‘Death penalty for Barua won’t hit ULFA (I)

SUSHANTA TALUKDAR 

 COURTESY --

                    Experts on the north-east say the death sentence awarded to United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) chief Paresh Barua and 13 others will have little impact on the outfit as both Barua and most of his cadres have already shifted base out of Bangladesh. They were handed the death penalty by a special court in Chittagong on Thursday for smuggling 10 truck loads of arms into Bangladesh in 2004.

Intelligence officials in the State, however, feel that the elusive insurgent leader will be under pressure to come forward for talks should Myanmar act on the lines of Bangladesh and evict insurgents from north-east, including Barua and his cadres, from its soil. The Assam police have intelligence inputs that Barua is currently operating out of his base along Myanmar-China border.

The seized consignment included 4,930 sophisticated firearms of different types, 840 rocket launchers, 300 rockets, 27,020 grenades, 2,000 grenade-launching tubes, 6,392 magazines and 11.41 million bullets.

R.N. Ravi, an expert on the north-east, who earlier served with the Intelligence Bureau, said the Bangladesh court sentence would not have any direct impact on Barua, except a psychological impact on those cadres who are still staying in the neighbouring country.

Mr Ravi, however, felt that if Barua ever comes over for talks with the Indian government, then Bangladesh might seek his extradition and India might be under pressure to hand him over for trial by the Bangladeshi court. He said Barua coming over for talks was inconceivable, unless he lands in a trap.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s security adviser G.M. Srivastava said: “This will tell the people of Assam that what Barua is doing is arms smuggling and not what he claims to be doing — fighting for Assam’s sovereignty. Personally I would like to have him here in Assam to carry forward the peace process with the ULFA. Barua should now realise that the time has come to change his attitude and he should come back home to sit for talks with the government,” Mr. Srivasatva said.

The ULFA, the rival faction of Paresh Barua-led ULFA (Independent), also feels that the Chittagong court verdict would have little impact on Barua or his faction.

Sashadhar Choudhury, the self-styled ‘Foreign Secretary’ of the original ULFA, felt that any sentence passed by a court in India or Bangladesh was of no significance to a rebel leader like Barua.

“He is no longer associated with our organisation. However, looking at the issue from our perspective, handing out death sentence in the arms smuggling case may be significant for law abiding citizens. But for an insurgent, who does not abide by the law and stays in jungle to carry on an armed struggle, it is of no significance,” he added.

Barua headed the military wing of the ULFA as its self-styled commander-in-chief till the insurgent outfit split in 2011, when the outfit’s chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and other top leaders were apprehended in Bangladesh in 2009 and handed over to India. They later signed a ceasefire agreement with the Centre and the Assam government to pave the way for a formal dialogue.

Experts on the north-east say both Barua and most of his cadres have already shifted base out of Bangladesh

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Article 370: The untold story

Article 370: The untold story

ByMaj Gen Sheru Thapliyal

IssueVol 26.1 Jan-Mar 2011| Date : 01 Dec , 2013

courtesy-- Indian Defence Review:

Troops patrol in Kashmir

It is often not realized that among the causes of Kashmir problem – inclusion of plebiscite in the Instrument of Accession, reference of Kashmir to UN, halting Indian offensive when it was poised to drive out the invaders from Kashmir, Article 370 has played no less a part in preventing J&K from becoming an integral part of the Indian Union. Not many people are aware as how and why this Article was formulated and included in the Indian Constitution despite grave misgivings of Sardar Patel and indeed a large number of the members of Congress Working Committee and Constituent Assembly.

Article 370 was worked out in late 1947 between Sheikh Abdullah, who had by then been appointed Prime Minister of J&K by the Maharaja and Nehru, who kept the Kashmir portfolio with himself and kept Sardar Patel, the home minister, away from his legitimate function. Hence Nehru is answerable to all acts of commission and omission, consequences of which we are suffering till date as far as J&K is concerned.

“Why should a state of the Indian Union have a special status? It conveys a wrong signal not only to Kashmiris but also to the separatists, Pakistan and indeed the international community that J&K is still to become integral part of India, the sooner Article 370 is done away is better.”

While it was Mountbatten who persuaded Nehru to take the J&K issue to the UN, it was Sheikh Abdullah, who, driven by his ambition to be ruler of an independent Kashmir and his hatred for the Maharaja, persuaded Nehru to give special status to J&K. Among his reasons were – occupation of one third of J&K by Pakistan, reference to the UN and plebiscite. The most sinister aspect of proposed Article 370 was the provision that any changes could be brought about in it only by the concurrence of J&K assembly. Nehru’s promise that Article 370 was a temporary provision and will get eroded over a period of time has turned out to be a chimera. The first thing that Sheikh Abdullah got done was to abolish hereditary monarchy and redesignate him as Sadar-e-Riyasat who was to be elected by the Assembly. The accession of J&K State into Indian Union was approved by J&K Assembly only in 1956.

Dramatis Personal

Jawahar Lal Nehru The handsome Harrow educated aristocrat who gave up a life of luxury to join the freedom movement. Babu’s choose heir and darling of the masses, he had a fatal flaw. He cared for personalities rather than issues and institutions, be it selection of Lord Mountbatten as the first Governor General of free India, retaining a senior British officer as the Commander-in-Chief of India Army or backing Sheikh Abdullah to the hilt – his choices were unfortunate. Finally the Chinese aggression of 1962 shattered his image of a world statesman.

Sardar Patel The Iron Man of India — silent, strong and pragmatic with a complete hold on congress party organization — rightly credited with creating a unified India by integrating 565 princely states in it — he would have included Kashmir also in it if allowed to do so by Nehru. The only blot on him was the insinuation that he failed to protect his beloved Bapu. The slur only hastened his end in Dec 1950.

Nehrus promise that Article 370 was a temporary provision and will get eroded over a period of time has turned out to be a chimera.

Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Charismatic Kashmiri leader who never let go of his dream of ruling an independent Kashmir even while masquerading as a secularist — architect of Article 370 along with Nehru. He must share with Nehru the grave consequences. Lion of Kashmir brought Nehru under his spell from 1938 onwards to the extent that in May 1947 when he was arrested by the Maharaja for sedition, Nehru represented Sheikh as his lawyer and was even arrested in Jun 1947 by the Maharaja while trying to enter J&K. Finally Nehru had to eat the humble pie by arresting Sheikh Abdullah for sedition on 9 Aug 1953.

Maharaja Hari Singh The Maharaja saw an opportunity at the end of British Raj to keep Kashmir as the Switzerland of the East. Trying to repeat history when his ancestors – Maharaja Gulab Singh and Ranbir Singh gained handsome dividends by keeping aloof during the Sikh War and Great Mutiny, Hari Singh tried to sign a standstill Agreement with India and Pak at the time of independence, Pakistan signed, India declined. Maharaja died a lonely man, forced to abdicate and exiled from his beloved land.

