dogu-turkistan-sempozyumu

FREEEAST TURKISTAN SYMPOSIUMChinese were doing. On 17.12.2001, the New China News Agency announcedthat the Xinhua parliament had started a marathon session to discuss a draftof changes that would give the government greater constitutional rights againstactivities related to terrorism. The agency related the statements of some persons,describing them as leading parliamentarians: “Changes are made to give rights toauthorized bodies to protect the national security, social order, life and propertyof citizens.” “These new changes are expected to give the Chinese government awiser legal frame in its war against terrorism.” 38As is known by those who study China’s criminal laws, the penalty of executionis given for a series of civil crimes like drug smuggling, armed assault, rape andmurder. The penalty for terrorism was only a prison sentence of up to 10 years.However, according to the draft of changes approved by Congress on 24.12.2001,the penalty was increased execution. The Congress legislation affairs committeevice chairman explained that: “Those who will suffer this penalty are peoplewho spread poisonous, radioactive or contaminating materials” and “Those whoare involved in the production, trade and storage of these materials.” It must beremembered that the penalty for spreading poisonous materials was a maximumof three years before, according to China Daily journal dated 25.12.2001. Penaltiesfor “those who spread false threats or incorrect information regarding terroristactivities” may be as much as “five years in prison”.Without a doubt those who followed the Uyghur riot in Urumqi observedhow peaceful protests from the public requesting an investigation into the deathsof workers employed in Chinese factories turned into a massacre at the hands ofarmy and police forces. As a result 1,400 were killed and injured. In contrast tothis, those who saw the Chinese state president Hu Jintao on Chinese televisionon 8.7.2009 throwing threats in forms of “ heavy penalties will be given, asspecified in the law to those involved in clashes”. The regional Communist Partydirector Li Zhi explained that the president had said: “The leaders of the incidentcould be executed.” 39The question that we should ask ourselves in the framework of new legislativechanges is this: Did the people who were protesting the violence and who havebeen labeled “anarchists” by the Chinese government spread anthrax during theprotests? Is this why the death penalty was being applied to some of them later340