Freedom, Independence and Democracy for East Turkistan !

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World Uygur Youth Congress Refutes China's Claims Rebuttal

China's Foreign Ministry Spokesmen Zhu Bang Zaou, during a press conference held in Beijing, blamed the Uyghurs for carrying out at least three bomb attacks in China since 1992, and three attacks overseas in the last three years. They claimed that there are several hundred Uyghurs in Afghanistan in training camp linked to Osama bin Laden. 

Although there has been no claim for responsibility, in such cases Chinese authorities have always blamed the Uyghur. The great majority of Uyghurs living at home and abroad believe that they have a just cause and they cannot justify there cause by terrorist methods. Thus, the Uyghurs strongly condemned such acts. The great majority of Uyghurs believe that the Chinese agents are planting bombs in order to discredit the just cause of the Uyghurs. The greatest fear of the Chinese leadership is the internationalisation of the question of East Türkestan. Thus, they have embarked on an campaign to do whatever necessary to avoid it. Even if the bombings have been carried out by some Uyghurs, it should be treated as a spontaneous expression of the wide-spread frustration and desperation in East Turkestan. After all, it was the Chinese leaders who used terrorist methods by exploding 46 nuclear bombs in East Turkistan. This result in the deaths of thousands of Uyghur as a result of the radio-active fallout. 

It is not the first time that the Chinese authorities are blaming the Uyghurs for the turmoil in East Turkistan. In the last 50 years they have attempted to characterize the Uyghur as "Agents of the American Paper Tigers", "The puppets of the Soviet Hegemonists", "Pan-Turkist", "Pan-Islam", "Counterrevolutionaries", "Fundamentalist", "Islamic Militants", and now "terrorist" for all the disturbances in East Turkestan.  

It is time that the Chinese leaders consider that their unjust rule in East Turkestan for the last 50 years might have been the main contributor to so many fierce demonstrations, armed uprisings and even bombing as they claim. Where there is not justice, there is always invariably violence. Thus, the responsibility for the violence in East Turkestan lie at the feet of the Chinese leadership who deny justice, and who themselves are resorting to violence to subdue and repress the Uyghur who demand to live with dignity. 

Zhu also accused Uyghur of bombing a Chinese consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1998, murdering a Chinese official in Kyrgyzstan in may 2000, and killing two local policemen in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in September 2000. 

Turkish official have confirmed that there was no bomb attack on the Chinese consulate in Istanbul as Zhu has claimed. The truth is a fire broke out in the Chinese consulate building as a result of electrical shot-circuit. The other two incidents were ordinary crimes without any political motives. 

This is a good example to show how the Chinese authorities falsify the facts. The well-known Western scholar and Sinologist Professor Wolfram Eberhard wrote that the Chinese always give one-sided information, thus, it is necessary to check other sources before coming to a final conclusion concerning the "facts" the Chinese present. 

While giving false information to the international press, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman do not mention the mysterious assassinations of Mr.Nighmet Bazakov, the late chairman of the Uyghur Union(Ittifak) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and the lete Ms.Dilbirim Samsakova, the chairwomen of the Uyghur Foundation Nazigum. Mr.Bazakov and Ms. Samsakova were both known as the outspoken critics of China's human rights abuses in East Turkestan. 

Zhu also claims that there are several Uyghurs in Afghanistan in the training camps linked to Osama bin Laden. 

Until now, only two Uyghur have been captured by the Northern Alliance. These two Uyghurs interviewed by foreign journalists have said that since religious schools are forbidden by the Chinese authorities in East Turkestan, they came to study Islam in Afghanistan. However, instead of giving them religious education, the Taleban forced them to join their ranks to fight against the Northern Alliance. 

If there are Uyghurs in Afghanistan as Zhu claims, firstly, as a Turkic people they will go to join hands with their ethnic brothers such as Uzbeks and Turkmens instead of joining hands with the Taliban who is trying to eliminate them since they took over power in Afghanistan. The Uyghurs, the Uzbeks, and the Turkmens do not only speak the same language, but also share a common history, culture and civilization. Secondly, if Uyghurs are with the Taleban, they will all die during the ongoing fights, or they will be capture and brought to justice. Thirdly, China itself has to be blamed. As a result of China continued gross human rights abuses, arbitrary arrests, torture and countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, etc. These countries have handed over dozens of Uyghurs to the Chinese. Fearing extradition, many Uyghur were forced to go to Afghanistan and ended up with the Taleban. 

The irony is if China knew that there were Uyghurs with the Taleban, why did they not use their friendly relationship with the Taleban all these years to ask them to deport the Uyghurs? It is a fact that the Chinese were aiding the Taleban, those who are harbouring terrorist in Afghanistan and helping them to install telecommunication systems in Kabul for the last two years. China has also concluded a defence cooperation  agreement with the Taleban in December 1998. The agreement followed the Taleban's help in supplying China with unexploded U.S. cruise missiles fired during attacks on terrorist training camps in August of that year. Last August, Osama bin Laden called for "good relations" between Afghanistan and China, saying this would be in China's interest and would reduce U.S. military and economic influence in Asia. Despite the UN embargo of Afghanistan, China was secretly aiding Taleban ruled Afghanistan through the "Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Government". 

Under these circumstances, it is very difficult to understand China's unsubstantiated panic and false information. 

Zhu also stated that no double standards should be applied regarding which individuals and groups are branded as being terrorist. Uyghur have also always been against the imposition of double standards. If China is asking the USA lead anti-terror coalition to come to help them to crush the so-called terrorist in East Turkistan, we are sure no Uyghurs will be opposed to such action. Thus, we urge the USA lead campaign against terrorist to truly combat all forms of terrorist groups and activities, whether they be perpetrated by individuals, groups or by states against their own citizens.  

Dolkun Isa

President of the World Uyghur Youth Congress

© Uygur.Org  18/11/2001 04:10  A.Karakas