Friday, July 31, 2009

Rise of Muslim Insurgents in Uyghur

Even a superpower like the US feels that from the strategic and commercial viewpoint, China poses a threat to it. Nevertheless, by now, China itself is a victim of terrorism in the Uyghur Muslim majority community province of Xinjiang.

Recently, the Chinese special envoy to Dacca, Zhou Gang, voicing concern to the Bangladeshi leadership, observed that just like India and Bangladesh, China is also a victim of terrorism.

Links with International Terrorist Organisations
Terrorists active in Xinjiang have links with some international terrorist organizations. They receive financial support from abroad. Keeping in view such a situation, China is also seeking its involvement in the global war on terror.

Due to terrorist activities of Uyghur Muslim insurgents and the recent encounter between them and Hun Chinese, more than 100 persons were killed and 1,000 others were injured. The situation had turned so serious that the Chinese President Hu Jintao rushed back home without taking part in the G-8 summit, and military was deployed in Xinjiang.

Targetting South Asian Region
Raising hue and cry over it being a victim of terrorism, China conveniently forgot the fact that there was the Chinese hand, by and large, behind the spread of terrorism in South Asian region.

In the northeast sector, Naga, Manipur, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), and other insurgent received training, firearms, and monetary aid from China over several decades. Training camps for insurgents in Myanmar were run with Chinese support.

China has also served as a source of inspiration for Naxallites who have spread their tentacles in various states, and from the very beginning allegations have been leveled that they were imparted training and firearms with Chinese aid.

Maoists caused bloodshed in Nepal over the past two decades, and their leaders remained in contact with China. They often admitted that they received monetary support from China. This is why that after the end of monarchy in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, when Maoists came to power, Prime Minister Prachanda undertook a visit to China.

When Pakistan was sponsoring, aiding, and abetting terrorism in Punjab and Kashmir, Chinese rulers were supplying not only arms but also help in nuclear devices and missile tests.

When the Pakistani troops and terrorists infiltrated into Kargil, and Indian forces were engaged in beating back them, former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf had dashed to Beijing for consultations with Chinese leaders.

Even thereafter, China was extending support to Pakistan in construction of Gwadar seaport. The Chinese leadership kept silent on terrorist incidents of attacks and explosions in India, and it never criticized Pakistan on this score.

It is worth mentioning here that firearms recovered from infiltrators from across the border include Chinese grenades also. Doubtless, these were received by the Pakistani intelligence agency Inter Services Intelligence or the Pakistan Army who pass them on to terrorists.

Formulating Plans
It is no secret that the Pakistan, at present, has turned into a bastion of terrorism. Terrorist organizations like the Taliban, Al-Qaida, and others are currently hiding their terrorists in Pakistan's North West Frontier Province from where they formulate their plans to launch attacks on Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Russia. Uyghur Muslim insurgents of Xinjiang have developed links with these terrorist outfits.

Now that the Chinese living in the Xinjiang province are under threat from Muslim Uyghur insurgents and terrorists, the Chinese leadership is feeling the huge threat of terrorism and they are making an appeal to the international community to come their support.

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