China cracks down in Xinjiang following ethnic violence

Security forces step up attempts to tackle rise in violence, terrorism and radical Islam in troubled western region Chinese security forces have launched a two-month “strike hard” crackdown against violence, terrorism and radical Islam following renewed ethnic violence in the restive western region of Xinjiang, the regional government has announced. The campaign, which began on 11 August and will last until 15 October, includes around-the-clock patrols of troublespots, identity checks and street searches of people and vehicles, according to a notice posted on the regional government’s website. Authorities would step up investigations of suspicious activity and deal with defendants even more harshly through accelerated trials, the notice said. “Public security units at all levels across the region must strengthen the work of security, take strict precautions, and create fear and awe,” it said. The region’s police department conceded that the number of violent incidents was on the rise and pledged to “uncover the masterminds and organisers behind such activities”. “The frequency with which terrorist activities are carried out in the region is rising and it must be curbed,” the department said in a statement. China rolls out campaigns on a regular basis despite criticism from rights groups and imposes tougher penalties for crimes from theft to endangering state security. Signalling the authorities’ determination to crush all opposition, Beijing this month dispatched to Xinjiang its elite Snow Leopard anti-terrorism unit, which was charged with securing the 2008 Beijing Olympics and specialises in anti-terrorism, riot control, bomb disposal and responding to hijackings. The unit will bolster security for the annual China-Eurasia Expo, being held in the regional capital, Urumqi, in the first week in September, along with National Day celebrations on 1 October. The crackdown follows fresh outbreaks of violence blamed on militants among Xinjiang’s native Uighur population, ethnic Turks who are culturally, linguistically and religiously distinct from China’s majority Han. Militants have for decades been fighting a low-level insurgency to gain independence for lightly populated but resource-rich Xinjiang, which borders Pakistan, Afghanistan and several unstable central Asian states. China generally keeps a tight lid on information about outbreaks of violence in Xinjiang. Uighur activists say even peaceful protests are often labelled acts of terrorism. However, official reports said at least three dozen people, including the attackers, were killed in three incidents in the cities of Hotan and Kashgar despite a massive security presence that was tightened following an anti-Chinese riot in Urumqi two years ago in which at least 197 people were killed. Beijing blames the violence on overseas-based militants, specifically those from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement who it says have trained in militant camps in Pakistan. Yet Beijing has provided no direct evidence, and analysts say they suspect its claims are driven more by ideology than proof. Uighur activists say harsh crackdowns only lead to greater anger among young Uighurs who already feel culturally and economically sidelined by waves of Han migration to the region. Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the German-based World Uyghur Congress, said high-pressure tactics and “systematic persecution” of attempts to assert a Uighur identity would only encourage radicalism. “China is ducking responsibility for the turmoil its own policies have created,” Raxit said. Xinjiang China guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 17, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.