Muslim Uighurs seek an independent Islamic state. But are they peaceful? Amnesty International thinks so. But of course, Amnesty International has never yet uttered the words "jihad" or "dhimmi" -- so how useful is its perspective on human rights, when it ignores these elephantine sources of human rights violations? From Radio Free Asia, :
HONG KONG, Sept. 13, 2004--Authorities in China's northwestern Muslim region of Xinjiang have sentenced more than 50 people to death this year in what government officials say is a war on terrorism."Due to the fact that the activities of international terrorist forces are rampant, we believe our fight against the crime of violent terrorists will continue for a long time to come," Xinjiang Communist Party leader Wang Lequan told reporters visiting the region.
Prior to the war in Iraq, which it opposed, Beijing backed the U.S.-led war on terror, using its momentum to call for international support for its campaign against Uyghur separatists, whom it has branded terrorists.
Conflicting claims
China says Uyghurs seeking an independent Islamic state have killed 162 people and injured 440 others.
But human rights groups say Beijing is using the threat of terrorism as an excuse to perpetrate further human rights violations against those involved in a peaceful campaign for an independent Uyghur state, which exiled groups call East Turkestan.
"Over the last three years, Uyghur nationalists who would formerly have been branded as 'separatists' have increasingly been labeled 'terrorists,'" Amnesty International said in a report last month on China's "War on Terror."
The government had cracked 22 groups involved in separatist and terrorist activities and meted out the 50 death sentences in the first eight months of the year, Wang said. But none of those sentenced to death had yet been executed, Wang said without explaining.
"Our efforts will exist as long as there are terrorist crimes," Wang said.
Well, yeah its nice to have China on your side, for a change.
But the Chinese aren't all covered in roses. In the very first year of Tibet's occupation in 1949, the Chinese crushed the nascent tibetian rebellion with unprecedented force. A full 1/6th of the population was decimated . 1 in every 3 adult males was executed. Thousands fled to India for asylum. The jihadis know what China can do if they mess with Beijing and hence are very careful around China. (Lesson for other govt's to learn?)
Today, China is probably the only country where demographics is going against islam. China's policy of forcibly settling Xinjiang and Tibet provinces with han chinese will make these provinces Han majority in another 15 years.
China indeed has been guilty of labeling Uighur dissidents "terrorists", but then again, what's new? Falun Gong is another dissident group that has been labeled "terrorist". The problem here is differentiating between dissidents and jihadists, the fact none of the accused have been put to death gives one pause to wonder.
China could be a key ally in the future, no one can argue with a population larger than all the muslims put together and the largest air force in the world their allegiance would be graciously appreciated.
Of course the irritating fools at Amnesty International have had to poke their unwanted noses in ( a group I'd have a lot more respect for if their "human rights" ideals applied also to muslims). It's a laugh though to see them whine at a country like China, where Amnesty's annoyingly pacifistic stance is simply brushed away like trash.
Like Russia, China is an enormous country a world apart from the west and its PC values,and the chinese government couldn't care less what western Human rights groups have to say (especially when they contradict their own morals by perpetually defending islamic jihadists;by far the worlds largest human rights abusers).
I wonder how long before terrorists fighting for an independent Yorkshire, will be regarded by Amnesty as separatists whose violence can then be justified.
It is coming.
Yeah, the Holy Warriors are wary of messing with
China. No comfortable PC jails there, to sit around fiddling with prayer beads and moaning about halal prison menu. At the rate Chinese [surprisingly] are converting to Christianity [God moves in mysterious ways] there will soon be
an enormous bastion of Christian Believers to cover our backs. Meanwhile, Commie authorities are reducing Muslim population and replacing with
Han Chinese - very sensible if not PC correct.
The Chinese don't mess around. I've been saying for several years - wait till the Islamofascists try a big attack on the Middle Kingdom. There'll be hell to pay, and the Chinese will be collecting the bill.
bad news for islam is that christian revival is biggest in china, then russia