Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS April 29, 1997

[ETIC, 4/29/97] The following report was given to the Eastern Turkistan

Information Center bureau in Bishkek by the two Uyghurs recently

escaped from Eastern Turkistan.

On April 24, the Chinese authorities conducted a trial of 33 young

Uyghurs accused by the government in causing disturbances on 5-6

February in Ghulje city of Uyghuristan. The trial was closed for

public, and was attended only by the Chinese officials.

All the traffic in the center of Ghulje city was stopped, and only

Chinese soldiers were seen on the streets. The police put armed

soldiers on roofs of many buildings.

The court sentenced three Uyghurs to death, 17 Uyghurs were given life

in prison, a 23 year old woman was given 8 years in prison, and rest of

the accused were given from 10 to 15 years in prison sentences.

The same day the three sentenced to death Uyghurs were executed on the

outskirts of the city. Their bodies were not released to the relatives,

instead, were taken away in the unknown direction.

The other convicted Uyghurs were put on trucks with their hands and

mouths tired with wires, and with placards hang on their necks. They

were put on knees with their heads pushed down by the soldiers.

In spite of heavy military presence in the city, many crying Uyghurs

went on streets and followed the trucks shouting "Good Bye", "Let the

God help you", "The God is great", and "The truth will find its way".

The people followed the trucks, and the soldiers open fire on suffering

people, killing three, and wounding 10. One of the killed is 43 years

old Uyghur named Anwar, a father to 7 children.

The next day, the official TV reported that the soldiers had to open

fire to stop a small group of criminals in their attempt to rescue the

convicts.

Witnesses say that every day many Uyghurs are arrested by the police,

including some 12 year old children. The prisons in Ghulje are

overcrowded. Even more people run from one government office to

another in vain attempts to obtain some information on their imprisoned

relatives. [Rabiyem Yakub, Bishkek]