Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS, June 11, 1997

Beijing Xinhua, 05/29/97

Urumqi, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Eight terrorists were executed here this

morning for their connection in a series of bombings, killings and

robberies which left 18 innocent people dead and 60 others injured in

northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The Higher People's Court of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

announced in its final verdicts that Mahmut Abdurahman, Jilil Bilali

and six other persons were sentenced to death for committing violent

terrorist crimes "by extremely cruel and criminal means."

The court also gave another four accomplices the death penalty with a

two-year reprieve, life imprisonment and jail terms for murder, robbery

and larceny respectively.

The Urumqi Intermediate People's Court on May 16 issued its verdicts

regarding on the first instance, which occurred on February 25, saying

that the 12-member gang placed five homemade explosive devices on

public buses in Urumqi, the capital city of the autonomous region.

Three of the five explosive devices exploded, killing nine passengers

and injuring 58, who were all innocent local residents of the Uygur,

Han, Hui and Kirgiz ethnic groups.

Court investigations revealed that Mahmut Abdurahman, Abul'ahat Memet

and other members of the gang robbed local cab drivers, shop owners,

residents and pedestrians of Han nationality and the Uygur ethnic group

with knives and guns on eight occasions from December 18, 1996 to

February 20, 1997. Nine persons were killed and two injured in the

incident. The court said that Mahmut Abdurahman and his gang illegally

purchased three pistols and more than 90 bullets for their criminal

activities and stole 49,600 yuan-worth of public and private property.

After an open trial, the court ruled that Mahmut Abdurahman and his

gang had seriously endangered the life and property of the people, the

way in which the crimes were committed was absolutely vile and the

consequences extremely grave.

Based on the Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China and the

decision to severely punish those criminals who pose a serious threat

to the society issued by the Standing Committee of the National

People's Congress, the 12 members of the gang were convicted of crimes

of bombing, homicide, robbery and larceny respectively. After the

sentence of the first trial by the Urumqi City Intermediate People's

Court, Jilil Bilali and five other criminals appealed the verdict, but

the Higher People's Court of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

rejected the appeal after a hearing of the collegiate bench.