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RFA Breaking News: Xinjiang Authorities Detain Uyghur Pro Footballer For ‘Visiting Foreign Countries’

by Paul Eckert

Xinjiang Authorities Detain Uyghur Pro Footballer For ‘Visiting Foreign Countries’ April 13, 2018 - Authorities in northwest China’s Xinjiang region have detained 19-year-old Uyghur Erfan Hezim—a former member of China’s national youth football team—in a “political re-education camp” for “visiting foreign countries” after he traveled abroad to train and take part in matches, according to local sources. Hezim, also known by his Chinese name Ye Erfan, is a top soccer forward in the Chinese Super League who began playing professionally at the age of 15, and in July last year inked a five-year contract with Jiangsu Suning F.C. Two months ago, during winter break, Hezim returned home to visit his parents in Dorbiljin (in Chinese, Emin) county, in Xinjiang’s Tarbaghatay (Tacheng) prefecture, and was detained by police while visiting a market in the county seat, an official from the Dorbijin Police Central Command told RFA’s Uyghur Service. “Erfan Hezim was detained by officers from the Dorbiljin Market Police Station,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Currently, he is being detained at the Jiaochu township reeducation center. He was detained two months ago for visiting foreign countries.” An officer who answered the phone at the Dorbiljin Market Police Station told RFA he “can’t say where Hezim is currently being held,” and referred further inquiries back to the Dorbijin Police Central Command. A neighbor of Hezim’s parents confirmed to RFA that he had been detained and said his family was in shock. “They have not been able to see Erfan once over the past two months,” the neighbor said, adding that as an only child, his detention had been particularly hard on Hezim’s mother. “Erfan’s mother is ill. She has been crying nonstop for the past two months since Erfan was detained. She is losing herself—she cries and murmurs, so it is difficult to know what she is saying.” A Jiangsu Suning F.C. supporter told RFA that Hezim had visited Spain from Jan. 10-30 and Dubai from Feb. 3-15, adding that his travel was “not for personal reasons, but for training and match purposes.” Since April 2017, Uyghurs accused of harboring “strong religious views” and “politically incorrect” views have been jailed or detained in re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. Official announcements have stated that those who are sent to the camps include former prisoners, suspects and anyone who has travelled overseas, and say the camps will “cleanse” them of ideology that endangers state security. Last month, sources told RFA that authorities in Ili Kazakh (Yili Hasake) Autonomous prefecture, where Tarbaghatay prefecture is located, have added “interest in travel abroad” to the list of reasons they are detaining Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region’s vast network of re-education camps and prisons. Call for information Reports of Hezim’s detention emerged as the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress (WUC) exile group issued a call for information about “disappearances or arbitrary detentions of Uyghurs” in Xinjiang’s re-education camps. In a statement issued on Thursday, the WUC said it is creating a list bearing the names, dates of birth, city of residence, and dates and circumstances of detention, of individuals held in the camps, which it plans to submit to various institutions of the European Union, and “demand that the EU take action to push for their immediate release.” China's central government authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of re-education camps in Xinjiang, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret, but local officials in many parts of Xinjiang have in RFA telephone interviews forthrightly described sending significant numbers of Uyghurs to the camps and even described overcrowding in some facilities. Maya Wang of the New York-based Human Rights Watch told The Guardian in January that estimates of Xinjiang residents who had spent time in the camps went as high as 800,000, while at least one Uyghur exile group estimates that up to 1 million Uyghurs have been detained throughout the region since April 2017, and some activists say nearly every Uyghur household has been affected by the campaign. Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Chris Smith—the chair and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China—called on U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad to visit Xinjiang and gather information on senior officials responsible for the mass surveillance and detention of Uyghurs to determine whether Washington should level sanctions against them. In a letter to the Ambassador, the lawmakers called the camp network in Xinjiang “the largest mass incarceration of a minority population in the world today.” Since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August 2016, he has initiated unprecedented repressive measures against the Uyghur people and ideological purges against so-called “two-faced” Uyghur officials—a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of “disloyalty.” China regularly conducts “strike hard” campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material. While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009. Reported by RFA’s Uyghur Service. Translated by RFA's Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. View this s tory online at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/footballer-04132018162312.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

6 years, 9 months

Radio Free Asia Burmese Child Soldier Profile Wins at New York Festivals

by Rohit Mahajan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2018 Contact: Rohit Mahajan 202 530 4976 <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org Radio Free Asia Interview with Burmese Child Soldier Wins at New York Festivals As with jailed Reuters reporters, Aung Ko Htway's treatment a "worrisome" sign of press freedom in Myanmar: RFA President WASHINGTON - Radio Free Asia <https://www.rfa.org/english/> (RFA) last night won at the 2018 New York Festivals TV <http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/tvfilm/> & Film Awards for its television profile piece titled, "Child Solider Recalls his Plight <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7qxDV7z_OY> ." The short documentary by RFA's Burmese Service was awarded a bronze medal in the biography/profiles category. Released last August, it follows former child soldier, Aung Ko Htway, as he describes his abduction and forced conscription for nearly 10 years. Following the interview's airing, Aung Ko Htway was arrested and charged defaming the military. He was sentenced in March <https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/abduction-03282018135909.html> to two year's hard labor. "Aung Ko Htway was robbed of his childhood," said Libby Liu, President of RFA. "Now, after speaking with RFA, he is being severely punished once again. "This award underscores not only his tragic past as a forcibly conscripted child soldier, but also Aung Ko Htway's unconscionable current situation and the increasingly worrisome state of press freedom in Myanmar. "Like Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, the reporters from Reuters who are being tried, this brave individual courageously shared a difficult story knowing that it needed to be told and is paying a terrible price for it." Myanmar's armed forces and some of the country's ethnic armed groups have long recruited and trafficked children to serve as soldiers, particularly in conflict-prone areas in the borderlands. Military recruiters often snatch children under the pretext that they have committed a minor or nonexistent offense and tell them they must serve in the army or go to jail. Children are forced to undergo training in often harsh or inhumane conditions and are routinely subjected to physical abuse by military personnel. Radio Free Asia's Burmese Service produced an in-depth and personal look into the experience of these child soldiers, telling the gut-wrenching story of Aung Ko Htway, who was abducted when he was 14, forced to serve in the Myanmar army, and sentenced to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Twelve years after his ordeal began, he was sentenced on March 28 <https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/04/02/myanmar-quash-conviction-former-child-s oldier> under Section 505(b) of the country's Penal Code, pertaining to making, publishing, or circulating information that may cause public fear or alarm and incite people to commit offenses against the state or disturb public tranquility. Just this month, legal troubles for Aung Ko Htway have continued to mount, with <http://www.dvb.no/news/union-seal-law-charge-latest-legal-battle-ex-child-s oldier-supporters/80496> additional charges being brought forward by authorities. The award was presented during a ceremony in Las Vegas. Other winners <http://www.newyorkfestivals.com/winners/2018/index.php> announced at the 2018 New York Festivals included CNN, PBS, ABC, Al Jazeera, National Geographic, and RFA sister network, Voice of America. # # # Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. Rohit Mahajan | Radio Free Asia | Director of Public Affairs and Digital Strategy <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org | O: 202.530.4976 | M: 202.489.8021

