RFA

Sun Wenguang shown in an undated photo.

Sun Wenguang, 75, is a retired physicist and professor who currently lives in Jinan in eastern China’s Shandong province. His father and brother were both members of the Nationalist Kuomintang Party and fled to Taiwan when the Communists took control of China in 1949. In 1956, Sun joined the Communist Youth League and later served as branch secretary in Shandong. After graduating from Shandong University in 1957 with a degree in physics, he stayed on to teach as a professor. But in 1960 he was targeted for the first of many times by the Communist Party during an “anti-rightist” campaign  for “counterrevolutionary” ideology.

After challenging the Communist Party’s approach to education in 1964, Sun was denounced during the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966. He responded by hanging posters counterattacking his prosecutors and appealing to the Central Committee. He was arrested and detained or jailed on three different occasions over the next 12 years for “counterrevolutionary” words and deeds, but following each release, continued to speak out against the Party’s policies. In 1978 Sun was sentenced to seven years imprisonment in a Jinan “laogai” labor camp, during which time he wrote over 50 million words in letters commenting on national affairs. In 1981 his sentence was commuted.

Since his release, Sun has published over 100 written works outside of mainland China and become a signatory of “Charter 08,” a manifesto signed by over 300 Chinese intellectuals and human rights activists to promote political reform and democratization in the People’s Republic of China. In 2009, while attending a ceremony to pay his respects to the late former prime minister Zhao Ziyang, he was beaten by five unknown assailants and hospitalized in critical condition. Later in 2009 he was elected honorary executive member of the Independent Chinese PEN Center.

In this recent interview, Sun speaks with RFA’s Uyghur service about his views on ethnic relations between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and what he calls failed government policies that led to unrest there in July this year.

RFA: Since the July 5 clashes between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in Urumqi, you have been an outspoken critic of the Chinese government in terms of its treatment of Uyghurs. Have you had any reaction from the Chinese side?

Sun: Yes. I did get an official reaction right after publishing a first paper. I was called and issued a warning by the Public Security Bureau of Jinan city. I was asked “not to publish any opinions on this sensitive issue and instead write directly to ‘State Elders’ if I had any more concerns.” I sent two articles directly to President Hu Jintao and waited for nearly 10 days for his response. When I failed to receive any response, I started publishing my articles through various overseas Chinese media. So far I have published seven pieces.

RFA: What has been the reaction of the Chinese public?

Sun: Among tons of e-mail and voice-mails, the overwhelming majority disagreed with my stance, expressing strong criticism, and some have contained threats as well.

RFA: Have you ever been hesitant to write as a result of these reactions?

Sun: No, not at all. On the contrary, I feel more strongly than ever how crucial it has become to continue my writing,  because I deeply care about the unity of my country. I recognize that Xinjiang is an integral part of China and that the Uyghurs are an inseparable member of the big Chinese family.

RFA: We know that the government is also repeating similar rhetoric. What makes your perspective different from that presented by the government, as far as July 5 is concerned?

Sun: First of all, the July 5 incident was an uprising by Uyghur people in Xinjiang. Secondly, July 5 was not planned and carried out by the “three evil forces” overseas organizations. It was a result of 60 years of fundamentally wrong policy governing the Uyghurs. Thirdly, the July 5 uprising was not about looting, beating, and destruction—only a small part of it can be seen as such. The looting, beating and destruction was not the reason for, but the result of, July 5. State media should have shown balance in presenting all aspects of this tragedy, but failed. Fourthly, Wang Lequan, the regional Communist Party Chief, holds prime responsibility and therefore should be tried in a Chinese court. Lastly, severe and unsubstantiated punishment for those who participated is a wrong policy choice and goes against state interests.

RFA: For this comment, you could easily be labeled a “traitor” among Han Chinese people. You don’t worry about that?

Sun: I am from Shandong province, and I am proudly Chinese. At the same time, I view myself as being very nationalistic. My nationalism rejects the idea of suppressing weak people by catering to the whims of the strong and of oppressing victims by taking the side of the oppressor.

RFA: The government says most of the victims from July 5 were Han Chinese. Do you trust this propaganda?

