Reuters was talking about this little nugget:

http://news.cctv.com/china/20080322/100104.shtml

(b) Han Chinese students were killed by Uyghurs in Kuqa, and (c) a Han Chinese policeman was killed in Kuqa by Uyghurs. Probably nothing to these whispers, but anxiety creates this kind of wild-fire rumor mongering.

I've been roaming around Kuche for 3 days and haven't heard or seen anything like this. There are plenty of policemen walking around but that's all I can see.

I'm just outside of Urumqi and a fellow chinese teacher just called saying the no. 16 bus exploded and not to leave my apartment.

anyone else got word about this?

@davesgonechina & @SittingHere: Thanks!

@Indine: This is getting weird. Let me know if you hear anything!

My only friend in Urumqi has turned off his phone. Has anyone else confirmed an explosion?

Several news outlets are calling the bus explosion business a rumor. Here are all the news stories at Baidu.

I also have an acquaintance who said he'd check the rumored location out. I haven't heard from him yet, but I think he would've contacted me if he found a smoking crater.

I thought about the possibility that the government may be trying to cover it up and it really did happen. But really in a modern China with cell phone cameras I'm more inclined to believe them in this situation.

Bush the Manchurian candidate has deliberately laid the country low.
Bush delivered a one two punch. First he sold out our energy
independence to Saudi Arabia. Second he got us in to a protracted
and costly and needless war which necessitated our selling debt
to China. On top of all tha Bush created the largest entitlement
program in history. He has been pissing away our money, our
freedoms and our sovereignty. Even though we were attacked
on Sept 11th by Saudis, Osama is Saudi, and the homicide bombers
in Iraq are Saudis, Bush's only response is to get on his
knees and beg the Saudi princes to have mercy. And now that
China is brutalizing Tibet, Bush who was so quick to
criticize a worthless dictator in Iraq and begin a war
over things such has Hussein's civil right record, is
scared crapless to say "boo" to China. Why? Well the
fall of Bear Stearn nearly toppled the economy. If we threatened
to boycott the Olympics over Tibet, China could threaten to
call in all their markers on our debt. There would
literally be a run on the bank as other nations followed the
Chinese lead, and we would have the great depression. In
my personal opinion Bush and Cheney can assert Mission
Accomplished in two areas. One: their oil and corporate
buddies have record profits. Two: the foreign masters
who have purchased Bush and Cheney's souls have the US on the brink
of ruin. Heckuva job Dubya. In my opinion.

Michael,

I probably expect things will be very ugly for China this year due to High Olympic exposure. Since 2001, most of anti-China types were planning for all kind of acts and they had a very good coordination and planning.

There are East Turkistan independence movements, Free Tibet campaigners, Falung Gong, pro-Democracy types in HK and overseas, Human Right watchers, Reporters without Borders, Darfur activists, Burma activists, anti-North Korea types, etc., you name it.

In top of it, puts Western mainstream media and politicans on top of it. So expect China takes a beating in short term. But long term wise, China is just 10 years away from the Superpower status, it needs some strong nationalism and anti-West sentiments to solidify the country. Then I believe that Chinese people will dish out for revenge.

It has nothing to do with the post, but I need to comment on poetry's assertion regarding Saudi Arabia. Yes, Osama is a Saudi, and yes, the majority of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, but Osama is has been exiled from Saudi Arabia and maintains a worse relation with the Crown Prince than with the US. The idea that the US should cut diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia because a person exiled from that nation over a decade ago is idiotic. I would even call it a form of racism.

Now then, onto the article. It is true that Western news outlets are generally biased against the PRC, but then again, the PRC is the most murderous regime in human history, so perhaps the bias is a wee bit deserved. My assertion is true, by the way. Check the stats (although that might be difficult for Mainland Chinese. I'm not real clear on how deep the censorship laws go).

Arrgh. Code screwed me. Michael, can you somehow edit my post so that only the "is" in "my assertion is true" is italicized? Also delete the superfluous "is". Thanks.

Done.

Tiako,

I am gonna pull a Bill Clinton and ask you what the definition of "is" is.

Are you saying PRC under Hu and Wen is the most murderous regime in the world?

Or PRC is the most murderous regime in 2008?

we are talking about Western media bias against China NOW. Not Mao's China or Deng's China, even Jiang Pand Bear Ziemin's China.

