China's Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region has taken iron-fisted measures against
the "three forces" of separatism, terrorism and religious extremism
to protect its economic development, the region's top leader said
yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference to announce plans for the
Autonomous Region's 50th anniversary, Wang
Lequan, secretary of the Communist Party of China's (CPC)
Xinjiang Committee, said the regional government has "reliable"
evidence showing a Uygur fugitive, who was freed on bail and fled
to the United States, had close connections with foreign
terrorists.
Rebiya Kadeer, once a wealthy businesswoman, was jailed for
eight years in 1999 on charges of endangering national security by
giving State secrets to foreigners. She was released on medical
parole on March 17 this year.
According to Wang, after going abroad, Kadeer conspired with
separatists and religious extremists "to plan terror attacks and
jeopardize the
region's 50th anniversary," which will be marked on National
Day, October, but he did not say what evidence had been
collected.
The regional government recently froze Kadeer's assets after
learning she had attempted to get her children, who still live in
China, to take her money out of the country, Wang said.
When the government investigated her business, it found she had
evaded taxes, committed fraud and run up huge debts, he added.
"She had debts totaling 50 million yuan (US$6.2 million)," Wang
said. "If she had successfully transferred all her money out of
China, who would have paid her debts?
"No country should allow this, so the government must take tough
action."
Wang also told reporters about the government crackdown on a
separatist group headed by Abdullah Kurban, an ethnic Uygur.
Kurban was killed on Monday after he fired on police who were
chasing him, Wang said.
"In the late 1990s, Kurban's terrorist group instigated many
riots and other crimes," he said, adding that Kurban had been on
the run for five years.
With Xinjiang bordering eight countries, including Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Russia, "the
conditions are very complicated," Wang said, referring to the fight
against terrorism.
"Terrorists are now hated and detested in Xinjiang," regional
Chairman Ismail
Tiliwaldi said. "They are like rats running onto the street,
and everyone is screaming: 'Smash them!'"
As to how to celebrate the region's 50th anniversary, Wang said
that rather than holding grand ceremonies, the government planned
to address 10 major problems facing the region's residents.
The regional government and the central government will jointly
invest 2 billion yuan (US$247 million) into building earthquake
proof housing for thousands.
"We will also exempt 2.28 million poor students from tuition
fees and provide subsidies for them," Wang said.
(China Daily August 26, 2005)