Sun: It could be true. But problems in Xinjiang aren’t limited to what occurred on July 5 alone. In addition, civilian deaths continued in subsequent weeks. During the Baren uprising in 1990 and the Ghulja uprising in 1997, Uyghurs were the victims, and no Chinese civilians were killed. According to a 2005 Amnesty International report, in the eight years after the Ghulja uprising took place the Chinese government executed more than 200 Uyghurs. I offer my deep condolences for the ordinary Chinese who lost their lives during the July 5 incident. At the same time, I cannot forget the family members of the Uyghur victims. This is especially true these days, when we must face accountability.

RFA: Following July 5, particularly July 7-9 and later from Sept. 3-4, a large number of Han Chinese took to the streets with axes, batons, and other weapons to take revenge on the Uyghurs, killing many and destroying their property. Looking back, what would you say about this?

Sun: [Some] might have seen them as heroes. But personally I am ashamed and feel sorry for them. Today in Xinjiang, Han Chinese control the military, the government, the judicial system, finance—almost everything. Uyghurs are left in the weakest position. Taking all these advantages and then attacking the Uyghurs is a shameful act for a nation that claims 5,000 years of civilization. [The Han] were pretty sure that the government and military would back them up. Therefore, their actions had nothing to do with heroism. With minimal awareness of the law, they should have waited for a government response on the matter. And most importantly, they should have taken sides with the Uyghurs when they were abused by the government.

RFA: Interestingly enough, the government used totally different language when they referred to them as “rightfully angered people for the loss of loved ones on July 5.” The government used very soft language against them. What do you think about the position of the government?

Sun: If that was the case, then the Uyghurs who took to the streets on July 5 should be seen as acting in revenge for the Shaoguan mass killing. It is quite a reasonable comparison. Regardless of how you look at it, the problem here is not between ethnic Hans and Uyghurs. Instead, it is a problem between Uyghurs and a failed government policy. For a number of years, the government has labeled any expression of Uyghur discontent as terrorism and created the misconception among Han Chinese that Uyghurs are enemies of the State.

Secondly, Uyghurs are regarded as second-class citizens by the government, and that gives Han Chinese the idea that killing Uyghurs is not a crime, but a contribution to the State. The killing of Uyghur workers by hundreds of ethnic Han Chinese in Shaoguan is a good example of that …The truth of the matter is that Chinese people are not such ruthless and cruel people by nature. The incidents that took place in Shaoguan and Urumqi have, in fact, created an impression of Chinese people as being a lawless, cruel people who contradict their own values. At least this is the case in my eyes.

RFA: Before or after that incident, or any other incidents that have taken place in previous years, what mistakes have Uyghurs made to damage the good relationship between the two ethnic groups?

Sun: There are good and bad people, right and wrong people, in each group and community. There are some violent and radical groups among Uyghurs as well. But we [Han Chinese] cannot blame them before any fundamental steps have been taken by the government to adjust bad policy first. We do not have that right. They are living under “nuclear threat” by the government as opposed to the mere threat of baton sticks that we live under from them.

RFA: What do you want to tell the government?

Sun: The government is determined to apply harsh and swift punishment to the Uyghurs who were part of the July 5 incident. The government has to change its position by handling things more smoothly. They should especially end executions as a first response.

RFA: What is your message to the Chinese people?

Sun: Xinjiang is a vast territory with abundant natural resources. Uyghurs are an ancient and civilized people. We cannot “love the motherland” if we love only the land but hate its people. Also, we are not serving the unity of the motherland by protecting the land but fighting its people. In fact, this is separatism and undermines the unity of our motherland.

RFA: Are you optimistic about positive change for the situation in the Uyghur region in the near future?

Sun: I do not believe there are “bad” people or a “bad” nation. But there will be a handful of bad guys in every nation. If bad guys take power, then the relationship among the people will continue to get worse. China will, in the future, transition to democracy and a free press. That encourages understanding between the two nations on the basis of mutual respect and acceptance. I truly believe that these two nations can live side by side in fairness and democracy.