6 years, 9 months

RFA Breaking News: John Bolton on North Korea in March 19 interview.

by Paul Eckert

cid:2c3a6694f71098a16c3e3ba7a03eb26f40680d2c@zimbra Interview: Trump-Kim Talks to be 'A Very Short Meeting' if Pyongyang Won't Discuss Denuclearization March 23, 2018 - John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the UN, spoke to Jung Min Noh of RFA’s Korean Service on March 19, just 3 days before the blunt-speaking lawyer was named by President Donald Trump to serve as his new national security adviser, in a telephone interview that focused on the North Korean nuclear weapons issue. RFA: What do you think of President Trump’s decision to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un? Bolton: Well it's obviously an unprecedented development and a very daring move, I think, on the part of President Trump. The real issue is whether the regime in North Korea, after talking for 25 years about its nuclear weapons program and committing on numerous occasions to give up that program, really is prepared to have a serious conversation or whether they're simply buying time to perfect the last stages of the nuclear weapons program and their ballistic missile program. So my hope is that President Trump can have a serious conversation with them about what the real objective should be which is denuclearizing North Korea, and if they're not prepared to have that kind of serious discussion, it could actually be a very short meeting. RFA: You sound still skeptical about North Korea’s intentions in talking with President Trump. Do you expect the summit to be successful? Bolton: I don't know that the North Koreans ever really expected that President Trump would accept the offer of a summit meeting and it's been some time now since the president's decision was announced. We've heard nothing publicly from North Korea. Now, maybe it's just an anomaly and perhaps the talks will go forward, but I think the positive aspect that we could see here is it's a way to cut through six months twelve months of preliminary negotiations. Let's have this conversation by May or even before that and let's see how serious North Korea really is. They've made commitments they’ve violated repeatedly in the past 25 years. I am skeptical that they're serious. I think they were trying to buy time but they've made the offer, the president has accepted, let's get on with it. RFA: It is reported that you had a meeting with President Trump in early March. What sort of opinions did you share on North Korea? Bolton: I don't comment publicly on my meetings with the president but I have written and spoken extensively on the North Korean threat. I think it's very dangerous, not just in Asia and the Pacific, but I think worldwide. I believe if North Korea really did have nuclear warheads and ballistic missile capabilities, they would sell them to anybody with enough hard currency. They'd sell it to the Ayatollahs in Iran, they'd sell it to terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, they'd sell it to any aspiring nuclear weapons states. I think North Korea it really is a global threat and I think it has to be treated with great concern and great caution. RFA: That meeting (with Trump) was a day before the agreement to hold a U.S.-North Korea summit was announced. Has there been any change in your views since then? Bolton: The fact of North Korean interest in negotiations was made clear when they accepted South Korea's invitation to show up for the Winter Olympics. I think it was a mistake to understand that as anything other than North Korean propaganda, but it was clear then they were seeking an opportunity to distract attention from just how close they were to a capability to hit targets in North America with thermo-nuclear weapons. I think the pattern that North Korea has followed for decades – the same pattern that Iran followed – is that it used negotiations to camouflage their on-going nuclear and ballistic missile efforts. I think we should not fall for that ploy again. I think we should insist that if this meeting is going to take place, it will be similar to discussions we had with Libya 13 or 14 years ago: how to pack up their nuclear weapons program and take it to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which is where the Libyan nuclear program. If it's anything other than a conversation about how to do that, then I think it shows it's just camouflage for North Korea to continue working toward its long-sought objective of deliverable nuclear weapons. RFA: What is your evaluation of CIA Director Mike Pompeo, who holds hawkish views on North Korea, becoming the next secretary of state? Bolton: I think he's a realist about North Korea. You know, North Korea has made many commitments over the years to give up its nuclear weapons program and it's lied about them every single time. They violated every commitment they've made on nuclear weapons for the last 25 years. There's no reason to think that their behavior has changed. So I hope the Senate confirms Mike Pompeo as soon as possible. I think it's important to have a new secretary of state in place and I look forward to his leadership at the State Department. RFA: What is your advice to President Trump ahead of the talks with North Korea? Bolton: I think he's very familiar with the history of North Korea's duplicity on this subject. I don't think he has any illusions about this regime. I don't think he wants to waste a lot of time talking to them without the prospect of success. You know there a lot of considerations here but I believe that it could become very clear very early in this meeting whether North Korea is serious or not or whether they're just playing games, and so I think it's important if the president sees that they're just looking for a way to waste time, that he make the point that he's not there to waste time and that we expect real denuclearization, not talks about talks about denuclearization, but concretely how we're going to eliminate their program as quickly as possible. So if the meeting takes place, we'll see if that's the path that they follow. RFA: What should the U.S. be prepared to offer North Korea in exchange for denuclearization? Economic aid? A peace treaty? Bolton: I don't think we should offer them economic aid. That happened in the context of the Agreed Framework, where they took the heavy oil shipments and yet did not dismantle their nuclear program. There's no way we should give North Korea a peace treaty. They're lucky to have a meeting with the president of the United States. I think if they want economic progress for the people of North Korea, they should the end the charade of a divided peninsula. They should ask for reunification with South Korea. That's the best way to aid the people of North Korea. RFA: If negotiations are not successful, there are concerns that the U.S. will turn to the option of military action. As one who has argued for military action, what is your proposed course of action in the event of failed talks? Bolton: Let me be very clear. I don't favor military action to eliminate the North Korean nuclear program. Nobody wants to see that happen, but I also believe that it's a mistake to leave North Korea with nuclear weapons. And yet they are very close to achieving that objective. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dunford said last summer that he thought it was unimaginable to leave North Korea with nuclear weapons. That's the way I feel, too. We we've had 25 years of efforts at carrots and sticks with North Korea. They have played the West and the United States like a violin, and they've used that time to make considerable progress toward the objective of deliverable nuclear weapons. So President Trump has unattractive options in front of him, because he's inherited 25 years of failure, so that he doesn't have much time. Somebody said, you know, we can't kick the can down the road any further because there isn't any road left. RFA: Experts who talk with North Korea say there is not enough time to prepare for summit talks with North Korea. What do you think? Bolton: We have plenty of experts. The kind of expert we need really is less about North Korea, and more about nuclear weapons. I think we've got plenty of time. I think it's a mistake to treat this like a normal summit meeting, with months and months of preparation by lower-level people. We know what the subject is here, at least from the US point of view: It's North Korea eliminating, dismantling its nuclear weapons program and, as I say, we'd be happy to store the program in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. That's what the conversation ought to be about. If it's about anything else, it's a waste of time. RFA: What are your thoughts about the inter-Korea summit talks scheduled for April and do you have any advice for South Korea ahead of this meeting? I think the people of South Korea are very divided about how to treat North Korea. Many obviously support the current government in South Korea, but many others are deeply distrustful of anything the government of North Korea says. So I think everybody in South Korea, for their own peace and security, has to be very dubious about North Korea's commitment to anything that it says. And so that that is a word of caution to the government of South Korea before they agree to anything with North Korea. Using military action to solve the North Korean nuclear issue is on the table but it presents many problems and the South Korean government is against this. Do you see military action as part of the solution to the North Korean problem? Nobody wants to use military force, but I think sensible people don't want to see this bizarre regime in North Korea with nuclear weapons, not only because of the threat they pose but the threat that those weapons would be sold to others all around the world. So military action is very dangerous, but I think it's more dangerous if North Korea has a nuclear capability. View this story at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/interview-bolton-03232018130326.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

