CHINA-INTERNAL: XINJIANG OFFERS REWARDS FOR IDENTIFYING 'TERRORISTS'
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On March 17, 2017, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that authorities in the Xinjiang-Uyghur Autonomous Region are offering hefty sums of cash to would-be tipsters on terrorist activities. A statement dated February 23, but obtained recently by RFA disclosed that the Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture government had said 100 million yuan (U.S. $14.5 million) had been set aside to reward residents reporting “suspicious” acts following the knife attack a week earlier in Guma (Pishan) county. The statement said: “Our region will create an anti-terror defense front composing every ten families as a unit, and an anti-terror reward fund in order to encourage the masses to actively provide tips related to terrorism. Tip providers will receive anywhere from 150 yuan (U.S. $22) to 500,000 yuan (U.S. $72,426), depending upon the importance and usefulness of the tip on suspicious terrorist activity or suspicious individuals.” It guaranteed the anonymity of tip providers. The announcement added that anyone exposing high-ranking members of the community involved in suspicious activity will be handsomely rewarded for their information. It said: “Tip providers who report on ‘double-faced’ cadres, party members or ‘double-faced’ religious clergy will receive 200,000-500,000 yuan (U.S. $28,970-72,426).” Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo had earlier this year called for “severe punishment” of “double-faced” cadres and religious clergy in the region. A second announcement, issued on February 28 by the Chira (Cele) county government, said “Tip providers who report on the suspicious activities of individuals returning from overseas travel will receive 10,000 yuan (U.S. $1,449). Tip providers who report on individuals who refuse to greet, shake hands, socialize, let their children marry the children of, or attend the funerals of government cadres and patriotic religious clergy will receive 3,000 yuan (U.S. $435).” It also promised rewards of upto Yuan 3,000 to those who report individuals for having “stitched the ‘star and crescent moon’ insignia on their clothing or personal items” or the words “East Turkestan”—referring to the name of a short-lived Uyghur republic—on their mobile phone case, purse or other jewelry. Keriye and Lop (Luopu) counties in Hotan have also announced similar rewards. On Feb. 16, authorities in nearby Keriye (Yutian) county announced a move to add 254 additional auxiliary members to its police force, with 204 jobs reserved for ethnic Uyghurs and 50 spaces held for Han Chinese, local media reports said last week. |