I am aware that my opinion doesn’t affect government policy. Overall, the government won’t care what I say at this moment. As a simple citizen, an experienced intellectual, and a proud Chinese nationalist, I can no longer remain silent on the unjust policy of the Chinese government towards Uyghurs.

www.rfa.org

ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN EAST TURKISTAN Uyghur Foundation Stichting Oeigoeren Nederland Stichting Uighur Jurat Barat  Stichting Uyghur Oost-Turkestan Uyghur Logo Nederlanders Holland Europe HUMAN RIGHTS  Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Erkin Alptekin Rebiya Kadeer

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RFA

A map of China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

HONG KONG—Police in China’s remote Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region surrounded the home of an ethnic Uyghur man who died in police custody and forced the family to bury him without an inquiry into how he died, the man’s father said.

The burial on Sunday ended a tense standoff between police in remote Lengger [in Chinese, Langan] village and the family of Shohret Tursun, 31, whose badly bruised and disfigured body was released to his relatives on Saturday.

On Saturday, one villager said eight trucks of soldiers and two other armed vehicles had surrounded Tursun’s family home in Lengger [in Chinese, Langan] village in Qorghas [in Chinese, Huocheng] county, Ili prefecture—after the family refused to bury him as instructed without an inquiry.

“We locked the door of the room where we keep the body, but the police officers broke the lock,” Tursun’s father, Tursun Ishan, said in an interview. “There were too many…”

“There were police officers waiting in front of our door. From the cemetery to the house, it was full of police officers on the street. Since yesterday, there were police officers on each and every corner of the city. They wouldn’t let people from other neighborhoods join the funeral.”

“My two daughters were trying to prevent the police officers from entering, but the police were very harsh with them. We were forced to bury [the body],” Ishan said.

“They told me that he had a heart attack. But it was a lie. It is a lie. My son never had a medical problem in his life,” Ishan said.

“His body was full of wounds and bruises—his legs, belly, and back were covered with wounds and scars. His chest was full of bruises.”

Police continued to surround the family home and the cemetery shortly after midnight Tuesday, he said.

Ethnic rioting

Tursun, a member of the Uyghur ethnic minority and the father of a two-year-old, was among some 40 men from Qorghas detained around the time of deadly protests July 5 in the regional capital, Urumqi, villagers said.

The protests by Uyghurs, a largely Muslim Turkic people, followed alleged official mishandling of earlier ethnic clashes in far-away Guangdong province.

The July 5 protest sparked days of deadly rioting in Urumqi, pitting Uyghurs against majority Han Chinese and ending with a death toll of almost 200, by the government’s tally.

Tursun was detained July 6 in Urumqi. He was transferred to Ili on July 18 and Qorghas on July 23, he father said.

“If I had bribed the police officers, my son would probably be released,” he said. “I considered selling my land to save my child, but his wife and mother were afraid a bribe would make him look guilty.”

“Another boy in the same prison cell with my son was released after his family paid 30,000″ yuan, or about U.S. $4,400, he said.

About 10 days ago, relatives said, Tursun—along with Pazilat Akbar, Rabigul, Eli Hesenjan, and more than 35 others—were transferred from Urumqi to the Qorghas county jail.

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination, oppressive religious controls, and continued poverty and joblessness despite China’s ambitious plans to develop its vast northwestern frontier.

Xinjiang is a strategically crucial vast desert territory that borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

The region has abundant oil reserves and is China’s largest natural gas-producing region.

www.rfa.org

ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS IN EAST TURKISTAN Uyghur Foundation Stichting Oeigoeren Nederland Stichting Uighur Jurat Barat  Stichting Uyghur Oost-Turkestan Uyghur Logo Nederlanders Holland Europe HUMAN RIGHTS  Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Erkin Alptekin Rebiya Kadeer

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The state-controlled China Daily indicated in a report issued on August 24, 2009 that trials of more than 200 people detained over the unrest in East Turkestan’s regional capital of Urumchi would begin this week. The report, later withdrawn from the China Daily’s website (see below for the full text of the report), contained a number of specifics on aspects of the cases; however, in a statement, Li Hua, an official from the regional government’s press office, said[i] that no dates have been arranged for the trials. Mr. Li added that the number of trials is set at 83 and not at 200 as stated by the China Daily. UAA asserts that these contradictions only increase the skepticism with which these trials should be viewed by the international community.

Many of the details on the criminal and judicial procedures in the cases as reported by the China Daily are contested in reports emerging from East Turkestan, adding to grave doubts regarding the divergent official accounts of detentions and impending trials.