The Drama Unfolds

Having finalized the text of Article 370 with Sheikh Abdullah, Nehru brought in Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, IAS, as a minister without portfolio to help him deal with Kashmir portfolio and plead the case of Article 370 in the Constituent Assembly. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar had been prime minister of Kashmir for six years with Maharaja Hari Singh. When Sardar Patel expressed his misgivings, this is what Nehru had to say on Dec 27, 1947.

“Gopalaswamy Ayyangar has been especially asked to help in Kashmir matters. Both for this reason and because of his intimate knowledge and experience of Kashmir, he had to be given full latitude. I really do not know where the States Ministry (Sardar Patel’s ministry) comes into the picture except that it should be kept informed for the steps taken. All this was done at my instance and I do not propose to abdicate my functions in regard to matters for which I consider myself responsible. May I say that the manner of approach to Gopalaswamy was hardly in keeping with the courtesy due to a colleague.”

It speaks volumes of Patels loyalty to a colleague that despite his own and others misgivings, he managed to convince the members of Constituent Assembly and Congress Party Executive. But to V Shankar he said “Jawaharlal Royega”.

The Sardar thereupon resigned and the matter fell in Gandhiji’s lap to bring the two colleagues together. During this period, V Shankar, IAS was the personal secretary to Patel and had maintained a record of all events. It is clear from these records that Nehru finalized the draft of Article 370 alongwith Sheikh Abdullah without even informing Patel. Thereafter it fell to Gopalaswamy Ayyangar to get the draft passed in the Constituent Assembly discussions. The proposal was torn to pieces by the Constituent Assembly and also Congress Party Executive.

Nehru, who was abroad at the time, swallowed his pride and rang up Patel and requested him to get the Article 370 approved It speaks volumes of Patel’s loyalty to a colleague that despite his own and others misgivings, he managed to convince the members of Constituent Assembly and Congress Party Executive. But to V Shankar he said “Jawaharlal Royega”. V Shankar, in his record has described the meeting of the Congress Executive Committee “The meeting was one of the stormiest I have ever witnessed barring the party meeting which discussed the proposition relating to Rajaji becoming the first President of Indian Republic. The opinion in opposition to Gopalaswamy’s formula was forcefully and even militantly expressed and the issue even brought in the sovereignty of the Constituent Assembly to draw up the Constitution without being tied down to the apron-strings of the Kashmir State Constituent Assembly. In such a situation even Maulana Azad was shouted down.

The Party was in uproar. The Sardar had to plead that because of the international complications, a provisional approach alone could be made leaving the question of final relationship to be worked out according to the exigencies of the situation and mutual feelings and confidence that would have been by then created. Once the Sardar had taken charge, all opposition to the draft was silenced” And how Nehru responded to this great act of loyalty on part of Sardar? On 24 July 1952, after Sardar was no more, Nehru made a detailed statement on Kashmir in the Parliament on slow integration of Kashmir into India Union and mentioned that “Sardar Patel was all the time dealing with these matters.” Even Gopalaswami Ayyangar was dismayed at this blatant lie and mentioned to V Shankar “It is an ill return to the Sardar for the magnanimity he had shown in accepting Panditji’s point of view against his better judgment.

Brig Rajinder Singh - the Officer State Forces, who saved the Kashmir Valley from falling into the hands of Pakistani Raiders

Consequences of Article 370

Article 370 has been the biggest impediment to integration of J&K State into Indian Union. That it was incorporated in the Indian Constitution by the machination of two individuals – Shiekh Abdullah and Nehru is all the more regrettable. Nehru had to eat the humble pie when he had to arrest the Sheikh for his divisive and anti national stance on 8 Aug 1953 but he did not let go of his concept of keeping J&K a separate entity. In 1957, some top leaders of National Conference led by Mr Qasim split the party and formed a group called Democratic National Conference (DNC).

Article 370, included in the Constitution on a temporary provision should have been gradually abrogated. This has not happened in sixty years.

It had abrogation of Article 370 on its agenda. Nehru would not brook any opposition to his policy of keeping J&K a separate entity. He told the leaders that a new threat (China) is emerging and it is an inopportune time to raise this issue and forced them to drop their demand. Nehru thereafter decided to withdraw the Kashmir conspiracy case against Sheikh Abdullah. This case had been going on since May 21, 1958. The formal orders however were issued by Govt of India on 8 April 1964.

It is often forgotten that J&K state is not a homogeneous entity. Apart from Valley Muslims, Jammu has a predominantly Hindu population while Ladakh has a mix of Buddhist and Muslims. Then you have the Gujjars & Bakarwals. Why is Article 370 detrimental to the full integration of J&K state into Indian Union. Firstly the Central Govt can make laws only with concurrence of the State govt, practically giving it the Veto power. Article 352 and 360 for declaration of national and financial emergency respectively cannot be applied in Kashmir. While a citizen of India has only Indian citizenship, J&K citizens have two citizenships. Anti Defection Law is not applicable to J&K. No outsider can buy property in J&K state.

The beneficial laws such as Wealth Tax, Gift Tax & Urban Land Ceiling Act and intermarriage with other Indian nationals do not operate in J&K State. Even Article 356 under which President of India can impose his rule in any state cannot be enforced in J&K without consent of the Governor who himself is an appointee of the President. State of J&K can refuse building of any cantonment on any site or refuse to allot land for defence purposes.

Article 370, included in the Constitution on a temporary provision should have been gradually abrogated. This has not happened in sixty years. In fact whenever someone mentions this, vested interests raise an outcry that legitimate rights of Kashmiris are being trampled upon. Stated agenda of National Conference is return to pre 1953 status. Why should a state of Indian Union have a special status? It conveys a wrong signal not only to Kashmiris but also to the separatists, Pakistan and indeed the international community that J&K is still to become integral part of India, the sooner Article 370 is done away is better.

=======================================================================

Article 370 of the Constitution of India

Temporary Provisions with respect to the State of Jammu & Kashmir

1.             Notwithstanding anything in this constitution:

(a)             The provisions of Article 238 shall not apply in relation to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

(b)             The power of Parliament to make laws for the said state shall be limited to

those matters in the Union List and the Concurrent List which in consultation with the Government of the State, are declared by the President to correspond to matters specified in the Instrument of Accession governing the accession of State to the Dominion of India as the matters with respect to which the Dominion Legislature may make laws for that State and

Such other matters in the Said Lists as, with the concurrence of the Govt of the State, the President may, by order specify.

Explanation. For the purposes of this Article, the Govt of the State means the person for the time being recognized by the President as Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir acting on the advice of the council of Ministers for the time being in office under the Maharaja’s Proclamation dated the fifty day of March 1948.

