Published by: The World Uyghur Network News, April, 28, 1997

[ETIC, 4/25/97] ETIC has received the following information on the incident with the BBC crew that was recently detained and expelled from Eastern Turkistan by the Chinese authorities.

The BBC team entered China with tourist visas from Kazakstan, and arrived to Ghulje (Yining) city on Wednesday, April 9. Apparently, they had been followed by the Chinese secret police from the border to Ghulje.

The main goal of the crew was to collect materials for a documentary for the British TV program Correspondent on the situation in the city after the recent violent ethnic clashes between the Uyghurs and the Chinese police. The team consisted of several people, including BBC

correspondents Julie Flint, the producer Farah Durrani, cameraman Mr. Duxbury and Rosa, a member of the Kazak service of BBC. After arrival to Ghulje, the team managed to make some video taping and interviews with the local people.

On Friday evening, the Chinese police detained the team and confiscated all the materials collected by the crew. The police treated the journalists with rudeness; the Kazak woman was even hit. After several hours of interrogation, the arrested were forced to admit being British correspondents. The whole process of the arrest and interrogation was video taped by the Chinese police. After 10 days under arrest, the journalists were expelled to Pakistan.

There have been reports that, after the crew was expelled from China, the Chinese police conducted the large number of arrests among the Uyghurs. Giving an interview to a foreign correspondent could be a reson for imprisonment in Eastern Turkistan.

On April 24, the Chinese authorities organized a medieval intimidation show for the Uyghurs in Ghulje. 27 people were given long term sentences, and three Uyghurs were publicly executed on a stadium in Ghulje. There are reports that a group of Uyghurs attempted to free the convicted

while they were toured around the city with placards describing their crimes; the police opened fire killing two rescuers.

The curfew is still imposed in the city. Overall, the situation in the city is described as terrifying. [Rakhim Aitbayev, Denver]