Terrorism fight used to target China secessionists

Chinese President Jiang Zemin, center, delivers the APEC leaders' joint declaration in Shanghai

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
Senior China Analyst

CHINA, Beijing -- Beijing is cracking down on anti-government and secessionist groups, including the Falun Gong, under the banner of fighting terrorism.

A Communist party directive released earlier this month identified organizations ranging from the Falun Gong spiritual movement and underground gangs to Xinjiang separatists as "terrorist groups."

Also fingered were violent "splittist" (or secessionist) outfits among other ethnic minorities, as well as subversive and "unstable social elements" who had used weapons such as bombs to vent their anger at central authorities.

A Chinese source close to the legal establishment said President Jiang Zemin and the Politburo Standing Committee asked various departments to assess the danger of terrorism within China soon after the September 11 attacks on the U.S.

Party and government units taking part in the appraisal included the Ministry of State Security, the police, the People's Liberation Army, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, and state religious authorities.

Anthrax link drawn

The party directive, which was based on the findings and recommendations of these departments, said central and regional cadres should lose no time in taking the most resolute actions against these terrorist groupings.

The source said several Politburo members wanted to take advantage of the global anti-terrorist campaign to exterminate opposition and secessionist forces once and for all.

So far, cadres and the state media have not yet publicly called the Falun Gong, known officially as an "evil cult," a terrorist group.

However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said last week that a parcel containing a letter suspected to have anthrax bacteria was mailed to a Chinese employee working in a China-based American company.

He added the letter was inserted in "a Falun Gong propaganda book called The Truth."

Sun did not specifically tie the suspected terrorist act to the Falun Gong, saying only the incident was "receiving a high level of attention from the Chinese government."

However, Falun Gong spokesmen in Hong Kong and the U.S. said it was "ridiculous and ugly" for the Foreign Ministry to try to smear the group by implicitly linking it with anthrax attacks.

Sun said on Tuesday that after stringent testing, the letter was found not to contain any anthrax toxin.

Far west hotspot

Analysts say while the police have already used draconian methods against the spiritual group, the latter's characterization as a "terrorist" unit might help Beijing justify additional tactics including financial weapons that had been approved by the global community.

Moreover, this terrorist label might help shield Beijing from condemnation by liberal intellectuals at home as well as foreign governments.

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If Beijing has kept its stepped-up campaign against the Falun Gong under wraps, it has launched a high-profile crusade against the Uighur separatists in Xinjiang, now identified as part of a global "East Turkestan" terrorist movement.

The Central Military Commission has in the past fortnight continued to deploy more troops, including newly formed crack units, to western Xinjiang, which has the largest Uighur populations.

Equally important is the diplomatic offensive Beijing has mounted to blunt international - mainly American - criticism of its handling of ethnic-minority and "subversive" groups, including Uighur secessionists and the Falun Gong.

At the just-ended Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shanghai, Chinese officials indicated East Turkestan elements, including Uighur "splittists", had been trained in the Afghan camps set up by Osama bin Laden.

Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan added last weekend that the bin Laden group had sent some of these East Turkestan firebrands to fight in Chechnya.

Official Chinese media reported that during their meeting on APEC's fringe last Saturday, Jiang and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin agreed that "Chechnyan and East Turkestan terrorist activities are part of international terrorism."

Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said at APEC the world community "should have a uniform stance and consistent attitude in opposing and combating international terrorism."

Zhu's words recalled those of another Foreign Ministry spokesman late last month, to the effect that Western countries should not hold "double standards" in fighting terrorism.

The message for the U.S. and its allies could not be clearer: If you want China to help fight terrorism associated with Islam extremism, do not criticize Beijing's tough tactics against bomb-throwing elements within China.

An equally significant thrust of Beijing's anti-terrorist diplomacy is to widen the definition and criteria of terrorism.

As the Foreign Ministry's Zhu put it: "We think terrorism should be opposed no matter where it manifests itself, where it comes from - and no matter who the perpetrators and their targets are."

Or as President Jiang indicated while meeting Putin: "China is determined to counter all forms of terrorism, no matter where and when it takes place and no matter who it is targeting."

Hints of China in APEC wording

APEC leaders in Shanghai for the annual summit condemned "murderous deeds as well as other terrorist acts in all forms and manifestations, committed wherever, whenever and by whomsoever."

Analysts said such criteria could make it easier for Beijing to brand a variety of anti-government or "splittist" groups as "murderous and terrorist organizations."

The APEC document - or at least Beijing's interpretation of it - could be cited by the Chinese government to help justify whatever harsh measures its police and army might take against such supposedly evil forces.

Moreover, once the "terrorist" nature of Xinjiang separatists and the Falun Gong has been established, Beijing may feel it has the moral high ground to demand that countries including the U.S. not allow such groups to operate on their soil.