Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS October 31, 1997
10/22/97, Hong Kong Tung Hsiang, PTS Translated Text for FBIS
Article by Cheng Ming Reporter Li Tzu-Ching: "More Than 3,000 People Launch Anti-Communist Rebellions in Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang. Armed Suppression Leaves Over 300 Dead or Wounded"
HEARSAY AND OFFICIAL DENIAL
In early October, overseas media reported that some large-scale armed rebellions simultaneously broke out in Xinjiang and Inner-Mongolia on the eve of the PRC National Day. However, they gave no details regarding the exact sites and number of people involved in the incidents...
On the same day, the Xinjiang and Inner Mongolian authorities solemnly denied the foreign reports. The regional officials maintained that Urumqi and Huhhot remained quiet and stable during the national day period, and dismissed the foreign reports as groundless. They said that they "had heard nothing about" the incidents.
Is it true that the foreign reports were fabricated and the regional officials spoke the truth? What was the real situation in the two regions? Xinjiang Authorities Admitted a Six-Day Armed Rebellion [subhead] The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People's Government and Xinjiang Military District issued a circular on 30 September, stating:
From 22-27 September, the Xinjang Uygur Autonomous Region witnessed a
rebellion and riots in Tuokexun, Shawan, Shanshan, Hutubi, Hejing, Heshuo, and other areas for six consecutive days. More than 3,200 people took part in the rebellion and riots. Some separatist organizations and hostile forces armed with sub-machine guns automatic rifles, grenades, incendiary bombs, and other weapons looted local party and government organs and state warehouses and destroyed local railroads, highways, and communications facilities.
On the afternoon of 24 September, deceived, lured, instigated, and intimidated by some hostile organizations, some 800 people in Xinjiang's Hejing and Heshuo surrounded and indiscriminately opened fire at local party and government headquarters; called for the establishment of "Xinjiangstan"; shouted slogans like "CPC Get out," "People's Liberation Army [PLA] Get out," and so on; and used weapons to block local PLA troops from maintaining order. When local PLA troops issued a final warning to the members of the mob, armed separatists
opened fire at them.
The incident left more than 30 PLA officers and soldiers dead or wounded. The local PLA troops launched a counterattack, dealing a telling blow to the arrogant separatist elements and quelling the armed rebellion in the end. The Central Military Commission immediately ordered the Lanzhou Military Region to dispatch some rapid response troops to areas concerned to help quell the rebellion. They quickly imposed martial law and curfews in the areas.
On 25 September, Qian Shugen, deputy chief of the PLA General Staff, and Lanzhou Military Region Commander Liu Jingsong arrived in areas concerned to personally direct the suppression. The circular admitted that the incident has left more than 270 people dead or wounded, including more than 90 local party and government cadres, public security officers, and armed police officers. Some 17 cadres and officers were killed in the incident. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region People's Government revealed that nearly 80 people were killed and over 820 armed separatists and members of the mob were arrested.
THE INNER MONGOLIAN AUTHORITIES ADMITTED A THREE-DAY ARMED REBELLION
The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region People's Government and Inner Mongolia Military District issued a circular on 29 September, stating: On 24, 25, and 26 September, Inner Mongolia witnessed a three-day armed rebellion in Suniteyou Banner, Shangdu, Huade, and some other areas. A mob shouted slogans like "Establish a Mongolia Republic," "Wipe out Communist Invaders and Troops," and so on; launched a violent and armed attack on local party and government organs; and held some local party and government cadres hostage. On the evening of 25 September, they refit lorries into armored cars with steel plates and attacked local PLA barracks and local police and armed police headquarters.
Despite a warning from local PLA troops, the mob participants continued with the armed attacks, thus leaving over 30 local party and government cadres and armed police officers dead or wounded. As a result, local PLA troops and armed police forces were ordered to launch a counterattack against the separatists. They quickly quelled the armed rebellion and started imposing martial law in Shangdu and Huade as of 18:00 on 26 September.
The Beijing Military Region was ordered to transfer a crack regiment from the 82nd Division of the 28th Group Army stationed in Datong and dispatch it to Shangdu and Huade. Zeng Gangchuan, deputy chief of the PLA General Staff; Beijing Military Region Commander Liang Guanglie; and some senior PLA officers arrived in the two areas to personally inspect the situation.
They called an on-site meeting in Jining to discuss the ways and means of quelling the separatist and counterrevolutionary rebellion. The circular admitted that some 130 people were killed or wounded and more than 220 separatists were arrested in the latest incident.
THE STATE COUNCIL TRANSMITTED A REPORT ON REBELLIONS IN XINJIANG AND INNER MONGOLIA
On 29 September, the State Council General Office transmitted a report filed by "Xinhua" and "Jiafangjun Bao" reporters on the recent Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia rebellions. The report stated:
In an elaborate plot by some anti-China and anti-Communist foreign hostile forces, a batch of self-exiled hostile and separatist elements armed with a large number of weapons, munitions, propaganda materials, and operational funds slipped back into Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia.
They organized local hostile forces and instigated, intimidated, and forced some local people opposed to China's socialist system and unaware of the truth to attack local party and government organs with guns, explosives, incendiary bombs, vehicles, and other arms.
They shot dead local party and government cadres; launched armed attacks on local PLA barracks and local police and armed police headquarters; looted state warehouses; conducted beatings, and smashing, looting, and burning activities in some local areas; deliberately sabotaged local communications, telecommunications, water, and electricity facilities; and inflicted huge losses to state property and peoples lives.
CPC HIERARCHY ISSUED THREE-POINT INSTRUCTION ON QUELLING REBELLIONS
The CPC Central Committee, State Council, and Central Military Commission issued the following three-point instruction after studying reports submitted by the Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia party, government, and military authorities:
It is necessary to firmly, resolutely, and thoroughly crack down on violent activities launched by hostile and separatist organizations manipulated and controlled by hostile foreign forces; It is necessary to firmly and resolutely crack down on violent attacks launched by hostile and separatist forces and pursue and capture remaining elements;
It is necessary to firmly and thoroughly crack down on and suppress armed and violent attacks launched by hostile and separatist organizations. Rebellions on the Eve of "National Day" Made CPC Lose Face [subhead] During the 15th CPC National Congress, the CPC authorities specially invited principal officials of Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions to attend a press conference.
At the press conference, the officials confidently told the Chinese and foreign reporters: China's ethnic minorities regions have enjoyed nationality solidarity, political and social stability, economic prosperity, and rapid development. However, shortly after the 15th CPC National Congress, while these words were still ringing in people's ears, two large-scale armed rebellions broke out in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia respectively on the eve of the National Day, this being a slap in the face for the CPC authorities. This explains why the Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia officials unanimously denied some foreign reports in the first place, in a vain bid to cover up the recent incidents in
order to save face for the CPC...
