Xinjiang Separatists or Beijing Paranoia? (Guest)

 by: Danny J. (Guest Contributor)

The following piece does not necessarily reflect the views of chinacomment. However, it is interesting, so I hope you will find it enjoyable. I thank Danny very much for his contribution.

This thought recently popped into my head: Who is the bigger conspiracy theorist, a China watcher or a high level Public Security Bureau worker?

 Apparently, the Uighurs are trying to plot a ‘holy war,’ or so says Xinhua regarding why five of them died in a government raid, and three more were executed in late July. 

Ramblings about ‘holy war’ plots may have actually been discussed, and might not be something the government invented to use to justify repression of those rowdy Uighurs. But can we believe that the arrested Uighurs’ statements are actual admissions, or could they be a little bit coerced? 

The situation seems questionable, especially since only knives were found on the men, and Urumqi is known for its knives. The Uighurs make wicked knives, but no mere knife can topple the CCP. 

In the comments on the Al Jazeera article, one person argued that “three members of the gang stabbed a woman in a beauty saloon,” which definitely justifies the police raid, but does not necessarily mean the men were planning anything other than theft. 

There has also been recent talk of a group called Hizb ut-Tahrir being active in Xinjiang. (Hizb ut-Tahrir is a group founded in Palestine in 1953 in support of a worldwide caliphate… but is said to be a nonviolent intellectual and political activism group.) 

Beijing has said Hizb ut-Tahrir is fomenting violence. Is it a real threat? Dunno. But it serves as a connection, be it legitimate or not, to a world wide movement. Connections to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks brings some legitimacy to crackdowns, and as we all know, China loves legitimacy. 

Not Unexpectedly, two days ago two more Uigurs were executed, and 15 others sentenced to prison, on the conviction of ‘terrorism’. All 17 were said to belong to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which only China and the US acknowledge. (So far, it seems that 82 people have been detained, and around 12 cells ‘busted’.) 

Why so many attacks?

 There is no real movement, no allied force. Groups of people meet up, and talk then get busted. That’s how so many plots are foiled.

 Many of the Uighur terrorist groups on the US lists were part of a deal the US struck with China directly after 9/11. Think Russia and Chechnya. Most groups have names involving Eastern Turkestan Liberation Movement, and the like, but have never really done anything. (If you want to look this up, you can start here at the OSAC, then there is one other terrorist group data source: START)

Some separatist groups have been linked to bus bombings, but it is hard to exactly tell which ones. This article simply says that in 1997 a “a group of Uighur separatists’ bombed a Beijing bus killing two. (It also points out that a few months later five Uighurs were publicly executed for hanging a banned Eastern Turkestan flag from a statue of Mao…) 

Some other bus bombings have authorities initially fingering Uighurs, yet have also blamed on disgruntled workers. Another article says that ‘Exiled Uighur separatists claimed responsibility,’ but does not say if evidences proves it, so they may merely be disgruntled individuals or opportunists. All in all, it’s difficult to really tell who is responsible in many cases. 

In China, Islamic terrorists/ Uighur separatists are not the only perpetrators of bus bombings. If this article is to be believed, it seems that explosives are easy to come by, and many bus bombings are done by disgruntled workers, people with maritial problems, and other unsatisfied citizens. The BBC seems to back that view saying that “home-made bomb attacks are relatively common in China, often carried out by people angry at the authorities.” 

So, although threats appear real, China appears to be overreacting by being overly repressive. The repression may inadvertently encourage others to more radically oppose the government. Why do I say this? China’s list of enemies keeps lengthening. Someday soon, this “harmonious society” will almost have as many enemies as the US, which even as disliked as it is around the world, barely needed half the amount of repressive security measures for the Salt Lake games! 

“Officials marked the one-month countdown to the opening ceremonies by saying possible terror attacks, mainly from homegrown secessionists, were among the biggest security threats. The military specifically identified Uygur militants seeking independence, T&^*tan independence groups and the F&^un G^%^g movement as being among those on its terror list” (Source).

On another note, this is the security detail for the Olympics: “An estimated about 100,000 soldiers, police and anti-terrorist commandos will be mobilized to secure the capital throughout 18-day event. As part of security measures, the People’s Liberation Arm has deployed battery of surface-to-air Hongqi missiles less than a mile from the National Stadium and other key venues.” Just a bit overkill?

I just noticed this, the latest security info for the Olympics: all cars entering the city are subject to search; checkpoints will be set up on all roads entering Beijing through Hebei province, starting July 20^th; artillery batteries will be placed near main Olympic spots…; a 100,000 strong anti terrorism unit, ‘along with fighter jets, naval vessels, nuclear detectors and bio-warfare equipment.’ As I said before, Overkill?

Guest Contributor Danny J. has a BS in Political Science and International Studies with a focus on China and its politics. He lived a year in China and visited places, from Urumqi to Beijing to Yunnan, to list only a few.