BEIJING - Chinese state media blamed Syrian government and opposition forces on Monday, in unusually specific finger pointing, for training Muslim extremists responsible for the deadliest unrest in four years in China's far-western region of Xinjiang.
China has traditionally blamed violence in Xinjiang, home to the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur people, on Islamic separatists who want to establish an independent state of "East Turkestan".
Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a forum in Beijing last Saturday on maintaining stability in Xinjiang. Paramilitary police have flooded the streets of the regional capital Urumqi after 35 people were killed in two attacks last week, which China has blamed on a gang engaged in "religious extremist activities".
The government hasn't identified the ethnicity of the attackers, but it said a man called Ahmatniyaz Siddiq, ostensibly a Muslim Uighur, and others "were engaged in religious extremist activities".
The Global Times, a tabloid owned by the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, said that some members of the "East Turkestan" faction had moved from Turkey into Syria.
"This Global Times reporter has recently exclusively learned from the Chinese anti-terrorism authorities that since 2012, some members of the 'East Turkestan' faction have entered Syria from Turkey, participated in extremist, religious and terrorist organizations within the Syrian opposition forces and fought against the Syrian army," the newspaper said.
"At the same time, these elements from 'East Turkestan' have identified candidates to sneak in to Chinese territory to plan and execute terrorist attacks."
Authorities had arrested a 23-year-old "terrorist", known in Chinese as Maimaiti Aili, belonging to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the report said, adding that he had taken part in the Syrian war.
The Global Times quoted a statement from Maimaiti Aili as saying that the ETIM "specifically asked me to carry out sabotage activities in Xinjiang and enhance the 'struggle level'".
Officials in Xinjiang and China's ministry of public security were not immediately available for comment.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Chinese-media-blames-Syrian-government-rebels-for-Xinjiang-violence-318292
China has traditionally blamed violence in Xinjiang, home to the Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighur people, on Islamic separatists who want to establish an independent state of "East Turkestan".
Chinese President Xi Jinping presided over a forum in Beijing last Saturday on maintaining stability in Xinjiang. Paramilitary police have flooded the streets of the regional capital Urumqi after 35 people were killed in two attacks last week, which China has blamed on a gang engaged in "religious extremist activities".
The government hasn't identified the ethnicity of the attackers, but it said a man called Ahmatniyaz Siddiq, ostensibly a Muslim Uighur, and others "were engaged in religious extremist activities".
The Global Times, a tabloid owned by the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, said that some members of the "East Turkestan" faction had moved from Turkey into Syria.
"This Global Times reporter has recently exclusively learned from the Chinese anti-terrorism authorities that since 2012, some members of the 'East Turkestan' faction have entered Syria from Turkey, participated in extremist, religious and terrorist organizations within the Syrian opposition forces and fought against the Syrian army," the newspaper said.
"At the same time, these elements from 'East Turkestan' have identified candidates to sneak in to Chinese territory to plan and execute terrorist attacks."
Authorities had arrested a 23-year-old "terrorist", known in Chinese as Maimaiti Aili, belonging to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), the report said, adding that he had taken part in the Syrian war.
The Global Times quoted a statement from Maimaiti Aili as saying that the ETIM "specifically asked me to carry out sabotage activities in Xinjiang and enhance the 'struggle level'".
Officials in Xinjiang and China's ministry of public security were not immediately available for comment.
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Chinese-media-blames-Syrian-government-rebels-for-Xinjiang-violence-318292
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