6 years, 9 months

RFA Breaking News: Cambodia Security Forces Shoot Protesters Dead in Land Dispute

by Paul Eckert

Cambodia Security Forces Shoot Protesters Dead in Land Dispute March 8, 2018 - Authorities in Cambodia’s Kratie province on Thursday opened fire on a group of people protesting over a long-running land dispute with a rubber plantation, killing as many as eight people and injuring dozens of others, according to sources. More than 400 residents of 2 Thnou commune, in Kratie’s Snuol district, blocked National Road 76A for three hours, beginning around 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, after workers from the Memot Rubber Plantation and security forces burned down the huts and razed the farms of 300 villagers locked in a dispute over ownership of the land, witness Tin Pheak told RFA’s Khmer Service. The demolition came a day after Kratie provincial authorities met with the villagers in a bid to resolve the dispute with Memot — which leased the land around the same time residents settled in the area — but were unable to come to an agreement, she said. Around 150 soldiers, police and military police were deployed to remove protesters from National Road 76A, Tin Pheak said, and security forces fired on residents during the ensuing confrontation. “When authorities opened fire on the protesters, I saw two people were killed right away and another two injured,” she said. “As of now, I know that six people were killed and 40 injured. All the six dead are men. Some of those who were killed are from nearby villages.” Tin Pheak said that the authorities “confiscated our smart phones and destroyed them,” apparently in a bid to prevent video of the incident from being made public. “We tried to help victims by sending them to hospitals and we are still searching for some missing people,” she said. “I saw six dead bodies being dragged from a creek inside a forest ... So far two bodies have been claimed by relatives, but the other four bodies have not been taken from the forest yet.” An official with a local civil society organization, who spoke to RFA on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that six people had been killed and “several others injured.” Unarmed villagers Tin Pheak stressed that the clash occurred after “the company sent authorities to demolish and burn down our houses.” “We residents asked them to stop the demolition, but they didn’t listen to us,” she said, adding that the villagers were unarmed and only resorted to throwing sticks and stones at authorities after they opened fire. “Had they not opened fire on us first, we would not have thrown anything at them. The authorities were all well armed.” Authorities later confiscated our smart phones and destroyed them as they were afraid that we used them to record the incident.” The Phnom Penh Post also quoted Tin Pheak as saying that she had seen a woman and man shot dead by the authorities, and had helped move the bodies away from the road. After returning from calling for help, “the police already put [a] body in a car,” she added. Tin Pheak said that she had also been hit in the face by a police official’s gun. The Post quoted another villager at the clash, who requested anonymity, who said he saw a man fall over after being shot in the chest. Death toll rises Later on Thursday, witnesses told RFA they had discovered two more bodies, bringing the total of number dead to eight. One of the sources, who declined to provide her name, said that the eight dead included one woman, and echoed Tin Pheak’s claims that around 40 people were injured, adding that a number of villagers remain missing. She said Kratie provincial authorities ordered security forces to fire on the protesters, adding that two people were killed on the spot, and that many of those injured suffered bullet wounds to the arms and legs. “The authorities warned me [not to talk to media], but I will speak, because even if I die, it will be worth it, as long as all the residents can get their land back and not have their homes burned down,” she said. “I feel so sorry for them, since some of them have many kids. Myself as well — I have five children. If they shoot and kill me, that’s fine, but I just want to make sure that I can get the land back for my children.” Another resident who asked to remain unnamed told RFA that the incident had led to “pure chaos.” “Now it happens that some people are missing and we are still searching for them,” she said, adding “I don’t know how many people were arrested.” A video of the confrontation, circulating on Facebook, shows villagers with sticks and machetes arguing with authorities, including soldiers carrying rifles. In a later segment, dozens of shots can be heard as the villagers run away, and a separate video purportedly shows a man shot in the thigh receiving medical treatment from fellow protesters. Claims dismissed In the hours following the confrontation, authorities offered a significantly different account of what happened in 2 Thnou commune, with Major General Nay Toeung Loeung, the deputy commander of Region 2 and commander of Kratie sub-military operations, telling government-aligned Fresh News Media that “reports by The Phnom Penh Post and Radio Free Asia are totally incorrect.” “There was no death toll and only two people were injured—one in his buttock and another one in his thigh—and they were sent to the hospital right away.” Fresh News also quoted Kratie provincial governor Sar Chamrong dismissing reports that residents were killed and that several others had been injured by police firing on protesters. He said a man and a woman had suffered minor injuries, while another villager was arrested for sparking the confrontation, in which protesters wielded “homemade guns.” The Kratie provincial government also released a press statement denying the claims and calling earlier reports “fake news.” Provincial authorities “conducted a security and safety exercise … surrounding company land so as to prevent encroachment from a group of people,” the statement said, adding that a confrontation occurred after “residents gathered and blocked the National Road 76, whereby a provincial working group tried to compromise for reopening the road, but was rejected by protesters.” “Protesters then employed violence against our working group by throwing knives, axes, stones, missiles from rubber slingshots, arrows, and Molotov cocktails, causing injuries to seven members of our provincial working group,” it said. “As a result, our working group decided to fire into the air, so as to protect our members and protect the safety of the whole working group. No one was killed during the clash, although nine people were injured—seven of whom are authorities.” Information lockdown The Phnom Penh Post quoted rights group Adhoc coordinator Be Vanny, who it said initially reported the shooting deaths, as saying he was simply passing on information he had received, and that he was “wanted” by police. The Post cited Soueng Sen Karuna, land rights coordinator at Adhoc, as saying that he had been contacted by a Kratie Provincial Court official demanding his group retract its statement and that “if not, you’ll have a problem.” A doctor at the district referral hospital and the director of the provincial hospital declined to provide details when asked by the paper about the incident. Reported by RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. View this s tory online at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/protest-03082018150029.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