I lived through the late 70s and all of 80s. Trust me it was whole different world back then.

My students in class today and my boss both confirmed that the bus no. 17 exploded - maybe near da bazaar. it was in the urumqi newspaper they said. but they don't know the death toll and didnt give me any other details. i can't read the newspaper since it's in chinese.

The Guardian is saying it was all hearsay, and yes, without an pictures, i'd be inclined to go along with the story.

I couldn't find anything on the guardian site. can you paste a link?

aljazeera.net
Xinjiang: China's 'other Tibet'
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5FAE9CCA-59AC-4A39-8E32-2A273DB0CD58.htm

Now this is getting annoying my friend in urumqi says it is real. Anyone see it or the aftermath?

Sounds like bullshit to me...

Both stories have police as the only source.
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&ncl=1145763679

@LNDINE: http://sport.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7410162,00.html

Yeah it's in the sports section, I guess cuz of the mention of the Olympics.

Another recent article I came across from the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/News/World/article/349844

Here's the story from Xinhua:

Xinjiang police detains "Urumqi bus blast" rumor spreaders
25 March 2008
Xinhua News Agency

URUMQI, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Police have detained individuals suspected of spreading Urumqi bus blast rumors, said an official with the Public Security Bureau of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Tuesday.

Liu Yaohua, the bureau chief, told a news conference that it's business as usual in Xinjiang, and the bus blast rumor is just "sheer nonsense".

Liu said that subversive leaflets appeared in the region's capital city Urumqi, aiming to fabricate rumors and sabotage social stability.

He said Xinjiang has enjoyed political stability, economic growth, ethnic unity and social harmony over these years. It is right in the best development stage.

He said the local police have the confidence and the ability to maintain social stability in Xinjiang.

••••
So, I guess that's the end of the rumor.

@Cao: Yes, I am using the entire history of the PRC. So, one could argue that I am being unfair to Hu & Co. But there are two ways I am justified: One, Hu & Co. are the direct descendants of Mao, members of the Party he formed. And more importantly, Hu & Co., far from condemning Mao's actions, have encouraged his personality cult.

Furthermore, you can't just forget the actions of the Party during the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. We can't just say "It's in the past, forget about it."

Back on topic, I can see no real reason why the police would cover up a bus bombing. It doesn't really stand to benefit from a cover up, so their story is likely true. But then again, the testimony of the Urumqinians is a touch worrying.

Chinese Regime Implicated in Staging Violence in Lhasa
Witness identifies policeman who played part of 'rioter'
http://www.tibetcustom.com/article.php/20080325080400437

Somebody desperately want to spam the whole www with this "violence staged" story.

I must say I am terribly disappointed in the Chinese people on this matter. They are usually very adept consumers of information, moreso than in the West. The reason being that they know they are being lied to, while many Westerners are blind to that fact. Here however, nationalism is clouding the wise judgment of the people.

Just as you have been disappointed in the American response to Bush's lies, as have I, you have been led astray by propaganda and fear in this case. It is terrible that rioters are focusing their rage on innocent Han and others, but I predict that your opinions will change with time, as have ours.

We have come to see that while it was tragic when Native Americans killed settlers and cowboys, they had every right to do so. Yes, they did horrible things, but they were defending their way of life. That's what we would have done, what you would have done, and what the Tibetans are doing now. No one likes being subjugated. Deal with it.

The only reason we historically could pull if off is because disease did most of our dirty work for us. That's the real world. We all need the Chinese people to join in the global society, but that requires that the government abandon it's silly, anachronistic tendencies and embrace the more profitable Western form of enslavement.

The powers that be will do fine. I don't understand why they think otherwise. They probably believe our propaganda, just as people here think that China's corrupt Stalinist empire is "communist" in any reasonable sense of the word. Communism is ultimately just an inefficient and doomed form of fascism.

While you may whine about the U.S. government's actions, throughout the nation there were huge opposition rallies peacefully protesting. In Stalinist China, no such thing would have been allowed. Grow up and fast. It isn't hundreds of years ago anymore and your excuses don't hold water. What are you afraid of?

@Jeremy,

Save your energy. LOL.

@Everyone else,

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/JC26Ad02.html

i was watching a show on cctv9, i forget what its called but the host often interviews 2 guests. the host mentioned the dalai lama and muslim uighur collusion.