               (c)             The provisions of Article (1) and of this Article shall apply in relation to this State;

(d)             Such of the other provisions of this Constitution shall apply in relation to that State Subject to such exceptions and modifications as the President may by order specify;

Provided that no such order which related to the matters specified in the Instrument of Accession of the State referred to in paragraph (i) of sub clause (1) shall be issued except in consultation with the govt of the State.

Provided further that no such order which relates to matters other than those referred to in the last proceeding proviso shall be issued except with the concurrence of the Govt of the State.

2.             If the concurrence of the Govt of the State referred to in para (ii) of Sub Clause (b) of Clause (1) be given before the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of framing the Constitution of the State is concerned. It shall be placed before such Assembly for such decision as it may take thereon.

3.             Notwithstanding the anything in the foregoing provisions of the article, the President may, by public notification, declare that this Article shall cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications and from such date as he may notify.

Provided that the recommendation of the Constituent Assembly of the State referred to in Clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such a notification.

”

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वादे क्या सिर्फ भुलाने के लिए होते हैं ?

फिर भी हमारी सार्वभौमिकता पर कोई आंच नहीं ?


Still not jeopardized our sovereignty
--------------------------------------------------------

कब पीओके छोड़ेगा पाक

वादे क्या सिर्फ भुलाने के लिए होते हैं ? शायद नहीं। खासकर वे वादे, जो पूरे मुल्क से किए गए हों, जिनसे न सिर्फ देश के जज्बात जुड़े हों, बल्कि मुल्क की अस्मत और अहमियत के लिए भी खास मायने रखते हों।

22 फरवरी 1994 - यह बेहद खास दिन है भारत की कश्मीर नीति के नजरिए से। करीब 20 साल पहले उस दिन संसद ने एक प्रस्ताव ध्वनिमत से पास करके पाकिस्तान अधिकृत कश्मीर (पीओके) पर अपना हक जताते हुए कहा था कि पाकिस्तान का जम्मू-कश्मीर भारत का अटूट अंग है। पाकिस्तान को उस हिस्से को छोड़ना होगा, जिस पर उसने कब्जा जमाया हुआ है।

संसद के प्रस्ताव का संक्षिप्त अंश

यह सदन पाकिस्तान और पाकिस्तान अधिकृत कश्मीर में चल रहे आतंकियों के शिविरों पर गंभीर चिंता जताता है कि उसकी तरफ से आतंकियों को हथियार और पैसे की सप्लाई के साथ-साथ ट्रेंड आतंकियों को घुसपैठ करने में मदद दी जा रही है। सदन भारत की जनता की ओर से घोषणा करता है-

(1) जम्मू-कश्मीर भारत का अभिन्न अंग है और रहेगा। भारत के इस भाग को देश से अलग करने का हर संभव तरीके से जवाब दिया जाएगा।
(2) भारत में इस बात की क्षमता और संकल्प है कि वह उन नापाक इरादों का मुंहतोड़ जवाब दे जो देश की एकता, प्रभुसत्ता और क्षेत्रीय अंखडता के खिलाफ हो। और मांग करता है -
(3) पाकिस्तान जम्मू-कश्मीर के उन इलाकों को खाली करे, जिन पर उसने कब्जा किया हुआ है।(4) भारत के आतंरिक मामलों में किसी भी हस्तक्षेप का कठोर जवाब दिया जाएगा।
हड़पी जमीन चीन वापस देगा?
==================
8 नवंबर 1962 देश के संसदीय इतिहास का अहम दिन। उस दिन संसद में प्रधानमंत्री जवाहरलाल नेहरू ने प्रस्ताव रखा था कि चीन से देश के उस हिस्से (अक्सईचिन) को वापस लेने के बारे में, जो उसने 1962 की जंग के बाद कब्जा लिया था। प्रस्ताव में कहा गया था - यह सदन पूरे विश्वास के साथ भारतीय जनता के संकल्प को दोहराना चाहता है कि भारत की पवित्र भूमि से आक्रमणकारी को खदेड़ दिया जाएगा।
जम्मू - कश्मीर कुल क्षेत्रफल -- २,२२,००० वर्ग कि० मी०
वर्त्तमान जम्मू - कश्मीर का क्षेत्रफल -- १,०१,००० वर्ग कि० मी०
पाकिस्तान का कब्ज़ा ------ ७८,००० वर्ग कि० मी०
चीन का कब्ज़ा ------ ४३,००० वर्ग कि० मी०

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11 Uyghurs (Musalims) Killed at Kyrgyzstan Border, Triggering Call for Probe

A bus travels toward the border with China in Kyrgyzstan, July 2012.

 HEMIS.FR

A group of 11 ethnic Uyghur men from China’s western Xinjiang region have been shot dead after crossing into neighboring Kyrgyzstan, officials in the Central Asian republic said Friday, triggering calls for a probe into the killings amid concerns they may have been refugees fleeing “repression."

Nine of them were gunned down by a special Kyrgyz border guard unit while two others were killed earlier by a local hunter who had spotted them in the mountains near the border on Thursday, Kyrgyz officials were quoted saying in reports Friday.

Acting head of the Kyrgyz border guards Raimberdi Duishenbiyev told reporters the 11 men appeared “to belong to an organization of Uyghur separatists, the Associated Press reported.

The World Uyghur Congress, a Germany-based Uyghur rights group, said it believed the men may have been refugees fleeing repression, calling for a “full, transparent, and independent” investigation into the incident.

The group voiced concerns about the emerging official narrative of the incident, saying China’s close relationship with Kyrgyzstan through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)—a regional grouping whose mission is to fight terrorism and separatism—“raises questions” about reported facts of the case.

“Kyrgyzstan remains an important conduit through which Uyghur refugees can escape the repression to which they are subjected in East Turkestan,” WUC President Rebiya Kadeer said in a statement, using another name for Xinjiang.

“It is well known that the Chinese authorities are exporting their repression abroad via the SCO to curb Uyghur activism and Uyghurs seeking refuge,” she said.

Call to work with UNHCR

The WUC said the Kyrgyzstan government and the local Bishkek office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) should work together to investigate the incident.

“In a situation in which none of those from within the group survived the incident it is absolutely vital that a full, transparent and independent investigation is undertaken to avoid politically-motivated conclusions regarding events.”

Allegations that the 11 Uyghurs were separatists “do not corroborate with the objects found upon them,” the WUC statement said, citing initial reports stating that the men were unarmed.

Kyrgyz officials said the men attacked the hunter and seized his rifle, later injuring one border guard in the skirmish before they were gunned down.

Kyrgyz border guards have informed their Chinese counterparts about the border incident, Duishenbiyev said.

Kyrgyzstan—whose people have cultural ties to Xinjiang’s 10 million mostly Muslim, Turkic-speaking Uyghurs— is a known transit country for Uyghur refugees.

Rights groups say SCO member countries including China and Kyrgyzstan have used murky definitions of terrorism to justify the repression in their countries.