6 years, 10 months

RFA Breaking News: Tibetan Dies in Self-immolation in Sichuan’s Ngaba County

by Paul Eckert

Tibetan Dies in Self-immolation in Sichuan’s Ngaba County March 7, 2018 - A Tibetan man self-immolated on Wednesday in Sichuan’s Ngaba county in an apparent protest against Chinese rule and policies in the far-western region of China, a Tibetan source living abroad said. Tsekho Tukchak, set himself ablaze in Ngaba’s Meruma township at about 5 p.m. local time and died at the scene, said Meuruma Kungyam, a Tibetan political prisoner living in Australia who is from the same town as Tukchak. “At the time of his self-immolation, Tsekho called out, ‘Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama and freedom for Tibet,’” Kungyam said. “The self-immolation was a protest against China’s repressive policy in Tibet.” Tukchak, also known as Tsekho Topchag, was in his early 40s and is survived by his mother, wife and two daughters, he said. Local residents told Kungyam that Tukchak had lately expressed concern about China’s occupation of Tibet and repression of the Tibetan people and their culture. “He paid great attention to Tibetan issues and was very capable of speaking out about the cause,” Kungyam said. “Whether it was at a tea shop or in the market, he often discussed Tibetan issues and convincingly explained Tibet’s situation to others.” In recent days, Chinese authorities have deployed an increased number of security forces in Meruma, ready to crack down on large gatherings and blocking internet service, he said. Tukchak likely self-immolated on Wednesday because he assumed the heavy security presence would have made it difficult to carry out his plan on March 10, Kungyam said, referring to the 59th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese occupation of the formerly self-governing region. Security forces are spreading throughout the region in the run-up to the anniversary of the incident, which saw thousands of Tibetans killed amid a crackdown by Chinese authorities and led to the Dalai Lama’s flight into exile in 1959. The day will also mark the 10th anniversary of the beginning of several days of peaceful protest that were brutally suppressed by police and culminated in an anti-China riot in Tibet’s capital Lhasa on March 14, 2008. During the riot, Tibetan demonstrators torched ethnic Han Chinese shops in the city and carried out deadly attacks on Han residents. Protests then spread across Tibet and into Tibetan-populated provinces of western China, causing official embarrassment ahead of the August 2008 Beijing Olympics. Hundreds of Tibetans were detained, beaten, or shot as Chinese security forces quelled the protests. Chinese officials later said that 22 people, mostly Han Chinese and Hui Muslim civilians, had died in the Lhasa rioting, but denied that police had fired on protesters. ‘Prayers for his martyrdom’ Meanwhile, news of Tukchak’s death has spread throughout Meruma township and beyond. “Tibetans in Tibet are sad to hear the news and are mourning the death of the self-immolator Tsekho,” a source inside Tibet, who declined to be named, told RFA. “Many Tibetans are saying prayers for his martyrdom,” the source said. “The situation in the area is very tense.” Tukchak’s self-immolation was also noted by Lobsang Sangay, president of the India-based Central Tibetan Authority (CTA), who expressed “deep concern” over the incident and reiterated an appeal by the CTA to Tibetans to refrain from such protests in a statement on Wednesday. Sangay said that self-immolations by Tibetans in Tibet, however, “evidences that repression in Tibet under the Chinese rule is making lives unlivable” and urged China’s government to heed to the calls of those who “long for freedom in Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama back to Tibet.” Tukchak’s protest brings to 153 the number of self-immolations by Tibetans living in China since the wave of fiery protests began in 2009. Most protesters who have set themselves on fire have called for Tibetan freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from India, where he has lived since escaping Tibet in 1959. Reported by Kalden Lodoe, Sonam Lhamo, and Kunsang Tenzin for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. View this s tory online at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/tibetan-dies-in-self-immolation-in-s… Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

6 years, 10 months

RFA Breaking News: Rights Groups Condemn China’s Detention of RFA Reporters’ Relatives