DEATH in Ngaba

http://thesouloftibet.blogspot.com/2008/03/eight-dead-bodies-brought-into-ngaba.html

Disturbing photos of dead lamas in Sichuan

http://www.tchrd.org/

May their souls rest in peace:

http://www.tchrd.org/press/2008/pr20080318c.html

@Jeremy:
We all need the Chinese people to join in the global society ...

Chinese are 1/5 of the humanity, Chinese ARE part of the global society. It wouldn't be a global society without the Chinese, it would only be "western society". So sorry, Jeremy, Chinese don't need nor require you or anybody else's permission to be part of global society. "Global society" isn't some invitation only fraternity club. China defines a very large part of the so called "global society", whether you like it or not.

@ james the lesser:

you should try reposting "news" from epochtimes, they got more juicy stuff than tchrd.

How Do You Say "Repression" In Mandarin?

March 26, 2008(The New Republic) This column was written by Joshua Kurlantzick.

With Tibet still simmering -- Lhasa is in ruins and at least 100 people have reportedly died in various skirmishes over the last two weeks -- the Chinese government has accused the Dalai Lama's associates of collusion with terrorist organizations. "The Dalai Lama is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics hostage to force the Chinese Government to make concessions to Tibet independence," read an editorial in the state-sponsored People's Daily. The charges, though absurd - it's the Dalai Lama - are hardly unique. In fact, they're of a piece with a new tactic the Chinese government seems to have developed: using Olympic security as an excuse to crack down, beyond any sense of proportion, on its "enemies."

Take the case of the Uighurs, a Muslim ethnic group located primarily in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang. (Though primarily Buddhist, Confucian, and atheist, China has a Muslim population of one to two percent.) Earlier this month, China announced that Uighur terrorists had targeted the Games, a claim that understandably drew headlines around the world. Given the Games' horrific history of terrorist attacks, many sporting fans probably breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that the Chinese authorities had busted a plot hatched by militant separatists. Wang Lequan, the top Communist Party official in Xinjiang, told the Associated Press that materials seized had described a plot with a purpose "specifically to sabotage the staging of the Beijing Olympics." But the details of the terror plot don't seem be so clear cut, and Wang provided little to justify his claims.

Terrorism clearly could threaten the Games. And there are obvious grievances in western China. In the early and mid-1990s, Uighurs in Xinjiang launched large-scale riots and attacked and even killed Chinese officials. But by the end of the 1990s, the Chinese authorities had crushed most Uighur movements, often through extremely harsh methods, like public executions. Many leading Uighur activists fled to neighboring Central Asian states, and the last major Uighur attacks were roughly a decade ago.

By the turn of the millennium, Beijing had not only driven away most Uighur separatists, but also decimated Uighur culture. In traditional Uighur cities like Kashgar, a vibrant bazaar town on the border of Central Asia, the authorities tore down Uighur stalls across the central square, where Muslim men once gathered for open-air shaves before heading to the central mosque. The local government replaced them with a bland plaza patrolled by Chinese troops. In another unpopular move, Beijing offered financial incentives for ethnic Chinese migrants to come to the province and set up businesses. Now, ethnic Chinese dominate nearly all big businesses in the region.

Uighurs who spoke out against these policies were punished severely, and, as a result, a veil of fear shades most conversations. When I have traveled to Xinjiang, I found few Uighur acquaintances willing to meet me in public. Even in private, many would turn up music before venting their anger at Chinese policies, to ensure no one could hear.

After 9/11, Beijing clearly saw an opportunity. Pledging its support to the global war on terror, China pushed the U.S. to put an obscure Uighur group, called ETIM, on the State Department's watchlist of global terrorist organizations. (Some Xinjiang analysts doubt whether ETIM even exists.) Shamefully, in 2002, the State Department agreed, and later provided Chinese intelligence with access to Uighurs detained at Guantanamo Bay, who were later deemed innocent.

