US Lawmakers Condemn Crackdown on Muslims in China

[Nafees]

12 Jul 2008, 0628 hrs IST,AFP

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers on Friday "strongly condemned" what they called Beijing's harsh pre-Olympic crackdown in China's Muslim-populated far northwest Xinjiang region.

The bipartisan leadership of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus in a statement cited "credible" reports about a July 9 conviction in a closed trial of 15 minority Muslim Uighurs on terrorism charges that led to "the immediate execution of two" of them.

Three others were given suspended death sentences and the remaining 10 received life imprisonment, it said.

These are "abuses of due process and rule of law," said caucus co-chairmen Democrat Jim McGovern and Republican Frank Wolf.

On the same day, they said, police in Urumchi, the regional capital of Xinjiang, reportedly killed five Uighur men who authorities claimed were part of a 15-member criminal gang allegedly trained for "holy war."

"The Chinese government should not be permitted to use the 'war on terror' or Olympic security as a front to persecute the Uighurs," Wolf said.

"These trials' appear to be no more than a ploy to oppress religious freedom and ethnic minority groups," he said.

He called on the Chinese government to uphold the commitments made to the international community when awarded the right to host the 2008 Olympic Games and improve their human rights record.

"To this day, executions take place immediately after sentencing, trials are totally closed off to any observers and still happen in total secrecy," McGovern said.

Amnesty says Xinjiang is the only place in China where political prisoners are executed and subject to special forms of torture believed not used in other parts of the country.

The Uighur American Association in a statement urged Beijing to provide evidence to the international community to back claims of criminal charges leveled against the 15 Uighurs.

"The experience of Uighurs has shown that the Beijing regime is prone to manipulating threats of religious extremism and terrorism in order to crack down on peaceful dissent," said association president Rebiya Kadeer.

Kadeer was a millionaire businesswoman and a high-profile Uighur political prisoner who became a symbol of the struggle of her eight-million-strong community.

She was deported to the United States following her release in March 2005 from six years of detention in Beijing. Her two sons are in jail.

Chinese police have this year detained 82 suspected terrorists in Xinjiang who they said were planning to attack the Beijing Olympics, state media reported on Thursday.

The 82 belonged to five groups that "allegedly plotted sabotage against the Beijing Olympics," Xinhua news agency reported, citing police.

It was the first time that Chinese officials had given a total number of suspects detained in a series of raids this year.

 

[IceCold]

Ohhh please. What hypocrisy on the part of the US as if they have forgotten how they were treating Muslims of Iraq and Afghanistan and that too in their home land where they are the majority and US is an invader.

 

[Nafees]

Oh yes, its really horrible from US part and "Jokes of the Century"

 

[Flintlock]

Ohhh please. What hypocrisy on the part of the US as if they have forgotten how they were treating Muslims of Iraq and Afghanistan and that too in their home land where they are the majority and US is an invader.

So accusing the US = Chinese are innocent?

Your logic continues to astound!

Or is it that in your book, only the muslims affected by Hindus and Christians matter.

 

[Vinod2070]

Ohhh please. What hypocrisy on the part of the US as if they have forgotten how they were treating Muslims of Iraq and Afghanistan and that too in their home land where they are the majority and US is an invader.

Don't you see some hypocrisy on your own part and that of the Pakistanis here too?

No one has the guts to utter a word. If a fraction of that had happened in India or the West, see all of them come out with all guns blazing.

It at least proves that the so called "love for fellow Muslims" is nothing but a political convenience! May be a good sign.

 

[IceCold]

So accusing the US = Chinese are innocent?

Your logic continues to astound!

Or is it that in your book, only the muslims affected by Hindus and Christians matter.

It doesn't look nice for someone who's responsible itself for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Muslims to tell others about human right violation of Muslims.

 

[IceCold]

Don't you see some hypocrisy on your own part and that of the Pakistanis here too?

No one has the guts to utter a word. If a fraction of that had happened in India or the West, see all of them come out with all guns blazing.

It at least proves that the so called "love for fellow Muslims" is nothing but a political convenience! May be a good sign.

