Copyright 2007 South China Morning Post Ltd.
All Rights Reserved
South China Morning Post
November 12, 2007 Monday
NEWS; Pg. 7
516 words
Uygurs sentenced to death over terrorism;
Six captured at training camp in Xinjiang had links to al-Qaeda, officials
claim
Bill Savadove in Shanghai
A mainland court has sentenced six people, believed to be Muslim Uygurs and
convicted of terrorism, to death or life in jail for threatening state
security in the western region of Xinjiang .
Prosecutors accused the six of separatism, organising and leading a
terrorist organisation and manufacturing explosives.
The Intermediate People's Court in Kashgar on Saturday sentenced three of
the defendants to death, two to death with a two-year suspension and one to
life in prison. They were tried "in accordance with the law", Xinhua said.
Xinjiang is home to the ethnic Uygur minority, some of whom are seeking an
independent state.
The western region has been the site of bombings and attacks, but a
crackdown by the mainland security forces - especially in the wake of the
September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States - has reduced such
incidents.
The six were apparently among 17 captured by security forces at an alleged
terrorist training camp in the Pamirs plateau in southern Xinjiang in
January. Another 18 were killed in a gun battle, in which one police officer
was also killed and another was injured. Government officials claimed the
group had links to al-Qaeda.
The six had set up and led a terrorist organisation known as the East
Turkestan Islamic Party, and had carried out terrorist activities, the
report said.
The group contacted and received support from overseas terrorists, Xinhua
said, but did not name them.
The accused also set up a terrorist training camp, practised religious
extremism, declared a holy war and prepared to set up an Islamic state
between August 2005 and January this year.
The organisation recruited dozens of members, secretly training them at its
camp for nearly two months. It obtained 16kg of explosives, which it used to
make hand-held bombs and equip two potential human suicide bombers. It also
rehearsed cutting off telecommunications links, blowing up a public bus and
taking over a government building.
Beijing has labelled the East Turkestan group a terrorist organisation with
international support. Xinjiang's party chief, Wang Lequan , recently blamed
"external forces" for ethnic strife in the region.
"There are overseas forces colluding with people domestically," said Mr
Wang, who was elected a Politburo member at the recently concluded 17th
National Congress of the Communist Party.
"Under this situation, our security organisations and police are absolutely
on high alert. If anyone dares to conduct sabotage activities or tries to
split the country, we will without a doubt clamp down."
However, human rights groups claim the government is using the crackdown on
terrorism as cover to repress the Muslim Uygur minority and tighten its grip
over the oil-rich Xinjiang region.
Exiled Uygur activist Rebiya Kadeer, who has fled to the US, has become a
spokeswoman against the repression. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace
Prize last year.
The US government is facing a dilemma over what to do with Uygurs originally
held as terrorists at its Guantanamo Bay facility, since it fears sending
them back to China would result in their execution.
November 11, 2007
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