China has intensified a sweeping security crackdown against Uyghurs in recent months in Xinjiang, where according to state media at least 91 people have been killed since April—many of them Uyghurs accused by the authorities of terrorism and separatism.

Three more people died in three explosions Friday evening, in Toksu (in Chinese, Xinhe) county of Aksu prefecture, an area located at China's extreme west on its border with Kyrgyzstan the Xinjiang government reported on its news website. 

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Hundreds of Tibetans Detained in Chamdo Over 'Unity' Campaign

Chinese flags fly at a monastery in Chamdo in an undated photo.

 Photo courtesy of an RFA listener.

Chinese authorities have cracked down on a grassroots Tibetan unity campaign in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), detaining hundreds found wearing special armbands or carrying photos of a senior religious figure backed by exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, sources said.

The crackdown further tightens controls in the TAR’s Chamdo (in Chinese, Changdu) prefecture, where the Chinese authorities have launched what some sources call an intrusive campaign to identify and monitor the political views of villagers.

The detentions were triggered when police stopped three Tibetan truck drivers transporting firewood at about 2:00 a.m. on Jan. 2 in Chamdo’s Karma town, a local source told RFA’s Tibetan Service this week.

“The three were found to be wearing ‘unity’ armbands and in possession of photos of the Panchen Lama, and were detained,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Two days later, about 50 Chinese police officers in 13 vehicles arrived in Chamdo’s Damthok and Tsala villages, he said.

“They searched the local residents and detained about 480 Tibetans who were wearing unity armbands and took them to the Karma town center, where they have been held in extremely harsh conditions.”

No further word has been received on the condition of those being held, and it is unclear whether any have yet been released.

Photos banned

Photos of the Panchen Lama, Gendun Choekyi Nyima—the second-highest religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism—are strictly banned by Beijing, which took the six-year-old boy into custody together with his family in 1995 following his endorsement by the Dalai Lama.

A Beijing-backed Panchen candidate, Gyaincain (in Tibet, Gyaltsen) Norbu, is widely rejected by Tibetans as a fake.

Chinese authorities, who routinely suppress public assertions of Tibetan national or cultural identity, have also now banned the “unity” armband, a second Tibetan source told RFA.

“But the Tibetans argue that expressions of ethnic unity are not a crime and are protected by China’s constitution,” he said.

Meanwhile, authorities in Chamdo’s Pashoe (Basu) county have forbidden monks at a local monastery from using WeChat, a popular application on mobile phones, another local source said.

Though authorities describe the social networking tool as a distraction from the monks’ studies, they really fear its use in “sharing photos and messages about local incidents with outside contacts,” he said.

Sporadic demonstrations challenging Beijing’s rule have continued in Tibetan-populated areas of China since widespread protests swept the area in 2008.

A total of 125 Tibetans have also set themselves ablaze in self-immolation protests calling for Tibetan freedom since February 2009, with another six setting fire to themselves in India and Nepal.

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It's Called Bossing Around Big Brotherhood

UN, US Pile Pressure on Myanmar to Investigate Rohingya Killings

It's called Bossing around Big Brotherhood. Why is this Big Brotherhood not for Tibbetan, Uygher, Pakistani Shiyas, Ahamadiyas, Sikhs and both Pakistani and Bangaladeshi Hindus ?

Muslim family members sit inside their home in Thabyu Chi village near Thandwe in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, Oct. 3, 2013.

 AFP

Myanmar has come under pressure from the United Nations, the United States and human rights groups to hold a swift independent probe into the reported killings of at least 48 Muslims purportedly by Buddhist mobs in volatile Rakhine state.

President Thein Sein's government however issued a statement Friday vehemently denying reports of the violence earlier this month, saying they were based on "unjustified conclusions drawing from unverified information" and warning that releasing such information would be tantamount to interference in the internal affairs of Myanmar.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, citing what she called "credible" information, said that more than 40 Rohingya Muslims were reportedly killed in two "serious" incidents between Jan. 9 and 13 in Du Chee Yar Tan village in Rakhine, home to the minority Rohingyas, where riots have left more than 200 dead and tens of thousands homeless since 2012.

In the first incident on Jan. 9, Pillay said eight Rohingya Muslim men were attacked and killed by local ethnic Rakhine Buddhists. This was followed by a clash four days later in which a police sergeant was captured and killed by the Rohingya villagers, she said.

Following this, on the evening of Jan. 13, at least 40 Rohingya Muslim men, women and children were killed in Du Chee Yar Tan village by police and local Rakhines, she said in a statement issued Thursday, adding that information gathered by the U.N. has already been shared with the Myanmar government.

"I deplore the loss of life in Du Chee Yar Tan and call on the authorities to carry out a full, prompt and impartial investigation, and ensure that victims and their families receive justice," Pillay said. "My office stands ready to support this process.”

“By responding to these incidents quickly and decisively, the government has an opportunity to show transparency and accountability, which will strengthen democracy and the rule of law in Myanmar,” she said.

The U.N. also cited reports that 10 Rohingya men from Du Chee Yar Tan village, which is located in southern Maungdaw township, have been detained, expressing concerns for their treatment in detention.

US 'deeply disturbed'

The U.S. State Department said that it shared the U.N.'s deep concern about the violence and also called for a probe into the reported killings.

"We are deeply disturbed by reports that at least 40 people have been killed, as well as the disappearance of a police officer, and we reiterate our call for the Government of Burma [Myanmar] to launch an immediate, credible and independent investigation into the violence and hold accountable those responsible," the department's spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

"We continue to encourage the Government of Burma to work toward a durable solution in Rakhine State that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in the state to create the conditions for sustainable peace and development," she said, adding that the United States was ready to assist in such efforts.

Myanmar's Foreign Ministry on Friday blamed the foreign media and some international agencies for issuing reports on the incidents in Du Chee Yar Tan village based on "unjustified conclusions drawing from unverified information."

Government side of story

Explaining its side of the story, the ministry said that during routine patrol duty in the village on Jan. 13, a five-member police patrol team was surrounded and threatened by a 100-strong Rohingya Muslim mob wielding sticks and knives.

"As the mob advanced with visible threat, the patrol team had to leave the vicinity," it said, adding that team discovered later that their leader was missing.

"Re-mobilized police and security forces revisited the same vicinity in search of the lost police sergeant. They were again threatened by over 500 Rohingyas armed with sticks and knives. In order to deter them from being physically attacked, eight warning shots were fired. However, there were no civilian injuries or casualties," the ministry said.

During the search for the missing policeman, the authorities had discovered clues such as a "blood-stained uniform, belt, and a pair of boots," it said.

It made no mention of the reported vigilante attacks on the Rohingyas.

"The international media and international agencies should release only information which is verified with responsible officials of the government. Failing to do so, releasing unverified information would tantamount to interfering [in the] internal affairs of the host country," the statement said.

