China "Foils" Terrorists

I just read a story that claims that China has nabbed 82 people from 5 different terrorist groups ready to wreak havoc and sabotage the Olympics.

This information was gathered from the state-run Xinhua news agency.

"Police in the regional capital also detained 66 gang members of the 'three evil forces' of terrorism, separatism and extremism, and destroyed 41 training bases of 'holy war' from January to June," Xinhua quoted Chen as saying. But is that 66 part of the 82, or are we not adding that up right? Does it matter?

The government says it has foiled a string of terrorist plots this year hatched from Xinjiang, a mainly Muslim region where Beijing accuses militant Uighurs of working with al Qaeda to bring about an independent state called East Turkestan.

Xinhua on Wednesday said that Chinese police had shot and killed five people they said were seeking "holy war" against the country's dominant Han Chinese.

In April, public security officials said authorities had foiled plots to kidnap athletes and carry out suicide attacks during August's Games. China earlier said had foiled a plan by Uighur separatists to bring down a Beijing-bound plane. ...which was reported on Blasphemes for you there.

Many Uighurs resent the migration of Han Chinese to the region and government controls on their religion and culture.

However,

Uighur advocacy groups deny separatists are plotting attacks in Xinjiang and accuse China of embarking on a pre-Olympic security skull cracking targeting activists seeking greater freedom for the region.

"What China claims simply is not true," said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress. "Wanting to boycott the Games is not the same as wanting to damage them."

Some Uighurs and Tibetans claim they are being targetted indiscriminately ahead of the Olympics. On Tuesday, China deported a British Tibetan woman it said was a key member of a pro-Tibet independence group. She denies the allegations.

But,

Beijing's Olympic security chief on Monday said homegrown "terror groups", including Uighur militants, Tibetan groups and Falun Gong followers, posed the greatest security risk to the Games starting on Aug. 8.

Conclusion?

A little from column A, a little from column B.
Either way, it gives me great pleasure to finally be able to post my picture of Chinese troops on Segways!