulla Kariaji,
Ablimit Tursun, Hudabardiy Hacerbak, Yasen Mammat and
Atahan Abuduhani.
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