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China jails three Uighurs over Web sites
CRACKDOWN CONTINUES: The men received sentences that range from three to 10
years in prison for ¡¥endangering state security¡¦ by publishing critical comments
AP, BEIJING
Saturday, Jul 31, 2010, Page 5
China has jailed three minority Uighurs who ran Web sites
with content considered politically sensitive by the government, according to a
media report and an advocacy group.
Their sentencing last week is the latest move by the Chinese government to rein
in dissent following last year¡¦s deadly ethnic violence in the far western
Xinjiang region that erupted between the minority Uighur population and the
majority Han Chinese.
Long-standing tensions between the Uighurs, a largely Muslim ethnic group, and
the Han flared into open violence in the regional capital of Urumqi in July last
year. The government said 197 people were killed. Hundreds of people were
arrested, about two dozen were sentenced to death and many Uighurs remain
unaccounted for and are believed to be in custody.
Last week, the three men, identified as Dilshat Perhat, Webmaster of Diyarim;
Nureli, Webmaster of Salkin; and Nijat Azat, Webmaster of Shabnam, were
sentenced to five years, three years and 10 years respectively, said Radio Free
Asia and the Uyghur American Association, citing a brother of one of the men.
The Diyarim, Salkin and Shabnam Web sites were among the most popular Uighur-language
sites, which were all blocked in China following the deadly unrest.
The men were convicted of ¡§endangering state security¡¨ during the one-day trial
that took place sometime at the end of last week, according to Perhat¡¦s brother,
Dilmurat Perhat, who lives in London.
Officials with the court in Urumqi declined to confirm news about the trials or
sentencing.
Last Friday, a court in Urumqi sentenced journalist Halaite Niyaze to 15 years
in jail for critical writings and comments he made to foreign media following
last July¡¦s riots, which left nearly 200 dead and 1,700 injured. Niyaze and the
three Webmasters were all convicted under the same vaguely worded charge that
China¡¦s authoritarian government often uses to silence political critics.
Niyaze¡¦s 15-year sentence was among the harshest handed down for someone who
committed no violence during last year¡¦s riots or for a Uighur airing dissenting
opinions in recent years.
The Uyghur American Association strongly condemned the men¡¦s sentencing, saying
that Uighurs live in constant fear.
¡§The Chinese government is suffocating Uyghur voices. Chinese authorities are
committing an egregious violation of human rights and the freedom of expression
by imprisoning these three men, who have done nothing more than work for Web
sites and voice their opinions,¡¨ activist Rebiya Kadeer, who lives in exile in
the US, said in the statement.
China accuses Kadeer, a champion for Uighur rights, and other overseas Uighur
groups of fomenting last year¡¦s violence.
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