It called on resident foreign diplomatic missions to "faithfully observe fundamental diplomatic practices in line with the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

Aid group says it treated patients

But information provided Friday by aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF), among a few outside groups allowed to operate in the region, raised doubts on the government statement.

MSF said it had treated at least 22 patients with injuries believed to be from violence in the village.

"MSF has treated at least 22 patients, including several wounded, that are believed to be victims of the violence that erupted in Du Char Yar Tan village in southern Maungdaw township on Jan. 14," said Peter-Paul de Groote, the charity's head in Myanmar, according to Reuters news agency.

The organization said most victims had suffered knife wounds, while one was shot and three were beaten, one severely.

MSF said it was concerned that more victims could need medical treatment and urged the government to allow access to the area.

Thailand-based rights group Fortify Rights was also quoted saying that it had spoken to witnesses and other sources who confirmed the killings, believed to be the deadliest incident in Rakhine state since 2012, when two rounds of violence between local Rakhines and Rohingyas sparked religious unrest that has since spread across the country leaving some 250 people dead.

Though Du Char Yar Tan village has been sealed off by security forces, Matthew Smith of Fortify Rights said some residents have been able to return during the day and, as of Wednesday, reported that some bodies were seen in abandoned homes, the Associated Press reported.

Blanket order

Reports received by U.S.-based Human Rights Watch say that police authorities have orally issued a blanket order permitting the arrest of all Rohingya men and boys over the age of 10 in the area.

"In the event such an order has been issued, it should be rescinded immediately and authorities should act to ensure the safety of the entire population in the area," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Myanmar's government considers most of the estimated 800,000 Rohingyas in the country to be illegal immigrants although many of them have lived in the country for decades. The U.N. has referred to the group as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world.

“The Burmese [Myanmar] authorities need to promptly and transparently investigate this deadly violence, prosecute those responsible, and ensure aid gets to those in need,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Official discrimination against the Rohingya population and impunity for past abuses has created a fertile ground for new atrocities to take place,” he said.

Myanmar President Thein Sein visited Rakhine state in October last year, calling on Buddhists and Muslims to sink their differences and prevent further bloodshed, as rights groups warned that the unending sectarian strife could dampen his reform program, which has earned praise across the globe and resulted in the lifting of long-running international sanctions imposed during the previous military junta rule.

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Ex-Chinese Premier's Letter 'Sidesteps' Reports of Family Wealth

(L-R) Former Chinese president Hu Jintao, newly-elected Chinese President Xi Jinping and former premier Wen Jiabao sing the national anthem at the closing session of the National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 17, 2013.

 AFP

A letter penned by former Chinese premier Wen Jiabao denying he abused his power to bolster his family's wealth has failed to address key questions about high-ranking ruling Chinese Communist Party officials and their families' finances, analysts said on Monday.

In a letter to a columnist for Hong Kong's Chinese-language Ming Pao newspaper at the weekend, Wen defended himself against suggestions that his family's business activities implicated him in the abuse of his official power during his decade as premier.

"I have never been involved in, and would not get involved in, a single transaction in which I abused my power for personal gain because no gains would be enough to shake my convictions," Wen wrote to columnist and Hong Kong politician Ng Hong-mun, who has been photographed at dinner with the former premier.

"I came to this world with empty hands, and I want to leave this world clean," Wen said in the letter, which was dated Dec. 27 but appeared in Saturday's edition of the Ming Pao.

But Wen stopped short of claiming a lack of abuse of power on the part of his family, analysts said, side-stepping questions about the wealth of those related to China's high-ranking officials.

Former Xinhua journalist Yang Jisheng, now deputy editor of the cutting-edge political magazine Yanhuang Chunqiu, said Wen's assertion that he was clean didn't extend to his family.

"Ng Hong-mun has a pretty good relationship with Wen Jiabao, and Wen Jiabao even invited him to dinner when Ng Hong-mun went to Beijing [in 2011]," Yang said.

"Wen clearly believes that he isn't corrupt, and wants to make that clear, but he doesn't actually say that his family isn't corrupt, nor whether or not others have used his power [for financial gain]," he said.

"If he doesn't say this, then I can only read it to mean that he has no control over what his wife and [daughter] do."

Hidden wealth reports

In 2012, a string of overseas media reports revealed details of the hidden wealth of China's leaders, including an estimated U.S.$2.7 billion of hidden assets controlled by Wen's relatives, reported in The New York Times.

Last November, The New York Times reported that U.S. investment bank JPMorgan had paid out U.S.$75,000 a month to a Beijing-based consulting firm headed by Lily Chang, an alias of Wen's only daughter Wen Ruchun.

Cai Yongmei, editor of the Hong Kong-based political magazine Kaifang, said Wen was likely hoping to mend his reputation overseas by having the letter published by a journalist friend in Hong Kong.

"I don't think that Wen Jiabao meant this as a private letter; I think he meant it to be public, as a way of helping clean up his reputation in the foreign media," Cai said.

Wen, who served as Chinese premier from 2003 to 2013, was in charge of the economy, including major financial institutions, during his time in office.

"Ever since that report came out about his family, he has really taken it to heart, and has brought it up several times already; this isn't the first time," Cai said.

"He mentioned it last year at the parliamentary sessions, at his retirement," she said. "He really cares about his image."

Anti-graft drive
Since taking office in March, President Xi Jinping has warned that the ruling Chinese Communist Party must beat graft in order to survive, and has launched a campaign targeting powerful "tigers" as well as lowly "flies."

But political analysts say the authorities will use the campaign largely as a tool against their political opponents, and that calls for full transparency and public whistle-blowing are still highly unwelcome.

Authorities in Beijing are this week preparing to put on trial anti-graft activist Xu Zhiyong, who has been campaigning for top officials to reveal their wealth, on charges of disrupting public order.

Xu, a legal scholar, will not speak at the trial on Wednesday in protest over the charges he faces and other irregularities, his lawyer has said.

The Jan. 22 trial will be held at Beijing's Intermediary Court with no media or outside observers allowed to attend, effectively making the hearing a secret trial.

The authorities have detained dozens of other activists who have called on China's leaders to reveal details of their assets since March, rights activists estimate.

At least a half dozen other activists associated with Xu's group have been charged and are also expected to be tried soon.

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Nepal holds landmark meeting of constitution drafting body

After two months of election, Nepal is holding first meeting of Constituent Assembly on Wednesday afternoon (CA), opening avenues for drafting the new constitution within a year.

The first meeting has been regarded as a landmark event of the Himalayan country because it has aroused the hope of a new constitution which is expected to end the political turmoil in the country.

Nepal's octogenarian lawmaker Surya Bahadur Thapa chairs the meeting until the election of CA chairman and vice-chairman. The meeting of CA was delayed as parties engaged in several disputes including the UCPN (Maoist)'s blame of vote-rigging in the Nov. 19 election.

On Tuesday, lawmakers took oath of office and secrecy.