With the power of the U.S. behind it, Beijing has launched an even harsher crackdown since 2002. As chronicled in an extensive report by Human Rights Watch, Chinese authorities have put Uighurs "under wholesale assault by the state" in the past several years. Uighur religious leaders were arrested, tortured, and even executed, just for practicing their religion, HRW noted. Other Uighurs have been locked up following mass round-ups. Prominent secular Uighur leaders like Rabeeya Kadeer, a well-known businesswoman, were locked up as well. And by linking the Xinjiang repression to terrorism, HRW found, Beijing was able to justify its actions to most average Chinese: "This perception [of Uighurs as terrorists] seems to have now become dominant with the Chinese public, which because of the lack of a free media has little ability to compare sources of information and come to independent judgments about this claim."

If the success the Chinese have had in playing up the terrorist "plot" against the Games is any indication, the Olympics may offer Beijing a chance to whitewash its Xinjiang repression for a broader, global public. Never mind that ETIM may not exist, or that most experts consider the threat of terrorism, even during the Olympics, in China to be low - the Chinese government knows that hyping the threat of violence at the Olympics provides them a once-in-a-generation opportunity to justify their repressive tendencies and antagonize old enemies anew. Don't be surprised, then, to hear about the peaceful Dalai Lama - or, say, Falun Gong - "plotting" more nefarious deeds as the Opening Ceremonies get closer.

By Joshua Kurlantzick

Stupid white cunts posting all kinds of garbage on China. Fuck all you white devils & may god curse you to death. From now on we cannot wait for a war with US/UK/France/Germany etc. Bring on your soldiers to face us in China instead of hinding behind these poor monkey Tibetans & use them to die for your evil scheme. We would really itch/long to slit the throats of you white devils & drag them naked through our streets. Be a fucking man & let's come for a good fight!

Botcott London 2012! Banish all white settlers from North America/Australia/New Zealand!

Bingster, I think you are missing the point completely but you're absolutely right when you say China are 1/5th of the world community. Thus, they have the ability to influence and change the fluid international system. So, it is in the international communities interests to ensure they respect human rights and follow the fundemental rights of your constitution and the international covenants China has signed. I think it is great that China is rising, but if it continues to ignore its obligations to the international community it will loose much face; much respect.

Twenty bucks says Mainlander is from Dayton.

Bingster, what is meant by joining the "global community" is not having a large population, but interacting with other nations in a generally cordial way. China is still remarkably insulated, although I grant that it has come a long way and is absolutely on the right track.

Incidentally, don't try to mention US foreign relations. Bush is only heavy handed by the highest of standards. Compare him to, say, Putin and Chavez and he seems the very definition of restraint.

A couple years ago a bus exploded in Fuzhou. It was not in the news, but I know several people who saw it happen live and took pictures. It would seem to reason that if the Urumqi blast really did happen, there would be cell phone pics floating around somewhere.

The population of North America prior to the first sustained European contact in 1492 CE is a matter of active debate. Various estimates of the pre-contact Native population of the continental U.S. and Canada range from 1.8 to over 12 million. 4 Over the next four centuries, their numbers were reduced to about 237,000 as Natives were almost wiped out. Author Carmen Bernand estimates that the Native population of what is now Mexico was reduced from 30 million to only 3 million over four decades. 13 Peter Montague estimates that Europeans once ruled over 100 million Natives throughout the Americas.

European extermination of Natives started with Christopher Columbus' arrival in San Salvador in 1492. Native population dropped dramatically over the next few decades. Some were directly murdered by Europeans. Others died indirectly as a result of contact with introduced diseases for which they had no resistance -- mainly smallpox, influenza, and measles.

Later European Christian invaders systematically murdered additional Aboriginal people, from the Canadian Arctic to South America. They used warfare, death marches, forced relocation to barren lands, destruction of their main food supply -- the Buffalo -- and poisoning. Some Europeans actually shot at Indians for target practice. 14

Oppression continued into the 20th century, through actions by governments and religious organizations which systematically destroyed Native culture and religious heritage. One present-day byproduct of this oppression is suicide. Today, Canadian Natives have the highest suicide rate of any identifiable population group in the world. Native North Americans are not far behind.

The genocide against American Natives was one of the most massive, and longest lasting genocidal campaigns in human history. It started, like all genocides, with the oppressor treating the victims as sub-humans. It continued until almost all Natives were wiped of the face of the earth, along with much of their language, culture and religion.