The China Daily report stated that police have detained 718 people in connection with the unrest and that police have gathered 3,318 items of evidence to be used at the trials, which will be held at Urumchi Intermediate People’s Court. The figure of 718 detentions has been contradicted in both official Chinese sources and western media sources. Firstly, in an August 2, 2009 report[ii] from the New York Times, citing the official Xinhua News Agency, which states that Chinese authorities have publicly admitted over 2,000 people have been detained, and secondly, in a July 19, 2009 Financial Times report[iii], which details the detention of over 4,000 Uyghurs. UAA has learned via unconfirmed reports from Uyghurs who have recently managed to leave East Turkestan that the number of Uyghur detentions may be higher than the number suggested by the Financial Times. These reports remain unconfirmed due to the information blackout, which remains in place in East Turkestan, affecting internet and wireless communications.

Further unconfirmed information received by UAA also indicates that Uyghur detainees have received severe beatings at the hands of Chinese penal authorities, which have in some cases resulted in deaths[iv]. The information source added that there were instances of Uyghur detainees who had received beatings so severe while in detention that after their release they had died as a result of their injuries. Family members of Uyghur detainees have not been able to confirm if their relatives are still alive as Chinese authorities, in contravention of Chinese law, are not disclosing the location of Uyghurs in detention. UAA believes that the beatings point to a well-documented Chinese government use of torture to extract confessions and that the 3,318 items of evidence gathered by Chinese police to support any confessions must be brought into question.

UAA is also concerned that the outcome of these trials have been determined before their commencement, and serve as a Chinese government tool to intimidate Uyghurs and eliminate peaceful Uyghur dissent. UAA contends that Chinese Communist Party politicians and not the legal system have laid the groundwork for the outcome of these trials through their public comments on the severity with which punishment should be dispensed. At a news conference[v] on July 8, 2009, Urumchi Communist Party Secretary Li Zhi indicated the planned use of capital punishment against those convicted of the most serious offenses by stating “[t]o those who have committed crimes with cruel means, we will execute them.”

In addition, the assignment of lawyers by Chinese authorities to the accused as reported by the China Daily indicates that death sentences may have been determined before any trial begins. A 2006 study conducted by the Great Britain China Center, the Chinese Academy for Social Sciences and the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law found that “[t]he defence council is assigned to a case rather late in criminal proceedings. In general, assignment takes place after the defendant has confessed and after investigation has been finalized. Capital cases are processed rapidly through the criminal justice system, leaving not much room for unfolding effective criminal defence. Death penalty proceedings are carried out at a rapid pace.”[vi]

In a statement, Uyghur democracy leader, Ms. Rebiya Kadeer, said: “The Chinese government contradictions over the trials of Uyghurs detained in the Urumchi unrest are cause for grave concern. When these trials go ahead they will neither be open, nor fair. The procedures in these cases have been flawed from the very beginning and contravene China’s own laws. The only reports that have emerged on the criminal and judicial process for detainees have come from Chinese government sources, which do not mention the beating, sometimes to death, of Uyghurs while in custody – a routine practice well-documented by human rights groups such as Amnesty International.”
UAA has also learned from unconfirmed reports that executions of Uyghurs have already taken place. According to the information source, summary trials and executions of Uyghur ‘masterminds’ of the events in Urumchi were conducted by Chinese authorities in swift retribution for the unrest. The trials and executions took place on July 8 and 9, 2009, two days after the unrest began, when residents of Urumchi were compelled to remain inside their homes by Chinese authorities.
UAA urges the international media to question reports produced by the official Chinese media as the content is often politically motivated and cannot be verified due to the Chinese government monopoly of information and the communications blackout in East Turkestan.

UAA cautions the international community, especially the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Muslim nations, to intercede in the continuing instability in East Turkestan exacerbated by the Chinese authorities’ non-transparent judicial procedures. UAA emphasizes the gravity of the East Turkestan issue due to the absence of Chinese government self-examination as to the root causes of the Urumchi unrest among Uyghurs. UAA also urges the international community to seek an assurance from the Chinese government that it cease its arrest, torture and killing of Uyghur people on political grounds. UAA recommends that the Chinese government seek negotiations with the World Uyghur Congress to address Uyghur grievances in an open, fair and equitable manner.

