[Reader-list] China detains 35 Pak nationals for planning attack on Games

[Kshmendra Kaul]

Dear Lalit
 
As long as Pakistan finds it crucial to have excellent relations with China, there is little likelihood of the Xinjiang (Sinkiang) separatist movement posing any heightened threat to China.
 
Of course there will be incidents like the killing of 16 Chinese Chinese Police personnel a few days before the start of the Beijing Olympics for which the Xinjiang separatists were blamed. But the usual thrust provided to Islamic Separatist Movements out of Pakistan will be minimal unless it suits Pakistan to act otherwise.
 
China has acted very ruthlessly a number of times against the Xinjiang separatists. This has included demolition of settlements (residential and business) and also Mosques.
 
What has been interesting is that such actions of China against the Muslims and Mosques has never brought forth angry condemnation from Pakistan. Not ever from the  Govt of Pakistan and rarely from the Muslims of Pakistan. 
 
There have not been any significant or extensively advertised adverse reactions out of India either. Not from GOI, not from the Muslims of India, not from "that class" who are quick and ever willing to support the separatists in Indian Kashmir and who is so very well represented and articulate in SARAI. These bunches (from India) are for that matter most times also mute about how Pakistan treats it's Muslims and "seekers of freedom from Pakistan".  
 
Xinjiang continues to be a Muslim Majority region of China. They are predominantly of Uyghur ethnicity. Slim majority though. At least now.
 
"Demographic changes and balances" has been much in the news in the past weeks (Amarnath- Hindus-Kashmir- India). Apparently the Han (Non-Muslim) Chinese were about 6% of the population of Xinjiang in 1949. Recent enumerations put them at over 40%. And, to quote "This figure does not include military personnel or their families, or the many unregistered migrant workers." How is that for "demographic change"? 
 
Kshmendra
 
 


--- On Thu, 8/21/08, Lalit Ambardar <lalitambardar at hotmail.com> wrote:

From: Lalit Ambardar <lalitambardar at hotmail.com>
Subject: RE: [Reader-list] China detains 35 Pak nationals for planning attack on Games
To: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com, "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
Date: Thursday, August 21, 2008, 6:10 PM




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It will be interesting to see how pan Islamists  manage to penetrate China. After Kashmir is it Xinjiang on the radar now? It is hoped China would succeed where India failed.
LA







> Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:44:58 -0700
> From: kshmendra2005 at yahoo.com
> To: reader-list at sarai.net
> Subject: [Reader-list] China detains 35 Pak nationals for planning attack on Games
> 
> China detains 35 Pak nationals for planning attack on Games
> 
> 
> ISLAMABAD: Thirty-five Pakistan nationals on a visit to China for the Olympics have been detained on suspicion of planning to attack the Games proceedings, a media report said on Wednesday. 
> 
> The Chinese government has sought the details of the 35 suspects from Pakistan in a letter that claims that they had arrived in China to attack proceedings at the ongoing Games, Daily Times reported. 
> 
> The paper said Colonel Anjum Sheikh Saeed of the Foreign Security Department wrote to the Interior Ministry on August 18 asking the authorities concerned to collect details of those detained. 
> 
> It said the Chinese government has not released the names of those held, but has given the names and passport numbers of 13 others. 
> 
> In Beijing, an official spokesperson declined to confirm the report saying he did not have information on the issue. 
> 
> "I don't have information yet (on this issue.) But I will check for you," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang told reporters when asked to confirm the Pakistani media report. 
> 
> In the past, Beijing has demanded Islamabad crack down on separatists from its restive Xinjiang region, who are getting "trained" in Pakistani terror camps. 
>  
> http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/China_detains_35_Pak_nationals/articleshow/3385671.cms
>  
>  
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> 
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