With regards to the historical population of ethnic Tibetans, the Chinese government claims that according to the First National Census conducted in 1954, there were 2,770,000 ethnic Tibetans in China, including 1,270,000 in the TAR; whereas in the Fourth National Census conducted in 1990, there were 4,590,000 ethnic Tibetans in China, including 2,090,000 in the TAR. These figures are used to support the claim that the Tibetan population has doubled since 1951.[130]

Such claims are consistent the general trend of ethnic minorities experiencing significantly higher population growth rates than the majority Han population. Their proportion of the population in China has grown from 6.1% in 1953, to 8.04% in 1990, 8.41% in 2000 and 9.44% in 2005. Recent surveys indicate that the population growth rate for ethnic minorities is about 7 times greater than that for the Han population.

This sis great piec blogmeister. Really good to see the connections. Outstanding that suppressing ethnic unrest leads to promotion and HIGH promotion. The big stick rules. Didnt some one kinda say that about the barrel of a gun? James

My, my, Mainlander's charming words must be kept for posterity. Talk about a Han Chauvinist or should I say fascist. This specious argument is often used by this "Han" type 'yu white bastards took the land off the maori, aboriginal and Indians- so why cant we- hmmmm---seee?

at least in the west some centuries after the genocide we can now critique it- shall we wait until there are no more Tibetans or Uyghur or Kazaks left for that to happen in China. Because the west committed cultural genocide does not exonerate the Chinese from that very practice today nor justify it - Mainlander: get stuffed, and return to China yu fuckin sick little hypocrite.

James the second

@James, I totally understand the anger of mainlander. I feel the White Americans have a fascist attitude to Black Americans as well. They argue that they didn't involve slavery and killing of Blacks. That is the past. They claim that they are innocent and refuse to acknowledge how he/she benefits from the socially previledged whiteness, which was a historical residue that you can NEVER erase. To me, this type of racial indifference or racial blindness is the most dangerous and invisible fascism indeed.

@Jimba_the_hut:
China has 1.3 billion people. According to the global community you proposed, China should deserve the most powerful influence over global issues. But, the reality is that the US exerts its political and military hegemony.
Not only that, a regular Chinese citizen has no right to put pressure over the US. A regular US citizen like you can speak about China issue, as if you are more brilliant and moral than any Chinese. You are telling Chinese the "right" thing to do.
So, the problem is not about whether China can carry its international obligation or not, it is about the US, including US citizens, believe they have the ability and obligation to tell others what to do. When you are expecting China to carry its obligation, I hope you rethink whether you are overly extended your own "obligation" to assign obligations for others. I also hope, you can talk to Chinese people as an individual rather than talk through the diplomatic rhetoric of your state. Otherwise, I guarantee you will keep encounter Chinese nationlist hatred in both virtual and secular life.

Fxxx your James Pond shxt!

Get your fxxx idiot logic straight b4 you have right to talk here.

"at least in the west some centuries after the genocide we can now critique it- shall we wait until" You are self licking only, and is ready to
kill other races all the time with your bloody beaming wolf eyes !!!

Let me get the fact straight for you, if we han people were like your fxxx whites, there would have no more Tibetans or Uyghur or Kazaks left
in China !!! So got that? Han Chinese is 1000times more benevolent than you wolf whites in nature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Got more??? Minorities population have been growing faster than han Chinese, get your 0.001 IQ head cured before coming here to shit!!!

Another one emerges - this time no western name- just pure "HAN" AND HOW PISSED OFF IS SHE? Dear HAN try: STERILIZATION, FORCED ABORTIONS - CHILDREN BEING RIPPED FROM THEIR MOTHER'S WOMBS IN XINJIANG. So as they will not exceed the 3 child limit in the country side- while unabated Han in migration is allowed. Give me a break. I hope yu are not sterilized? Are yu darling? James

re: Queers' last post. Queer whats happened to you? - yu are starting to sound sensible and rational. Or is "Han" an alter - ego for all the former chauvinists to now vent their spleen and inferiority complexes? Anyway If I am wrong PLEASE KEEP IT UP. Love, James

ddegner !!! you are not a good man,when you had been in hotan,we said that oll uighur are pro-china,not pro-american.you lied in your artical.i dont like you,you cheatted oll uyghur.you are a lier!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.we dont like china,never like beijing olympic game.and never like lier like you!!!!!!!!get out off!go to hell!!!!!!!!!!1