The CA is expected to draft a new constitution within a year as committed by parties in their political documents. Surya Bahadur Thapa chaired the meeting of assembly in the absence of elected Chairman. The CA is likely to elect its chairman and vice-chairman soon.

Though the first meeting of CA is taking place, parties have not prepared a clear road map about drafting a new constitution.

Parties have agreed to take the ownership of the progress made by dissolved CA but they are yet to agree on the modality of taking the ownership. Nepal elected second CA on Nov. 19 after the CA elected in 2008 dissolved on May 27, 2012 without delivering a new constitution, causing constitutional and political crisis in the Himalayan country.

The first CA in 2008 abolished the 240-year long monarchy. Parties will have to write new constitution within a year to institutionalize these achievements.

With the beginning of new CA, parties have promised to deliver a new constitution within a year but they have challenges including forging agreement on federalism.

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क्या फिर वही इतिहास अमेरिका दुहरायेगा

क्या फिर वही इतिहास अमेरिका दुहरायेगा 

Sanjeev Jayaswal

• क्या आप जानते हैं कि ... अमेरिका किस प्रकार अपने हितो के लिए किसी भी देश में ...अपना राजनैतिक आधार तैयार करता है ...?
  
  इतिहास देखिये ...
  
  ईराक में 70 के दशक में ईराक में अस्थिता का माहौल अमेरिका ने बनाया और ...शुन्य से एक नौजवान को ...एक छात्र जीवन से उठाकर ...उसका टीवी के द्वारा प्रचार करवाकर ...रातों रात ईराक का हीरो बना दिया ...जानते है उसका नाम क्या था ...???
  
  उसका नाम था ...सद्दाम हुसैन ...जो की एक कोलेज का छात्र था ...छात्र राजनीती में भाग लेता था ...उसको अमेरिका ने इतना प्रसिद्ध करवा दिया की उसको रातों रात " बाथ " पार्टी का अध्यक्ष तक बनवा दिया ...और यही बाद में ...ईराक का राष्ट्रपति बना ...जब वह ...अपने देश को आगे ले जाने की सोचने लगा तो ...अमेरिका हो अखरने लगा ...और ...बाद में सब जानते है की अमेरिका ने उसके साथ - साथ ...उसके देश ईराक का क्या किया ...???
  
  दूसरा उदाहरण ...है ओसामा बिना लादेन का ...जो की अगानिस्तान में जब आया था तो इंजिनियर का छात्र था ...उस समय अफगानिस्तान में रुसी सेनाये थी ...अमेरिका ने लादेन को सपोर्ट किया ...उसको आधुनिक हथियार दिए ...रुसी सेनाओं के खिलाफ लड़ने के लिए ...जब रुसी सेनाये अफगानिस्तान छोड़ कर चली गयी ...तो लादेन तालिबान की मदद से वहां का शासन चलाने लगा ...जब उसने अपने देश के लिए कुछ करना चाहा और अमेरिको के हित में काम करने से मना कर दिया तो ...लादेन और अफगानिस्तान का क्या हुआ ...यह भी पूरा विश्व जानता है ...
  
  मित्रो अमेरिका की निति ही यह है ...कि यदि किसी देश की सत्ता उसके हितों की जब अनदेखी शुरू कर देती है ...तो वह उसी देश में एक ...मसीहा का निर्माण करता है ...
  
  ...कमोबेस आज भारत में भी यही हो रहा है ...मोदी जी की भारत में बढती लोकप्रियता और स्वीकार्यता को देखते हुए और कोंग्रेस के पतन को देखते हुए ...उसमे फिर वही अपनी पुरानी नीति भारत के लिए अपनाई है ...ताकि स्वदेशी का आन्दोलन चलाने वालों को कुचला जा सके ...जिससे उसके देश की अर्थव्यवस्था चल सके ...इसके लिए उसने ...आज फिर अपना दांव भारत में खेला ...है ...जिसे कोई भी टीवी प्रभावित भारत का नागरिक नहीं देख और समझ पा रहा है ...
  
  आज 2 साल पहले तक गुमनामी के अँधेरे में रहने वाले चेहरे को अपनी ख़ुफ़िया एजेंसी #CIA के वैश्विक दलाल#Ford_Foundation के माध्यम से एक #नक्सली_कामरेड केजरीवाल को भारत (माफ़ करना विदेश) के बिकाऊ मिडिया के सहयोग से हीरो बना दिया ...और भारत की जनता विश्व के अमेरिकी इतिहास से अनजान होकर ...राष्ट्रवादी शक्तियों के विरोध में लग गयी है ...यह निश्चय ही बहुत दुर्भाग्य पूर्ण है ..इसका दूरगामी प्रभाव बहुत ही विनाशकारी सिद्ध होगा ,,,,,
  Sharad Shukla

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साजिश के तार ----- दुर्घटना घटते-घटते सम्भल जाओ

