Inner Asia

Asia’s secret nuclear arms race

For all the hoopla about North Korea, a far more significant threat on the Asian continent is getting virtually no coverage: the nuclear arms race between China and India.

Inner Asia

Kyrgyzstan: emergency over mining protests

Kyrgyzstan declared a state of emergency after hundreds of protesters stormed the offices of the Kumtor  gold mine, run by the Canadian-based Centerra Gold. 

Inner Asia

China-India border face-off amid Tibet unrest

India is protesting what it calls an incursion by some 30 Chinese troops from across the Line of Control in the Himalayas, while Tibetans charge stepped up repression.

Inner Asia

China: US hand in Xinjiang violence?

Deadly clashes between Uighurs and Chinese police in Xinjiang came as US Ambassador Gary Locke was visiting the restive province with a trade delegation.

Inner Asia

China: Mongol herders’ protest march blocked

Police in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region blocked an attempted cross-country march by traditional Mongol herders, with police assaulting hundreds in two incidents.

Inner Asia

Tibet mine disaster exposes internal colonialism

As rescuers struggle to reach workers trapped by a landslide at a Tibetan gold mine, China’s authorities “scrubbed” microblog comments on the costs of breakneck mineral exploitation.

Inner Asia

Tibet: self-immolations reach 114

A young monk burned himself to death in Gansu province—the third Tibetan to torch himself and die in as many days, taking the total reported toll since 2009 to 114.

Inner Asia

China: Han-Tibetan solidarity emerging

Human rights lawyer Xu Zhiyong, who defends Chinese peasants struggling to keep their lands, proclaims his support for the Tibetans and calls for Han solidarity with their cause.

Inner Asia

Kazakhstan sentences opposition leader to prison

A court in Kazakhstan sentenced an outspoken political activist to seven-and-a-half years in jail for allegedly colluding with a fugitive billionaire to overthrow the government.

Inner Asia

Tibetan writer self-immolates in TAR

A Tibetan poet, Gudrup, died after setting himself on fire in the Tibet Autonomous Region, leaving a blog post calling for Tibetans not “lose courage” in the struggle for freedom. 

Inner Asia

Central Asia opium wars escalate

Tajikistan sealed its border with Afghanistan after clashes with armed rebels left 48 dead—a re-escalation of conflict over control of the cross-border traffic in Afghan opium.