by Paul Eckert

Rights Groups Condemn China’s Detention of RFA Reporters’ Relatives March 1, 2018 - Human rights and press freedom watchdog groups condemned China’s detention of close relatives of four U.S.-based reporters for RFA’s Uyghur Service in apparent retaliation for their coverage of the Xinjiang region, as a fifth Uyghur reporter came forward on Thursday with an account of missing family members. The Committee to Protect Journalists said it is “alarmed” by news that authorities in the northwestern China’s Xinjiang region have detained multiple relatives of U.S.-based RFA journalists Gulchehra Hoja, Shohret Hoshur, Mamatjan Juma, and Kurban Niyaz. More than two dozen relatives have been affected by the clampdown, RFA has learned. "Punishing family members of journalists beyond the reach of the Chinese government is a cruel, if not barbaric, tactic," said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said in a statement. "The Chinese government should immediately account for these people's health, whereabouts, and legal status and set them free,” he said. The New York-based CPJ was responding to a Washington Post report on Wednesday on the four Uyghur reporters, whose work has documented a brutal crackdown on the Turkic-language speaking Muslim minority since the installation of a hard-line Communist Party boss in the Xinjiang region in August, 2016. Amnesty International, meanwhile, issued an urgent appeal for 20 relatives of Hoja, a 17-year veteran RFA reporter, who “have been detained and are at risk of torture” and were believed to have been targeted for her work for the U.S.-government-funded broadcaster based in Washington. “Media reports from Radio Free Asia, Buzzfeed, the Globe and Mail , the Associated Press and others, as well as information gathered by Amnesty International, indicate that in the spring of 2017, authorities throughout the region began detaining Uighurs en masse, and started sending them to administrative detention facilities or sentencing them to long prison terms,” said Amnesty. Hoja’s brother Kaisar Keyum was taken into custody by Chinese police in October 2017, while her parents are unreachable and suspected to be in custody. Another brother of Hoja’s has been detained since September 2017 and her extended family – as many as 20 relatives – are feared detained and being held in undisclosed locations, she told RFA. When her brother was detained, police told Hoja’s mother that her employment with RFA was the reason for his detention. The relatives may have been detained for communicating with her through a WeChat group, according to a cousin who she was able to contact, Hoja said. 'Stop calling inside China' Hoshur’s brothers Shawket Hoshur and Rexim Hoshur were jailed from August 2014 until they won release December 2015, in part due to pressure on China from the U.S. Congress. However, the two brothers were detained again in September 2017 and are now being held in the Qorghos county re-education camp. Shohret’s younger brother Tudaxun Hoshur, who was sentenced in 2015, remains jailed. Shohret told RFA he has heard from family members in Xinjiang who have told him they were contacted by Chinese authorities urging them to ask him to stop calling inside China. RFA Uyghur Deputy Director Mamatjan Juma reported that his brothers Ahmetjan Juma and Abduqadir Juma were detained in May 2017. While the whereabouts of Ahmetjan, who has a family and a toddler son, are unknown, Abduqadir was taken to Urumqi No. 1 Prison, a facility known for incarcerating political prisoners in inhumane conditions in Urumqi, the regional capital of Xinjiang. Abduqadir suffers from heart and health issues that require medical care, and his sister was denied access to him in prison, Mamatjan Juma said. “He needs immediate medical attention. I am extremely worried that his health condition will dramatically worsen without proper food and medication and, more importantly, the inhumane treatment he faces in Chinese prison,” he said. Juma said his mother has suffered a heart attack and has been hospitalized four times in recent weeks. His father died in October, 2017 and he learned of his father’s passing only 10 days later. “I cannot send money to help because of Chinese government restriction on my family,” he said. RFA Uyghur broadcaster Kurban Niyaz’s youngest brother, Hasanjan Niyaz, was arrested in May 2017 in Bugur county, and in July sentenced to six years in jail on charges of “holding ethnic hatred.” Fifth RFA reporter affected Niyaz’s other relatives in Xinjiang have been visited by police, who have questioned them about Niyaz and another U.S-based brother, he said. Following reports by the Washington Post , the Associated Press and other international media outlets that brought attention the fate of the four reporters’ families, a fifth RFA journalist on Thursday revealed that three of his relatives and in-laws have been detained. RFA broadcaster Eset Sulaiman said his elder brother, an educator in the Tianshan region, was picked up by authorities around October 2017 and sent to undergo forced study at a “Political Re-education Camp” in Qomul City (In Chinese, Hami). His mother-in-law, Saadet Kichik, and father-in law, Memteli Sopi, both pensioners in their 70s, were also detained in October 2017 and sent to the same re-education camp. “Because of my job at RFA and my wife’s position on the board of the Uyghur American Association, Chinese authorities have retaliated against and threatened us by detaining three relatives in the Uyghur Region,” said Sulaiman, who last saw his relatives in person in 2008. “Because I cannot contact my family since the end of 2017, I did not hear about my mother’s death in real time,” he said. “She passed away February 18, but I heard this news four days later through my relative in Sweden. I don’t know what happened to my other brothers and sisters,” added Sulaiman. “We’re very concerned about the well-being and safety of our journalists’ family members, especially those in need of medical treatment,” said Rohit Mahajan, director of public affairs at RFA in Washington. “We’re also particularly concerned about the use of detentions as a tactic by Chinese authorities to silence and intimidate independent media, as well as to inhibit RFA’s mission of bringing free press to closed societies.” Amid what many analysts see as a worldwide slide toward more authoritarian rule, RFA journalists have been targeted by other illiberal Asian regimes, many of which are close allies of China. Chen Quanguo's draconian policies RFA closed its operations in Cambodia in September amid a government crackdown on the media, and two former RFA Khmer Service reporters were taken into custody on Nov. 14. They formally charged with “illegally collecting information for a foreign source.” Uon Chhin and Yeang Sothearin, who deny the charges, were denied bail from pre-trial detention and face a possible jail term of up to 15 years if convicted of the charges against them. The RFA Uyghur journalists have produced detailed reports on how Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, who took office in August 2016, has set up numerous detention facilities throughout Xinjiang and imposed harsh policies affecting the 10 million Uyghurs in China. The camps are variously called “counter extremism centers,” “political study centers,” or “education and transformation centers” and are believed to hold tens of thousands of Uyghurs as well as ethnic Kazakhs and other Muslim minorities. “People are often sent to these detention facilities if they are known religious practitioners, have relations with ‘foreign contacts,’ or have themselves been caught up in social stability campaigns or have relatives who were involved in the same,” said Amnesty International in its appeal for Hoja’s relatives. “Authorities have detained people who receive phone calls from outside of China. Authorities have also tried to ensure that nobody uses encrypted messaging apps, and instead rely on domestic apps, which have no encryption or other privacy safeguards,” said Amnesty. Asked about the detentions at a news conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he had no information on the cases. “I suggest you raise your question to the competent department,” he said Wednesday, adding: “We welcome all foreign media to do fair and objective reporting in China.” RFA, which broadcasts in nine languages in six authoritarian Asian countries, “is the only Uyghur voice in the free world out of the control of the Chinese government,” said Dolkun Isa, president of World Uyghur Congress, an advocacy group in Washington. “We know that Chinese government has illegally detained hundreds of thousands of innocent Uyghurs in concentration camps. But we had never imagined that Chinese government would go after the loved ones of Uyghur journalists working at RFA,” he added. Despite China’s rising wealth and growing global clout, the Chinese media languishes near the bottom of most major international rankings of media freedom. "China continues to be the world’s biggest prison for journalists ... and continues to improve its arsenal of measures for persecuting journalists and bloggers," Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in its annual report for 2017. The Paris-based RSF ranked China 176 th in press freedom last year, above only Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea. Reported by RFA's Uyghur and English Services. View this s tory online at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/reporters-relatives-03012018164751.… Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

