China claims to have foiled Olympic kidnap plot

Tania Branigan in Beijing guardian.co.uk,

Thursday April 10, 2008 Article history

Security guards walk in front of a mural of a mosque in the city of Urumqi in China's Xinjiang province. Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP

China has uncovered two terrorist gangs aiming to kidnap athletes at this summer's Olympics and attack tourist hotels, the Ministry of Public Security said today - prompting calls for officials to reveal more of their evidence.

Security forces have detained 45 suspects and seized explosives and firearms from the groups in raids in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, a spokesman announced.

Militants in the northwestern region, which has a large Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur population, have been agitating for an independent "East Turkestan".

But human rights groups have warned that the authorities have a history of exaggerating the threat of violence to strengthen their control over the region and justify repressive measures.

"The problem is that because China has made such extravagant claims with respect to terrorism in Xinjiang - and because their definition of terrorism includes peaceful dissent and protest - it has become impossible to ascertain with any degree of certainty these types of claim," said Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch.

"At the same time it's perfectly possible that certain groups will stage attempts - China is not immune to terrorism and there's sufficiently large number of disaffected populations within China to make terrorism a serious threat.

"The best thing they can do is to be as straightforward as possible with the facts and not interpret them immediately in a way that is overtly politicised," he said.

"It will be interesting to see if they conflate this risk with unrest in the Uighur population. If these are genuine plots, it is no excuse for hardening repression against people in Xinjiang," said Bequelin.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, 35 people were arrested in raids in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang, between March 26 and April 6. It claimed they had been plotting to kidnap athletes, foreign journalists and other visitors to the August Olympics.

"At the end of last year an overseas East Turkestan terrorist group issued an order requesting its members to enter the country to be ready to launch terrorist attacks at the Beijing Olympics," spokesman Wu Heping told a news conference.

"At the same time it asked them to closely observe hotels that receive foreigners, government buildings and military bases."

He said the group also asked members to do trial runs using poisoned meat, poison gas and remote control explosive devices, adding that police had confiscated almost 10kg of explosives, eight sticks of dynamite and "jihadist" literature.

"We face a real terrorist threat," Wu said. He urged residents to raise their awareness and to contact the police about anything they think is suspect.

He also gave details on a second alleged ring uncovered in January, saying they had been manufacturing explosives and were plotting to attack hotels, government offices and military targets in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities.

Wu said the gang had been acting on orders from a radical Xinjiang independence group, East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

Initial reports in the official media said that raid in Urumqi - in which two men were killed and 15 arrested - had foiled attempts to launch attacks in February. Last month Xinjiang's communist party chief said the group's
purpose was "specifically to sabotage the staging of the Beijing Olympics" but offered no evidence.

In a separate incident, authorities have blamed Uighur separatists for an alleged hijack attempt on a flight from Urumqi last month. Western embassies told the Associated Press news agency they had requested more information but none had been forthcoming.

The security of competitors at the games has been a serious concern for organisers since the deaths of 11 Israeli athletes in the botched attempt to rescue them from kidnappers at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The East Turkestan Islamic Movement has been designated a terrorist organisation by both the US and the UN. But many experts believe that its links to overseas groups - including al-Qaida - have been exaggerated and are mostly historic and suggest that its numbers have dwindled since the 90s, when it was said to be responsible for violent attacks.

Rebiya Kadeer, president of the Uighur American Association, has urged China to allow an independent UN investigation into alleged terrorism in the region.

Many believe the government has also conflated terrorism with wider disenchantment at its policies. Simmering resentment in the region - which covers an area three times the size of France - led to anti-government protests in the city of Hotan last month.

From:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/10/china?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront