wfn.org | TCN: Taiwan holds prayer vigil for Uighur victims in China

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>

>Taiwan Church News

>2994 Edition

>July 13~19, 2009

Taiwan holds prayer vigil for Uighur victims in China

>Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

>Written by Lydia Ma

Taiwan United Nations Alliance (TAUNA) held a candlelight vigil on  July 13th for

Uighurs in Xinjiang, China, fighting for their human rights. Led  by William J.K. Lo,

former General Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan  (PCT) and

current Director of TAUNA, many gathered at Gi-Kong Presbyterian  Church to

pray for the life and safety of Uighurs and for real justice to  prevail as the Chinese

>government continues its clampdown.

A riot erupted on July 5th in Xinjiang, also known as East  Turkestan, and Chinese

officials responded with violent repression, highlighting ethnic  conflict and distrust

between Han and Uighur in that region. According to World Uighur  Congress, the

death toll is between 600 and 800, most of them Uyghur civilians.

In response to violence in Xinjiang, several PCT presbyteries and  human rights

groups called for a candlelight vigil and prayers. During the  vigil, Lo pointed out

that since the founding of the People’s Republic of China  over sixty years ago,

this country’s repressive and violent one-party regime has  never changed its

approach. Now that China has become a powerful country, its  increased

clampdown of Xinjiang and Tibet will also affect the national  stability of

surrounding countries in Asia and violent repressions like this  one should

>generate international concern.

Lo said that since the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights  proclaims that

every person has the right to life, freedom, and safety,  therefore, Taiwanese

people are willing to continue supporting minority groups  oppressed by Chinese

authorities. This is Taiwan’s way of helping others and  itself so that massacres

such as the February 28 Incident, which happened in Taiwan many  years ago,

>will not occur again.

According to former Shanghai East China Normal University  Professor Lin Bao-

hua, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is accustomed to using  peaceful

means before resorting to military force in its ultimate plan to  reunify lands it

considers its own. Lin currently lives in Taiwan and founded an  organization of to

fight against communism. He warned that China would try to show  goodwill

toward Taiwan at first but once it has reached its goal of  reunifying Taiwan, it will

deal with Taiwan in the same violent manner as witnessed in  Xinjiang.

Lin said that CCP was definitely responsible for the deaths of  Uighurs and Han

Chinese during recent protests because there were other means to  dispel

protesters, such as using tear gas, but the CCP chose to use  bullets instead,

which only escalated ethnic conflict and violence. Lin also  pointed out that CCP

authorities deliberately had foreign media report from designated  locations

during protests to distract viewers and make it seem as though  Uighurs were

training terrorists within Chinese territory. He cautioned  Taiwanese people to be

careful of CCP’s underhanded and carefully planned tactics.

West Amis Presbytery Shan-Mei Church’s pastor Rev. Mayaw  Komod said he

can relate to the plight of Uighurs because of his aboriginal  background. He

emphasized that without overwhelming courage and love that comes  from God

alone, aboriginals and Han Chinese cannot deal with or change  repressive,

>totalitarian regimes.

>********************

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local  languages.

You may translate and re-use our articles online only if you  acknowledge the source as "Taiwan Church News" and list the names of the  reporter and writer. Contact us before reprinting any of our articles  for print publications.

You may direct comments and questions to: enews@pctpress.org

Visit our website for more news at: http://enews.pctpress.org/  (English) http://www.pctpress.org (Chinese)

>********************

> 
>