6 years, 10 months

Widow of Slain Cambodian Government Critic Kem Ley is Granted Asyum in Australia

by Richard Finney

cid:db5c53ccb2f2c28f5afa2b46deb76600b893914b@zimbra Widow of Slain Cambodian Government Critic Kem Ley is Granted Asyum in Australia Feb. 19, 2018--Bou Rachana, widow of slain Cambodian social commentator and government critic Kem Ley, has been granted asylum in Australia, leaving with her five sons from Thailand and arriving in Melbourne on Feb. 17, an Australian lawmaker told RFA's Khmer Service on Monday. It was unclear shortly before they left whether Bou Rachana's youngest child, a toddler, would be allowed to leave with her, as he was born in Thailand and was not given a birth certificate. But Australian authorities convinced the Thai government to allow them all to leave together, Hong Lim, a member of Australia's Victoria state legislative assembly, said, speaking to RFA by phone on Feb. 19. Hong Lim said that he and the Cambodian community in Australia are "thrilled" to welcome Bou Rachana to the country. "We think that she and her children will have much better lives here than in Cambodia," he said. Housing and support for the family will now have to be arranged so that Bou Rachana's children can resume their schooling, Hong Lim said, adding that a welcoming ceremony has been planned for Bou Rachana and her family at a local temple on Saturday, Feb. 24. Bou Rachana's husband Kem Ley, a popular political commentator, was gunned down in broad daylight in Phnom Penh on July 10, 2016, 36 hours after discussing on an RFA Khmer call-in show a report by the London-based group Global Witness detailing the wealth of the family of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia for 32 years. Though authorities later charged a former soldier with the murder and sentenced him to life in prison, many in Cambodia did not believe the government's story that Kem Ley was killed by the man over a debt. Kem Ley's body was kept for two weeks at a Buddhist temple before being taken to his home town in Cambodia's Takeo province on July 24, with hundreds of thousands of mourners and supporters later attending his funeral procession. Soon after the funeral, and fearing for their safety, Bou Rachana-then pregnant-fled with her children from Cambodia to neighboring Thailand to seek asylum in a third country. They spent over a year and a half in Thailand before being granted permission to settle in Australia. Reported by Chun Chanboth for RFA's Khmer Service. Translated by Nareth Muong. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this story online at: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/asylum-02192018112553.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA's broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to "seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

6 years, 11 months

RFA Breaking News: Threat of Re-Education Camp Drives Uyghur Who Failed Anthem Recitation to Suicide

by Paul Eckert

Threat of Re-Education Camp Drives Uyghur Who Failed Anthem Recitation to Suicide Feb. 5, 2018 - A Uyghur resident of Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture, in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, committed suicide after he was threatened with detention in a political re-education camp because he was unable to recite the national anthem in Chinese instead of his native Uyghur language, according to officials. Since April last year, ethnic Uyghurs accused of harboring “extremist” and “politically incorrect” views have been detained in re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. While investigating social media reports of an alleged protest in Kashgar’s Yarkand (Shache) county, RFA’s Uyghur Service determined that a separate incident occurred recently in which a Uyghur named Tursun Ablet had hanged himself at his home in No. 1 village of the county’s Tomosteng township. According to officers who answered the phone at the Tomosteng Police Station, Ablet—a man in his 40s who is the father of three children—committed suicide on Jan. 28, and was discovered by his wife, before members of the provincial Public Security Bureau arrived to investigate. “He hanged himself with a rope,” said one officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “I heard it was related to the class he was attending, and that something had affected him,” he said. “The classes were arranged by the Family Committee for people to study the Chinese language, [Communist] party regulations, and so on. As it is the wintertime [and not farming season], it is also to prevent men from taking part in activities that affect social stability.” A second officer at the station named “Ilham” said that a police investigation had determined that Ablet “was struggling with his studies” before his death. “[Ablet’s wife] said that the previous evening, after returning from the training course, he complained about the lessons, saying, ‘What kind of life is this?’” Ilham said. “She said, ‘In the morning when he left the house, I thought he had gone to the class. I went to our old house to feed the chickens and I found he had hanged himself.’” According to Ilham, Ablet’s wife explained that he had “complained about the difficulties he faced in learning how to read and write the Chinese language, saying ‘Other people can read and write, but I cannot.’” Mandarin Chinese and the Uyghur language—which is Turkic—differ significantly, and Uyghurs speak Chinese at varying levels of proficiency, depending on where they live, how they have been educated, and their occupations. Ilham said it was unclear whether Ablet held particularly strong beliefs with regard to his Muslim faith, and if that had been a factor in his difficulties in the class. “All his life he worked as a laborer—he was a very quiet man who kept to himself,” Ilham said, adding, “He looked after his family doing odd jobs daily.” He said he believed Ablet’s suicide was motivated by “verbal harassment” and “abuse of his dignity” he endured at the class. Statements from classmates A third officer—who was part of an investigation unit comprised of village and township cadres, as well as police—read RFA statements taken from residents familiar with Ablet and his treatment at the training course. A statement from Ablimit Abliz said that on the morning of Jan. 25, about 200 people aged 16 to 45 attended a training course at Bagh Hoyla Family Committee Hall, and that 17 people in the class—including Ablet—were unable to recite the national anthem when asked to stand and do so. The head of the Family Committee, Mehmet Tursun Mahmut, told the group that if they could not learn to recite both the national anthem and the Oath of Allegiance to the Communist Party by Jan. 29, he would “send us to a re-education camp for between six months and five years.” “On Jan. 27, 11 out of the 17 people passed the recitation of the national anthem and the Oath of Allegiance test, and the remaining six failed it,” Abliz’s statement reads. “After class, the six people who failed were kept in the building and forced to carry out cleaning tasks,” it said, adding that Abliz was unsure what the group was told after they were finished with the work. According to the statement, Mahmut had made a similar threat at a class at the Yengisheher Family Committee on the morning of Jan. 24, when he called attendees “stupid donkeys” and told them they would be sent to a re-education camp for up to five years if they could not recite the anthem and the oath within three days. A second statement from Turdi Tursun confirmed that six people were forced to carry out a cleaning task after Mehmet Tursun swore at them in front of the class on Jan. 25 at Bagh Hoyla Family Committee Hall. “He shouted, ‘Why didn’t you complete the task that I told you to do within the time allotted? You are all stupid, ignorant donkeys.’” The officer who read the statements said investigators had not determined whether Mehmet Tursun was responsible for Ablet’s death, as they had only asked about whether abuse had taken place during the classes he attended. “According to witnesses, Mehmet Tursun Mahmut told him that he had until the 29th to remember and recite everything,” he said, adding that he believed Ablet was frightened about the consequences of failing to do so. He said Ablet was discovered hanging from a trellis supporting grapevines in the courtyard of his old home, and that he had used a pile of bricks to position himself. An ambulance team pronounced Ablet dead at the scene without bringing him to the hospital, and he was buried on the same day, the officer said. Ablet had never committed any crimes and had no record of arguments with his neighbors or others, he added. Camp network Prior reporting by RFA’s Uyghur Service found that as arrests in Xinjiang increased around the sensitive 19th Communist Party Congress in Beijing in October, the region’s re-education camps have been inundated by detainees, who are forced to endure cramped and squalid conditions in the facilities. Chinese authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of re-education camps in Xinjiang, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret, but Uyghur activists estimate that up to 1 million Uyghurs have been detained throughout the region since April 2017. Since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August 2016, he has initiated unprecedented repressive measures against the Uyghur people and ideological purges against so-called “two-faced” Uyghur officials—a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of “disloyalty.” China regularly conducts “strike hard” campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material. While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009. Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA’s Uyghur Service. Translated by RFA’s Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/suicide-02052018165305.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