साजिश के तार ----- दुर्घटना घटते-घटते सम्भल जाओ 

केजरीवाल का सच............... यह शिमिरित ली कौन है, शोधार्थी या अमेरिकी एजेंट? दस्तावेज बताते हैं कि वह बतौर शोधार्थी ‘कबीर’ संस्था से जुड़े थी। इस संस्था के गॉड-फादर अरविंद केजरीवाल रहे हैं। शिमरित ली को लेकर अटकलें लग रही हैं, क्योंकि शिमरित ली कबीर संस्था में रहकर न केवल भारत में आंदोलन का तानाबाना बुन रही थी, बल्कि लंदन से लेकर काहिरा और चाड से लेकर फिलिस्तीन तक संदिग्ध गतिविधियों में संलिप्त थी। शिमिरित ली दुनिया के अलग-अलग देशों में विभिन्न विषयों पर काम करती रही है। भारत आकर उसने नया काम किया। कबीर संस्था से जुड़ी। प्रजातंत्र के बारे में उसने एक बड़ी रिपोर्ट महज तीन-चार महीनों में तैयार की। फिर वापस चली गई। आखिर दिल्ली आने का उसका मकसद क्या था? इसे एक दस्तावेजी कहानी और अरविंद केजरीवाल के संदर्भ में समझा जा सकता है। बहरहाल कहानी कुछ इस प्रकार है। जिस स्वराज के राग को केजरीवाल बार-बार छेड़ रहे हैं, वह आखिर क्या है? साथ ही सवाल यह भी उठता है कि अगर इस गीत के बोल ही केजरीवाल के हैं तो गीतकार और संगीतकार कौन है? यही नहीं, इसके पीछे का मकसद क्या है? इन सब सवालों के जवाब ढूंढ़ने के लिए हमें अमेरिका के न्यूयार्क शहर का रुख करना पड़ेगा। न्यूयार्क विश्वविद्यालय दुनिया भर में अपने शोध के लिए जाना जाता है। इस विश्वविद्यालय में ‘मध्यपूर्व एवं इस्लामिक अध्ययन’ विषय पर एक शोध हो रहा है। शोधार्थी का नाम है, शिमिरित ली। शिमिरित ली दुनिया के कई देशों में सक्रिय है। खासकर उन अरब देशों में जहां जनआंदोलन हुए हैं। वह चार महीने के लिए भारत भी आई थी। भारत आने के बाद वह शोध करने के नाम पर ‘कबीर’ संस्था से जुड़ गई। सवाल है कि क्या वह ‘कबीर’ संस्था से जुड़ने के लिए ही शिमिरित ली भारत आई थी? अभी यह रहस्य है। उसने चार महीने में एक रिपोर्ट तैयार की। यह भी अभी रहस्य है कि शिमरित ली की यह रिपोर्ट खुद उसने तैयार की या फिर अमेरिका में तैयार की गई थी। बहरहाल, उस रिपोर्ट पर गौर करें तो उसमें भारत के लोकतंत्र की खामियों को उजागर किया गया है। रिपोर्ट का नाम है ‘पब्लिक पावर-इंडिया एंड अदर डेमोक्रेसी’। इसमें अमेरिका, स्विट्जरलैंड और ब्राजील का हवाला देते हुए ‘सेल्फ रूल’ की वकालत की गई है। अरविंद केजरीवाल की ‘मोहल्ला सभा’ भी इसी रिपोर्ट का एक सुझाव है। इसी रिपोर्ट के ‘सेल्फ रूल’ से ही प्रभावित है, अरविंद केजरीवाल का ‘स्वराज’। अरविंद केजरीवाल भी अपने स्वराज में जिन देशों की व्यवस्था की चर्चा करते हैं, उन्हीं तीनों अमेरिका, ब्राजील और स्विट्जरलैंड का ही जिक्र शिमिरित भी अपनी रिपोर्ट में करती हैं। ‘कबीर’ के कर्ताधर्ता अरविंद केजरीवाल और मनीष सिसोदिया हैं। यहां शिमरित के भारत आने के समय पर भी गौर करने की जरूरत है। वह मई 2010 में भारत आई और कबीर से जुड़ी। वह अगस्त 2010 तक भारत में रही। इस दौरान ‘कबीर’ की जवाबदेही, पारदर्शिता और सहभागिता पर कार्यशालाओं का जिम्मा भी शिमरित ने ही ले लिया था। इन चार महीनों में ही शिमरित ली ने ‘कबीर’ और उनके लोगों के लिए आगे का एजेंडा तय कर दिया। उसके भारत आने का समय महत्वपूर्ण है। इसे समझने से पहले संदिग्ध शिमरित ली को समझने की जरूरत है, क्योंकि शिमरित ली कबीर संस्था में रहकर न केवल भारत में आंदोलन का तानाबाना बुन रही थी, बल्कि लंदन से लेकर काहिरा और चाड से लेकर फिलिस्तीन तक संदिग्ध गतिविधियों में संलिप्त थी। यहूदी परिवार से ताल्लुक रखने वाली शिमिरित ली को 2007 में कविता और लेखन के लिए यंग आर्ट पुरस्कार मिला। उसे यह पुरस्कार अमेरिकी सरकार के सहयोग से चलने वाली संस्था ने नवाजा। यहीं वह सबसे पहले अमेरिकी अधिकारियों के संपर्क में आई। जब उसे पुरस्कार मिला तब वह जेक्शन स्कूल फॉर एडवांस स्टडीज में पढ़ रही थी। यहीं से वह दुनिया के कई देशों में सक्रिय हुई। जून 2008 में वह घाना में अमेरिकन ज्यूश वर्ल्ड सर्विस में काम करने पहुंचती। नवंबर 2008 में वह ह्यूमन राइट वॉच के अफ्रीकी शाखा में बतौर प्रशिक्षु शामिल हुई। वहां उसने एक साल बिताए। इस दौरान उसने चाड के शरणार्थी शिविरों में महिलाओं के खिलाफ होने वाली हिंसा संबंधी दस्तावेजों की समीक्षा और विश्लेषण का काम किया। जिन-जिन देशों में शिमिरित की सक्रियता दिखती है, वह संदेह के घेरे में है। हर एक देश में वह पांच महीने के करीब ही रहती है। उसके काम करने के विषय भी अलग-अलग होते हैं। उसके विषय और काम करने के तरीके से साफ जाहिर होता है कि उसकी डोर अमेरिकी अधिकारियों से जुड़ी है। दिसंबर 2009 में वह ईरान में सक्रिय हुई। 7 दिसंबर, 2009 को ईरान में छात्र दिवस के मौके पर एक कार्यक्रम में वह शिरकत करती है। वहां उसकी मौजूदगी भी सवालों के घेरे में है, क्योंकि इस कार्यक्रम में ईरान में प्रजातंत्र समर्थक अहमद बतेबी और हामिद दबाशी शामिल थे। ईरान के बाद उसका अगल ठिकाना भारत था। यहां वह ‘कबीर’ से जुड़ी। चार महीने में ही उसने भारतीय लोकतंत्र पर एक रिपोर्ट संस्था के कर्ताधर्ता अरविंद केजरावाल और मनीष सिसोदिया को दी। अगस्त में फिर वह न्यूयार्क वापस चली गई। उसका अगला पड़ाव होता है ‘कायन महिला संगठन’। यहां वह फरवरी 2011 में पहुंचती। शिमिरित ने वहां “अरब में महिलाएं” विषय पर अध्ययन किया। कायन महिला संगठन में उसने वेबसाइट, ब्लॉग और सोशल नेटवर्किंग का प्रबंधन संभाला। यहां वह सात महीने रही। अगस्त 2011 तक। अभी वह न्यूयार्क विश्वविद्यालय में शोध के साथ ही ‘अर्जेंट एक्शन फंड’ से बतौर सलाहकार जुड़ी हैं। पूरी दुनिया में जो सामाजिक न्याय, मानवाधिकार और स्त्री संबंधी मुद्दों पर जो प्रस्ताव आते हैं, उनकी समीक्षा और मूल्यांकन का काम शिमिरित के जिम्मे है। अगस्त 2011 से लेकर फरवरी 2013 के बीच शिमिरित दुनिया के कई ऐसे देशों में सक्रिय थी, जहां उसकी सक्रियता पर सवाल उठते हैं। इसमें अरब देश शामिल हैं। मिस्र में भी शिमिरित की मौजूदगी चौंकाने वाली है। यही वह समय है, जब अरब देशों में आंदोलन खड़ा हो रहा था। शिमिरित ली 17वें अरब फिल्म महोत्सव में भी सक्रिय रहीं। इसका प्रीमियर स्क्रीनिंग सेन फ्रांसिस्को में हुआ। स्क्रीनिंग के समय शिमिरित ने लोगों को संबोधित भी किया। इस फिल्म महोत्सव में उन फिल्मों को प्रमुखता दी गई, जो हाल ही में जन आंदोलनों के ऊपर बनी थी। शिमिरित आई तो फंडिंग बढ़ी शिमिरित ली के कबीर संस्था से जुड़ने के समय को उसके विदेशी वित्तीय सहयोग के नजरिए से भी देखने की जरूरत है। एक वेबसाइट ने ‘सूचना के अधिकार’ के तहत एक जानकारी मांगी। उस जानकारी के मुताबिक कबीर को 2007 से लेकर 2010 तक फोर्ड फाउंडेशन से 86,61,742 रुपए मिले। 2007 से लेकर 2010 तक फोर्ड ने कबीर की आर्थिक सहायता की। इसके बाद 2010 में अमेरिका से शिमिरित ली ‘कबीर’ में काम करने के लिए आती हैं। चार महीने में ही वह भारतीय प्रजातंत्र का अध्ययन कर उसे खोखला बताने वाली रिपोर्ट केजरीवाल और मनीष सिसोदिया को देकर चली जाती है। शिमिरित ली के जाने के बाद ‘कबीर’ को फिर फोर्ड फाउंडेशन से दो लाख अमेरिकी डॉलर का अनुदान मिला। इसे भारत की खुफिया एंजेसी ‘रॉ’ के अपर सचिव रहे बी. रमन की इन बातों से समझा जा सकता है। एक बार बी. रमन ने एनजीओ और उसकी फंडिंग पर आधारित एक किताब के विमोचन के समय कहा था कि “सीआईए सूचनाओं का खेल खेलती है। इसके लिए उसने ‘वॉयस ऑफ अमेरिका’ और ‘रेडियो फ्री यूरोप’ को बतौर हथियार इस्तेमाल करती है।” अपने भाषण में बी. रमन ने इस बात की भी चर्चा की कि विदेशी खुफिया एजेंसियां कैसे एनजीओ के जरिए अपने काम को अंजाम देती हैं। किसी भी देश में अपने अनुकूल वातावरण तैयार करने के लिए सीआईए उस देश में पहले से काम कर रही एनजीओ का इस्तेमाल करना ज्यादा सुलभ समझती है। उसे अपने रास्ते पर लाने के लिए वह फंडिंग का सहारा लेती है। जिस क्षेत्र में एनजीओ नहीं है, वहां एनजीओ बनवाया जाता है। (राकेश सिंह की यह रपट यथावत पत्रिका से साभार है।)