200 to face trial for day of carnage
China Daily

URUMQI: More than 200 suspects have been formally arrested to face prosecution on charges of being involved in the deadliest riot in Xinjiang in 50 years, China Daily learned Sunday.
The arrests pave the way for the trials, which are expected to start this week in the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China.

Earlier this month, police said 83 people had been formally arrested.

The charges include vandalizing public property, organizing crowds to cause bodily harm to others, intentionally causing bodily harm to others, robbery, murder, arson, vandalizing public transport, and organizing crowds to disrupt public order and traffic.

An Urumqi procuratorate official, who declined to be identified, told China Daily that most of the arrests were made in Urumqi and Kashgar, a southern Xinjiang city with a heavy concentration of Uygur people.

Police said 718 people had been detained for taking part in the July 5 riot, in which 197 people were killed and more than 1,600 injured.

During the riot, predominantly Uygur rioters armed with batons and bricks smashed shops and vehicles while beating passers-by, after a protest against attacks on Uygur workers at a factory in South China in June. Two days later, some Han people retaliated against the Uygurs.

Local police said last week they had gathered more than 3,000 new items of evidence to be used during the trials.

Among the 3,318 items of physical evidence collected are bricks and clubs stained with blood. They also include 91 video clips and 2,169 photographs.

As Urumqi gears up for the trials, security near Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court, the venue for the trial, and its surroundings is at the highest level, a police source said.

The source said armed police, along with security guards and bailiffs, have been conducting around-the-clock patrols in the area.

“This operation has been ongoing for more than 10 days,” the source told China Daily.

A drastic increase in security is expected in the whole city in response to an expected mass gathering of Han and Uygur people awaiting the court verdicts, the source said.

Although tension will be mounting, the source forecast little chance of new friction in the city.
“We have received no notice, but once the trial begins, we will be watchful if anything goes wrong,” said a security guard.

“I can understand why the security is so tight,” said Guo Mei, a saleswoman who works near the court.

“Many bereaved Han families will come to wait for the verdicts, and the authorities fear they may clash with any Uygur in their presence.”

Another worker at the store added: “I’d be very angry if those rioters receive light sentences or escape justice. They should be given harsh penalties for causing the loss of so many innocent lives.”

The Beijing-based Legal Daily earlier reported that several panels have already been set up in Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court in preparation for the trials.

The panels are composed of three to seven judges, the number of which must be odd. In case of differing opinions, the majority’s is adopted.

The High People’s Court of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has selected and trained dozens of judicial personnel for the trials to ensure great exactitude when handling the cases, according to the Legal Daily report.

More than 170 Uygur and 20 Han lawyers have been assigned to the suspects; the trials will be carried out in their native languages.

Except for the trials related to charges of splitting the State and instigating to split the State, all other trails will be public.

“For Han suspects who ‘overreacted’ to the deadly riot on July 5, when mainly Han residents died, they should be granted leniency by the judge,” said a Han shopkeeper who refused to be identified.
Mayira, a Urumqi resident, expressed hope for a fair trial for the Uygur suspects.

Another Uygur resident, Mehriban, said: “Many people were simply fooled and instigated by Rebiya Kadeer; I hope people will see the truth more clearly after the trials – the truth that we Uygur people can’t live without Han and Han can’t live without Uygurs.

“Personally, I wish people would learn to put down their guard whenever I board a bus or appear in public places; we Uygur people hope for peace and prosperity as much as any other ethnic group.”
Cui Jia contributed to the story

____

[i] No Trials Yet in Xinjiang Violence Case, Chinese Official Says: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125119564518256439.html
[ii] China Arrests 319 People in Unrest in Xinjiang: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/world/asia/03china.html
[iii] Xinjiang widens crackdown on Uighurs: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5aa932ee-747c-11de-8ad5-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
[iv] Uighur exile airs prison killing allegation: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iWj7kMhvfE2MZBoQ5ewS8EPyJFaA
[v] China Arrests 319 People in Unrest in Xinjiang: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/world/asia/09hu.html?_r=3
[vi] Strengthening the Defence in Death Penalty Cases in China: http://www.mpicc.de/ww/en/pub/forschung/forschungsarbeit/kriminologie/archiv/strengtheningdefence.htm

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