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Weekly political review

Politics Materials 14 August 2008 12:05 (UTC +04:00)

Olympic Games in Beijing Stand Occasion for Separatists to Stick Out

The Beijing Olympic Games are just an occasion for the Chinese separatist groups to stick out, which will result in continuation of terrorism acts in the country.

"Some separatist groups of Chinese Uighurs intend to carry out attacks in China, like what happened in Xinjiang the day before," Zhang Jiadong, the Chinese expert said.

The terrorist attacks by Islamic separatists became frequent on the threshold of the forthcoming Olympic Games in Beijing. Chinese media accused separatists of the attack on the Kashgar City. Two explosions killed at least 16 policemen and caused another 16 wounded.

According to Jiadong, the preparation term for the Olympics in Beijing is the most appropriable time for separatist groups.

Many western human rights organizations criticized the Government of China. "And that enabled the separatists to stick out, echoing their supporters outside abroad," Zhang Jiadong, Prof.Program on Anti Terrorism Center for American Studies, Fudan University, said.

Some separatist Uyghurs began to receive moral and material supports from various Islamic groups and they must do everything to demonstrate that they use these funds.

According to the American expert on China Qian Guo, there are long-term strategies of waging terrorist warfare in hope that they'd lead to popular uprising and international intervention

There is no meaningful purpose for terrorist attacks by the extreme elements of the Uyghur separatist movement other than terrorizing the Chinese as revenge. "I see them as desperate, self-destructive attempts at fighting against the Chinese rule. Perhaps the only effect of such attacks is to keep Uyghur nationalism alive among the determined and the masses," Prof. Guo in the San Francisco State University, stated.

Experts do not exclude the possible terrorist attacks during Olympics. According to Jiadong, the nature of terrorism is invisible, unlimited uses of any possible measures.

No security system can dare say they can stop every terrorist plot "I can dare say Beijing have enough capabilities protecting athletics and Olympic game from terrorist threats. But it does not mean there would be no any terrorist incidents in some corners of Beijing during Olympics," Jiadong said.

According to the European expert on China, Kerry Brown, The security is very tight, so the likelihood of a major attack is low, but not impossible. "We cannot exclude terrorist attacks in spite of the security in China," Kerry Brown Senior Fellow Chatham House, told Trend .

"It is inconceivable that any major attacks on the coming Olympic events could be launched. Beijing and any other Olympic event cities have hunkered down. The cities are literally fortified. But, with 9/11 in mind, anything can happen in the most unimaginable fashion. On the other hand, terrorist attacks on these oases would only have limited effects on Chinese policy or international attention," Guo stated.

In connection with the attack on police in Kashgar on the eve of the opening ceremony of Olympics, scheduled for 8 August, about 100,00 police and militaries are involved to provide security.

Representative of the Olympics organization committee stated that the security measures were reinforced in all Olympic objects, BBC reported.

Jiadong stated that the task of security forces of China is to protect Olympic game from terrorist threat and other crime threat. They have rich experiences in this issue. So Beijing Olympics will go on peacefully and successfully.

Guo said that within the hour before the opening ceremony, all flights and trains would stop in Beijing.

"I think the Chinese security apparatus is well equipped with all the state power and resources vested in it, as far as safeguarding the Olympics is concerned," the political scientist said.

The key target of the Muslim- Uighur groups is to separate Xinjiang, which is populated with Muslim- Uighurs, from China.

According to Jiadong, separatists want to force Beijing and Chinese common people to compromise to their claims. Then, they want to independent from China and enjoy a high autonomous status within China. If they really independent from China, their next goal would be a great nation cross China's northwest to Turkey, might include some places in Germany. Some separatists start to call Germany, particularly south part of Germany, as West Turkistan. Religious fundamentalists want to establish a religious state in Muslim areas. Of course, they just can achieve their goal after overthrowing Beijing's mundane governance.

According to Brown, those who have publicly claimed to be behind the recent attacks are supporters of the East Turkmenistan Independence Group (ETIG). The ETIG oppose this and are asking for full independence.

Uyghurs is the Turkic origin nation, which believes in Islam. Carriers of the Uighur language are the aboriginal population of Xinjiang - Uighur Autonomous region of China. Some 20mln Uyghur live in China, and 11mln - in the Xinjiang - Uighur Autonomous region.

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