I've given my reply to Flintlock, the same stands for you as well. Don't tell me about this love that you or the US has for Muslims. We know it altogether and while no one is favoring such incidents, its utter hypocrisy for someone like the US or India for that matter who ignores all human rights themselves in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir and then make a loud mouth cry for them in China because it serves their political agenda, to give China a bad name in the international community. Its you guys who's showing the hypocrisy just because it servers the agenda.

 

[Vinod2070]

I've given my reply to Flintlock, the same stands for you as well. Don't tell me about this love that you or the US has for Muslims. We know it altogether and while no one is favoring such incidents, its utter hypocrisy for someone like the US or India for that matter who ignores all human rights themselves in places like Iraq, Afghanistan and Kashmir and then make a loud mouth cry for them in China because it serves their political agenda, to give China a bad name in the international community. Its you guys who's showing the hypocrisy just because it servers the agenda.

I see a lot of hypocrisy going on here. Why drag US or India here? Why not just discuss the issue?

If you look at the issue dispassionately, how many Pakistanis live and work in USA? How many students go to USA for higher studies? They are openly accepted there as fellow citizens and have by far the best living standards and achievements of Pakistanis anywhere in the world. Even your fellow Muslim Arabs will never make you a citizen.

Can you say the same thing about China? How many Pakistanis are living there and making a living? How many go there for studies? Will they be accepted as equal citizens?

Was it USA or China that came to the protection of the Bosnians? But of course inconvenient facts are there to be ignored! Just biases are enough to form an opinion!

And don't talk about human rights. Look at Pakistan's own record before lecturing others. Know which country has the dubious record of killing the maximum number of its own nationals in the twentieth century?

 

[QuickSilver]

So China is hurting The Muslim community and all you want to talk about is what USA and India are doing?

My views about the article: China's Olympics seems to come a pretty big cost. No doubt that its gonna be a grand affair but look at the way people are being maimed. Anyone who has been showing signs of resentment is being put down (Includes Tibet - and no I am not debating if its correct or not. am jus saying they are being curshed thats all) worse, there havent been much of a problem from the muslim community in China and still they get this sort of treatment!

Cheers.

 

[asaad-ul-islam]

there's no hiding the fact that the Chinese govt. commits these horrible acts against our own. which is why I think Pakistan should look carefully at their relations with China, it's far too "one-sided".

it would be a better idea to strike a deal with them and take in their uighur prisoners, rather than have them killed and have their organs taken out in China.

however, I'm all for spreading Islam in China. China will become a superpower very soon, muslim lands will be fought over in central asia by the three US, Russia, China. If there is to be any Muslim power soon, China is not going to be an exactly friendly nation.

Russia will have a lot of Muslims very soon Uighurs are a very small minority in China, their aim is nationalistic. I would encourage Hui muslims in China to spread Islam, since they can easily fit in.

oh yeah, and for the indians. not many muslims from Pakistan and including the world know what happens to Uighurs. Besides don't try to take off the blame from India, I don't think a thousand muslims slaughtered in Gujurat is acceptable as a "everyday" thing, so don't bother wasting your time on Kashmir

Last time I checked, Indian authorities were not sympathizing with Tibet protestors.

 

[Vinod2070]

I would encourage Hui muslims in China to spread Islam, since they can easily fit in.

And how exactly would you do that?

 

[IceCold]

I see a lot of hypocrisy going on here. Why drag US or India here? Why not just discuss the issue?

If you look at the issue dispassionately, how many Pakistanis live and work in USA? How many students go to USA for higher studies? They are openly accepted there as fellow citizens and have by far the best living standards and achievements of Pakistanis anywhere in the world. Even your fellow Muslim Arabs will never make you a citizen.

Can you say the same thing about China? How many Pakistanis are living there and making a living? How many go there for studies? Will they be accepted as equal citizens?

Was it USA or China that came to the protection of the Bosnians? But of course inconvenient facts are there to be ignored! Just biases are enough to form an opinion!

And don't talk about human rights. Look at Pakistan's own record before lecturing others. Know which country has the dubious record of killing the maximum number of its own nationals in the twentieth century?