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Uyghur (Muslims) Villagers Forcibly Relocated to Make Way For Tourist Resorts

Uyghur (Muslims) Villagers Forcibly Relocated to Make Way For Tourist Resortsl

A mountain village in Kumul prefecture in an undated photo.

Photo courtesy of an RFA listener

Chinese authorities have forcibly relocated more than half of the ethnic minority Uyghurs—mostly farmers and herders—from three mountain townships in the Xinjiang region to make way for tourist resorts without providing them adequate compensation or job opportunities, according to area sources.

Villagers from the three townships in Kumul (in Chinese, Hami) prefecture, in northwestern China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Uyghur Region, told RFA’s Uyghur Service that in addition to being stripped of their livelihoods, they fear losing their cultural traditions, as local officials resettle them to suburban neighborhoods.

Eysa Yehya, a 59-year-old resident of the On Ikki Tagh, or Twelve Mountains region of Kumul, said that around half of the population from the mountain townships of Tashbaliq (Bingqin), Tengritagh (Tianshan) and Gherbiy Tagh (Xishan) had already relocated to the outskirts of Kumul city.

He said more than 80 percent, or as many as 1,200 of the residents in his Tomurqi village and nearby Nernasu village in Tengritagh township had already signed agreements to be relocated, and that he was one of the few remaining holdouts.

“Most of the village has been moved or is in the process of moving,” he said, adding that villagers were apprehensive about what life would be like in their new suburban resettlement.

“[The authorities] gave the farmers apartments around the city. We were told that they will give the elderly almost 300 yuan (U.S. $50) a month of poverty subsistence allowance. Then the youths are going to be given janitorial jobs and other related work.”

Yehya said that when he heard residents aged 60 years or older were only going to receive around 300 yuan from the government per month, he refused to sign an agreement to relocate, adding that he was the only one in Tomurqi to hold out.

“I think that after the villagers move to the city they will be on subsistence allowance support for the rest of their lives. They will have no choice,” he said of the residents whose only livelihood has been farming and raising livestock.

“If the villagers are being moved like this, our village and heritage is going to vanish without a trace.”

Yehya said that 99 percent, or as many as 700 of the residents of a third village in Tengritagh, called Aqtash, had already relocated and that the area had been turned into a resort providing a cool area for city residents to avoid the summer heat and ski slopes during the winter.

The surrounding grasslands in Aqtash are now occupied by government-supported Han Chinese companies, he said.

“Tumorqi village is in a mountainous region, so we have grasslands that can support 20,000 animals. As the villagers are moving, they are selling their livestock and the grasslands are being emptied,” Yehya said.

“We have heard that the government is going to open tourist attractions here. The adjacent villages, such as in Gherbiy Tagh, have been completely relocated and Aqtash village is nearly moved … Chinese companies are occupying the villages and they are setting up tourist resorts.”

Holding out

According to villagers, the relocation project was initiated in the 1980s, but accelerated after 2000 to accommodate growing Kumul city. Now, they say, many villages in the three mountain townships are home to either half of their former populations or have been completely vacated.

Yehya, who has four children, said that new infrastructure has come to the area as companies set up shop, but that social services are disappearing as the residential community has picked up and left.

“We did not have electricity here in our village, we had solar panels. Now they have connected us to the electricity grid. We have heard that they will build roads as well,” he said.

“Nevertheless, they closed the schools here. There are only 10 students left in this village, but they are going to be moved to the city as well.”

Yehya maintains several mu (one-sixth acre) of land to grow oats and herd sheep, but he said that since his neighbors had left, it had become extremely difficult to make ends meet.

“I have four children. I cannot send them to school because I don’t have enough money,” he said.

“My youngest son was accepted into Xinjiang University, but I could not afford to send him there due to the high tuition and right now he has no livelihood.”

Restive region

Kumul prefecture, located in eastern Xinjiang, is a crucial source of coal supplies for China. Around 10 percent of the residents are ethnic Kazakhs.

The On Ikki Tagh mountain region is the base from which Uyghurs have launched four major revolts against Chinese rule in the 20th century alone.

Uyghurs say they have long suffered ethnic discrimination and oppressive religious controls under Beijing’s policies.

Xinjiang, which came under Chinese control following two short-lived East Turkestan Republics in the 1930s and 1940s, has seen a string of violent incidents in recent years as Beijing tightens security measures and extends house-to-house raids targeting Uyghur families.

Many Uyghurs refer to Xinjiang, which borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the former Soviet Central Asian republics, as East Turkestan.

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