BISHKEK (TCA) — Authorities in China are taking tough measures against what they say are Uighur separatists and extremists in Xinjiang, but the persecution and crackdowns can backfire, making more Uighur Muslims join the ranks of such terrorist organizations as the Islamic State. We are republishing this article by Zachary Abuza* on China’s counter-terrorism policies, originally published by The Jamestown Foundation’s Terrorism Monitor:
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BISHKEK (TCA) — The Publisher’s note: Central Asia is an important geopolitical area between Europe, Russia and China. It is in Central Asia that world powers have confronted each other for centuries; it is here that China needs to succeed with its new Silk Road Belt for direct access to the Western markets; and it is here that a large wealth of raw materials has its origin. Every week thousands of news appears all over the world in printed and online media and it is quite understandable that many of them may escape the attention of busy readers. At The Times of Central Asia, we strongly believe that more information can better contribute to peaceful development and better knowledge of the region, and for this reason we are presenting this Weekly Digest of Central Asia which compiles what other media have reported during the past week.
LONDON (TCA) — A radical shift in domestic policy in and regarding China’s northwestern autonomous region of Xinjiang, replacing communal coexistence between Chinese “colonials” and the indigenous Uyghur population, is claimed by central authorities in Beijing to be aimed at lifting development and living standards of the entire population. This could negatively affect the mood among exiled Uyghur communities in neighboring states, and drive increasing parts of the Uyghur nation straight into the arms of sinister extremist organizations such as Daesh, Al-Qaeda and Taliban. Xinjiang has been a place of multiple headaches for the Chinese Government and here security and economics should complement rather than contradict each other and the current pressures of varying sources leave plenty of room for improvement.
Maria Levina
BISHKEK (TCA) — The Ministry of Healthcare of Kyrgyzstan has revealed financial violations in its structural subdivisions worth 44.5 million soms for the first seven months of this year, the press service of the ministry reports.
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ASTANA (TCA) — Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah during his official visit to Kazakhstan met with Kazakh officials and investors, with the sides having agreed on the expansion of trade and transit relations between the two countries, TOLOnews agency reported on August 18.
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BISHKEK (TCA) — The EU welcomes the swift ratification by Kyrgyzstan of an agreement that allows environmental remediation in a number of uranium legacy sites in the country to go ahead, the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic said on August 18.
