Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS May 20, 1997

Hong Kong AFP, 05/11/97

Urumqi, China, May 11 (AFP) -- The government chief in troubled

Xinjiang admitted Sunday that a fundamentalist Muslim party was

fighting for independence from China. Abdulahat Abdurixit, chairman of

the government of the autonomous region hit by a series of bomb attacks

and other unrest, said "the Party of Allah is a small fundamentalist

organisation that takes part in illegal religious activities to divide

China." He told visiting foreign journalists in the regional capital,

Urumqi, that the party was formed last year by people from all over the

region which was why it could operate everywhere. "However we have put

them out of a position to cause damage before they have even started to

act," said Abdurixit.