6 years, 11 months

RFA Breaking News: Released Xinjiang reeducation camp inmate describes his ordeal

by Paul Eckert

Interview: ‘I Lost All Hope of Surviving’ Jan. 30, 2018 - Omurbek Eli, a 41-year-old Kazakh national of mixed Uyghur and Kazakh heritage from northwest China’s Xinjiang region, was arrested by police in Xinjiang’s Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture in 2017 while visiting his parents and accused of “terrorist activities.” He was refused legal representation and imprisoned for more than seven months, despite never having been tried by a court of law. Eli was eventually freed with the assistance of the Kazakh government, although he believes his family members in Xinjiang remain under the scrutiny of local authorities. Since April last year, ethnic Uyghurs and Kazakhs accused of harboring “extremist” and “politically incorrect” views have been detained in prisons and political re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic groups have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. Chinese authorities have not publicly acknowledged the existence of re-education camps in Xinjiang, and the number of inmates kept in each facility remains a closely guarded secret, but activists estimate that up to 1 million people have been detained throughout the region. Eli recently spoke with RFA’s Uyghur Service from Almaty, Kazakhstan about his experience while detained by Chinese authorities: RFA: When did you move to Kazakhstan? Eli: Twelve years ago. I became a Kazakh citizen in 2008. Since then I have been traveling back and forth between [Kazakhstan and China] conducting business. I had been traveling to [the Xinjiang capital] Urumqi without any hassle, and I have never supported any [terrorist] organizations or groups. Since 2016, I have been working for a tourism company. In March, I went to Urumqi to attend a conference … and then I went to Guma (Pishan) county to visit my family. The day after I arrived, the police came to the house saying they needed to speak to me … That was on March 26. They took me away without any documentation and imprisoned me without any evidence. I was kept in prison until Nov. 4, despite being a Kazakh citizen. They said I was a suspect. They accused me of instigating terrorism, organizing terror activities, and covering up for terrorists. After arriving at the police station, they said, “There is a warrant for your arrest from the Karamay (Kelemayi) City Public Security Bureau” … even though they had no paperwork. [The police] then handcuffed me, and placed a black hood over my head … I was taken to a hospital [in Guma], where I had blood samples taken and was then given a full body examination, without my hood being removed. I was terrified that they might open me alive to remove my organs for sale. After the procedure was complete, I was taken to a prison, where I had to change into a prison uniform before being placed in a cell among 13 … Uyghurs in shackles. I was kept there in shackles for eight days. On the first day, three men—one Uyghur and two Chinese—came from Karamay to question me. They said, “You assisted people with their visa applications, and took money from them claiming you could obtain passports for them.” On April 3, I was taken to Karamay in handcuff and shackles … to the Jarenbulaq district police station and placed in a basement cell. The following day the police chief came to question me … I was not allowed to sleep for two days while I was continually questioned … [about] people who have left from Karamay to Turkey, Syria, and Europe, [saying I] have been assisting them ... I denied everything they accused me of. Then, on April 17, I was taken to the Karamay City Prison. RFA: During that period, didn’t anyone visit you from the Kazakh Embassy? Eli: Officials from the Kazakh Embassy … came on July 16 or 17—a diplomat from the embassy in Beijing and another diplomat based [in the consulate] in Urumqi … They advised me that the Chinese authorities had no right to torture me or force me to do heavy labor. They said that in prison, if I am ill, the authorities must provide medical treatment and also ensure I receive three meals a day. The worst experience I endured in prison was that from the time I arrived, my ankles were shackled together and one ankle was chained to the bed. I spent every day and night until June 13 eating, sleeping and using the bathroom on the bed, with only an occasional bath. Afterwards, they used a meter of chain attached to my upper arm and ankle to keep me in a crouching position. It was agonizingly uncomfortable, and I had to live in that position until Nov. 4, when I left the prison. In the end, diplomats from the consulate approached the Chinese authorities, saying I should be released into their authority if I was not going to be put on trial. The day the [Kazakh] diplomats visited me in July was the only time I was free of my shackles, for about an hour and a half. When I stood up, I couldn’t even maintain my balance—I staggered like a drunken man. I knew I was innocent, but when I was locked up in prison, I lost all hope of surviving. On Nov. 4, I was asked to sign a document [admitting my guilt] as a condition of my bail. I thought, I must leave this hellhole, even if it is just to make contact with the outside world, and I signed the paper … I was then taken to a political re-education camp, where I remained for 20 days … The place was just like a prison, with guards at the gate. RFA: How many people were sharing one room? Eli: There were 23 in my room … There were cameras installed in the room, so we were under observation all the time. People who were kept there included teenagers, the middle-aged, and the elderly, and they were all from different backgrounds. There were government employees and teachers. I also saw a whole family—father, mother, and child. People who had completed their prison sentences were transferred there for re-education. The government employees were accused of being two-faced [a term applied by the government to Uyghurs who do not willingly follow directives and exhibit signs of “disloyalty], which was the most convenient allegation to use. They were 70-80 percent Uyghur, 20-30 percent Kazakh, and no other ethnic groups represented. According to what I heard, there were more than 1,000 young men in the camp, which was comprised of three different areas, designated A, B, and C. I was in area C, along with approximately 300 other men. Sleeping hours were from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. In the morning, all beds had to be made in military style. If one failed to do so, it was considered an ideological failure. We were made to attend a flag-raising ceremony at 7:30 a.m. each day. After that, we would wash and attend breakfast, where we first would have to sing a “red song” [in praise of the Communist Party]. Those who didn’t know the Chinese language well were taught Chinese. Other lessons included party laws and regulations, and red songs. All lessons were taught in Mandarin and there was an exam every week. Also, during lessons, instructors informed you of trials and sentences, and what offenses they were related to. This was to create fear—they used these examples to show people the heavy price they would pay if they did not follow the rules. In between lessons, there were two hours of military training, marching, standing at attention, and following orders. From what I experienced, I now suffer from post-traumatic disorder and can no longer sleep properly. It damages one’s psychology … but the cadres told me that it takes at least one year to complete the re-education program. RFA: What is the food like in the camp? Eli: It was slightly better than the prison. Breakfast is rice gruel, while lunch and dinner include some meat. I think they sent me there because they wanted me to improve before returning. I had lost 40 kilograms (88 pounds) in prison. [In the camp] if you fell ill, you would only receive treatment if you could pay for it … In the beginning they refused to provide me with medication, but I argued that it was their responsibility to provide me with treatment. As my blood pressure was very high, in the end I was given medicine for it. Because there are armed police—some of whom carried wooden batons—if you showed any signs of disobedience they would come immediately and give you a severe beating. Therefore there was no choice but to obey every order. At about 3:00 p.m. on Nov. 24, I heard my name being called and I was told to collect my belongings and get ready to go. I said to my roommates, “I might be taken to prison or freed, but take care of yourselves.” I was collected by a policeman who told me I would be released and returned to Kazakhstan … I was sent to my sister’s house and my family members were all in tears upon seeing me. [The authorities] claim that through re-education they can liberate people’s minds to embrace the party and love the country, to obey all the party rules and regulations. It was very difficult for me to comprehend the fact that just being a Uyghur or Kazakh, you could be forced to undertake such a re-education regime in a prison. Seeing so many innocent people being treated in such a cruel way left me deeply saddened. >From my point of view, the authorities are hoping that re-educating these people will turn them into lambs, but on the contrary, they are planting the seeds of hatred and turning them into enemies. This is not just my view—the majority of the people in the camp feel the same way. Reported and translated by RFA’s Uyghur Service. Edited by Joshua Lipes. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/kazakh-01302018161655.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