Lecturing others, at least we don't illegally occupy a land and start calling is as our own.As for dragging US and India is concerned, why not? Because US is the only one followed by Indians to have an itch up their *** in constantly trying to relate internal matters of one country with disputed matters of their own because it suits their agenda. Tell me something why in the hell did US occupy Iraq? Who gave US the mandate to attack a country,over run its government and then hang its leader, kill hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the name of protecting the freedom of the free world, torture and rape that was committed in the US prisons. Why is that You never hear these so called Lawmakers over the Kashmir issue. Ohh i forgot how could they after all India is their next strong foothold against China.. As for Bosnia it was more of a strategic move to negate the Russian influence in Serbia rather then the Love for the Muslims.
Get your own track record straight before raising voice for others. Give Kashmiries they right to plebiscite and then demand one in Tibet and Xinjiang. Stop the mass murdering of Muslims and other minorities by the dominant Hindus under the disguise of your so called secularism and then raise a voice against human rights violations and the evil communism in China.

 

[Vinod2070]

Lecturing others, at least we don't illegally occupy a land and start calling is as our own.As for dragging US and India is concerned, why not? Because US is the only one followed by Indians to have an itch up their *** in constantly trying to relate internal matters of one country with disputed matters of their own because it suits their agenda. Tell me something why in the hell did US occupy Iraq? Who gave US the mandate to attack a country,over run its government and then hang its leader, kill hundreds of thousands of Muslims in the name of protecting the freedom of the free world, torture and rape that was committed in the US prisons. Why is that You never hear these so called Lawmakers over the Kashmir issue. Ohh i forgot how could they after all India is their next strong foothold against China.. As for Bosnia it was more of a strategic move to negate the Russian influence in Serbia rather then the Love for the Muslims.
Get your own track record straight before raising voice for others. Give Kashmiries they right to plebiscite and then talk about in Tibet and Xinjiang. Stop the mass murdering of Muslims and other minorities by the dominant hindus under the disguise of your so called secularism and then raise a voice of human rights violations and the evil communism in China.

If you have to drag Kashmir into everything, I sure can't help it.

You and I both know the reason you can't voice your opinion on the issue being discussed. So there you go in a tangent and start talking about everything in the world but the issue itself.

And don't worry. You may assume to know the reason for Indo-US co-operation but it is beyond just a single issue. You are falling over yourself to get a similar deal.

And I don't see you similarly exercised over the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pundits while thousands of Kashmiri Muslims study and work all over India. I have met several of them.

 

[IceCold]

If you have to drag Kashmir into everything, I sure can't help it.

You and I both know the reason you can't voice your opinion on the issue being discussed. So there you go in a tangent and start talking about everything in the world but the issue itself.

And don't worry. You may assume to know the reason for Indo-US co-operation but it is beyond just a single issue. You are falling over yourself to get a similar deal.

And I don't see you similarly exercised over the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pundits while thousands of Kashmiri Muslims study and work all over India. I have met several of them.

Ironic it is when i see someone with a track record such as this criticizing others for having a bad one and then comparing internal matters of one country to the disputed matters of their own . You for certain don't know the reason about whether i can or cannot raise my voice, don't pretend as if you know all.
We certainly know why the US is going with India. We are not falling ourself rather we asked the US to maintain some balance as one sided nuclear deal will dramatically shift the nuclear balance in India' favour and Pakistan will not sit idle. However we should have know better what strategic implications does India holds for the US and that circles around just one single issue "CHINA". We certainly are not a part of that and hence no gifts.

 

[Vinod2070]

Ironic it is when i see someone with a track record such as this criticizing others for having a bad one and then comparing internal matters of one country to the disputed matters of their own . You for certain don't know the reason about whether i can or cannot raise my voice, don't pretend as if you know all.
We certainly know why the US is going with India. We are not falling ourself rather we asked the US to maintain some balance as one sided nuclear deal will dramatically shift the nuclear balance in India' favour and Pakistan will not sit idle. However we should have know better what strategic implications does India holds for the US and that circles around just one single issue "CHINA". We certainly are not a part of that and hence no gifts.

I can understand why you would think that Indo-USA relations are all about China. Gives you some comfort and I won't take that away.

There is no question of gift here at all. It will be more about commerce. India does not get aid from the USA like your country does. The relationship is about mutual interests and trade. India is no part of any anti-China bloc, has never been a part of any USA military bloc unlike some in the region.

The USA relationship is an important relationship but not the only one for India. India also has many multilateral relationships that include China and Russia to counter balance the influence of the only superpower. There are some excellent articles published on that in other threads.

It is not as simple as you would like it to be.