Inner Asia
Kyrgyzstan: opposition calls for protests
Opposition parties this week called for protests across Kyrgyzstan on March 27, amid worsening economic conditions and mounting accusations of government repression.
Tag: Inner Asia
Inner Asia
Tibet: repression continues, China Lobby strikes back
Tibetan protests in China continue to be met with harsh repression, now ignored by the media. But Beijing’s lobbyists were mobilized as US Congress passed a resolution honoring the Dalai Lama.
Inner Asia
China claims blow against “Dalai clique”; Dalai Lama calls for autonomy
China claimed declaration of March 28 as “Serfs Emancipation Day” as a “tit-for-tat” against the “Dalai clique,” while in Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama called for “meaningful autonomy” for Tibet.
Inner Asia
Chinese police shoot Tibetan monk in self-immolation protest
A young Tibetan monk was shot by Chinese police after he set himself on fire on the third day of the Tibetan New Year, at a market in Sichuan province’s Ngaba prefecture. It is not known if he is alive or dead.
Inner Asia
China renews Tibet crackdown as New Year boycott looms
China is widening its crackdown on Tibetan activists, carrying out sweeps across the ethnic Tibetan western regions, as a campaign mounts to boycott Tibetan New Year Feb. 25 in protest of the repression.
Inner Asia
Jew driver
China is denying claims aired by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that up to a million Muslim Uighurs have been detained in "re-education camps" in Xinjiang region. But Beijing appears to be imposing harsh surveillance and restrictions on freedom of worship on Muslims throughout China, even requiring those making the pilgrimage to Mecca to be fitted with GPS tracking devices. Yet such methods almost always prove counter-productive, leading to resentment that only fuels the unrest that Chinese authorities are responding to. This week saw mass protests in Weizhou, Ningxia province, after authorities attempted to demolish a newly built mosque which they said had not received construction permits. After days of protest, authorities backed down and agreed to postpone the demolition. (Photo of protest at Weizhou Grand Mosque from Weibo via BBC News)
Inner Asia
China detains 81 Tibetans in “strike hard” campaign
Chinese state media report that 81 Tibetans have been detained for suspected criminal activity amid a security sweep. Two are being held for having “reactionary music” on their mobile phones.
Inner Asia
Putin blinks in Ukraine “gas war” —tactical feint in fight for Central Asia
Putin’s capitulation in the “gas war” with Ukraine may be motivated by fears that his intransigence was reviving impetus for the Nabucco pipeline, an EU-backed project that would bypass Russia.
Inner Asia
Finland, Sweden consider asylum for Gitmo Uighurs
Finnish officials are deliberating on whether to offer asylum to former terror suspects detained at the US military prison at Guantánamo Bay. The US has proposed that Finland take in Uighur prisoners, members of the Turkic minority in western China…. Read moreFinland, Sweden consider asylum for Gitmo Uighurs
Inner Asia
Tibet: more arrests, forced relocations
China’s official media reported the arrest of 59 Tibetans Dec. 25 on charges of inciting protests during the March unrest in the region. Reports cited Xin Yuanming, deputy director of the public security bureau of Lhasa, as saying “some people… Read moreTibet: more arrests, forced relocations
Inner Asia
Tibet: Dalai Lama “loses hope” for settlement with China
This weekend, the Dalai Lama told his followers he has lost hope of reaching agreement with China on the future of his homeland. The future course of the Tibetan movement—including the possibility of an historic switch from demanding autonomy towards… Read moreTibet: Dalai Lama “loses hope” for settlement with China
Inner Asia
Armed struggle breaks out in Turkmenistan?
At least 20 members of Turkmenistan’s security forces were killed in clashes in the capital Ashgabat Sept. 12, according to to media reports and diplomatic sources. Police battled “a religious group, possibly radical Islamists,” according to a diplomatic source quoted… Read moreArmed struggle breaks out in Turkmenistan?