6 years, 11 months

RFA Breaking News: Chinese Authorities Jail Four Wealthiest Uyghurs in Xinjiang’s Kashgar in New Purge

by Paul Eckert

Chinese Authorities Jail Four Wealthiest Uyghurs in Xinjiang’s Kashgar in New Purge Jan. 5, 2017 - Authorities in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region have jailed the four wealthiest ethnic Uyghurs in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) city for acts of “religious extremism,” according to an official, amid a crackdown he said is unlikely to end any time soon. A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recently told RFA’s Uyghur Service that Abdujelil Hajim, Gheni Haji, Memet Tursun Haji, and Imin Hajim—all successful business owners in Kashgar—were taken into custody in May 2017. The four men, whose last names signify that they have made the Muslim holy pilgrimage to Mecca, were later sentenced to a total of 42 years in prison, the source said. Chairman of the Kashgar Prefectural Trade Association Abdujelil Hajim—who owns a firm that transports goods between China, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as large tracts of property in Kashgar and Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi—was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Gheni Haji, the owner of the Emin Trading Plaza at Kashgar’s Sunday Market; Memet Tursun Haji, owner of Eziz Diyar Plaza at the same market; and Imin Hajim, owner of the Ibnsina Dental Facility; were each sentenced to eight years in jail, according to the source. The source’s claims were verified earlier this week by Yasinahun, the chief of security for Kashgar’s Chasa township, who confirmed that the four men topped the list of the city’s wealthiest Uyghurs and that they had all been arrested in May, although he was unable to say where they are being held. “Gheni Haji, Imin Hajim, and Memet Tursun Haji had displayed signs of religious extremism, so they were arrested,” he told RFA in a phone interview, adding that their activities were characterized as “abnormal” by authorities. “I was told that Memet Tursun Haji did not hold a funeral when his father passed away. Not holding a funeral is one of the signs of extremism. Gheni and Imin prayed only eight times at prayer service, not 20 as others usually do. That is also a sign of extremism.” Imin Hajim, Yasinahun said, is “a man of few words” who normally kept to himself, but had protested police searches of his home. “He expressed extreme displeasure with our visits to his house related to our security work and said, ‘I am a Chinese citizen, why do you conduct so many searches,’” he said. China regularly conducts “strike hard” campaigns in Xinjiang, including police raids on Uyghur households, restrictions on Islamic practices, and curbs on the culture and language of the Uyghur people, including videos and other material. While Yasinahun did not provide the specific reason for Abdujelil Hajim’s arrest, he said that all four men had also undertaken “unapproved, private hajj” pilgrimages and been involved with imams who were not sanctioned by the state. Re-education camps Since April last year, ethnic Uyghurs accused of harboring “extremist” and “politically incorrect” views have been jailed or detained in political re-education camps throughout Xinjiang, where members of the ethnic group have long complained of pervasive discrimination, religious repression, and cultural suppression under Chinese rule. Yasinahun said he was unsure of how many people are currently being held in re-education camps in Kashgar city, but that “around 2,000 people” were being held from Chasa alone. “Most people are being detained at the Yawagh Street detention facility in Kashgar city,” he said. The security chief also said it was unclear when the campaign of political re-education in Kashgar would end. “At one of the meetings held in the city, one of the Chinese officials said, ‘you can’t uproot all the weeds hidden among the crops in the field one by one—you need to spray chemicals to kill them all,’” he said. “He went on to say, ‘re-educating these people is like spraying chemicals on the crops. That is why it is a general re-education, not limited to a few people.’” “The message I got from this was that the re-education will last a very long time.” Region-wide purge Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress exile group, told RFA that China has been “targeting all Uyghurs as potential state enemies” since Xinjiang party chief Chen Quanguo was appointed to his post in August 2016. “Chen has initiated an unprecedented region-wide purge of Uyghur intellectuals, religious figures, businessmen, and any Uyghur who is not pleased with Chinese rule as ‘two-faced’ people,” Isa said. “He has locked up tens of thousands in the political re-education camps, in much the same way that the Nazis did the Jews, soon after coming to power in Germany,” he added. “The international community should closely monitor what the Chinese government is doing in [Xinjiang] and express concern, because the Uyghur homeland is now simply a massive concentration camp.” While China blames some Uyghurs for "terrorist" attacks, experts outside China say Beijing has exaggerated the threat from the Uyghurs and that repressive domestic policies are responsible for an upsurge in violence there that has left hundreds dead since 2009. Reported by Shohret Hoshur for RFA’s Uyghur Service. Translated by Alim Seytoff and Mamatjan Juma. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. View this s tory online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/wealthiest-01052018144327.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news , information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA ’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

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