China Sentences Journalist to Life in Prison for Reporting on Riots
- Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:05am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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BEIJING (AP) — A Uighur journalist who worked for an official Chinese radio service was sentenced to life imprisonment for transmitting information about the 2009 ethnic riots in western China — one of dozens jailed since the violence, an overseas Uighur advocacy group said.
Memetjan Abdulla, a 33-year-old journalist with the Uighur language service of China National Radio, was sentenced during a closed-door trial in April in Urumqui, Xinjiang’s capital, said Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Germany-based World Uyghur Congress.
Information about the sentencing has only recently emerged from local Uighurs, Raxit told the AP in an e-mail late Thursday.
Abdulla was charged with helping incite riots in July 2009 between Han Chinese and ethnic minority Uighurs in which nearly 200 people died, according to Radio Free Asia. The riots had followed Uighur protests over the beating deaths of factory workers in another part of China.
Abdulla translated a call issued by the World Uyghur Congress for Uighurs in exile to protest the beating deaths in their host countries. The call had appeared on a Chinese website, and Abdulla translated it and reposted it on a Uighur-language website that he managed, according to Radio Free Asia and Raxit.
The Uyghur Congress spokesman defended Abdulla as a journalist and expressed concern about his current condition.
“We demand the court release the details of the trial to the public,” Raxit said. “He was just carrying out his duty as a professional reporter. He challenged the authority’s information block and tried to let the public know more.”
An official at China National Radio in charge of publicity, surnamed Xu, said he was unaware of the case and referred questions to the personnel department. Calls there went unanswered Friday.
Officials at the Urumqi Intermediate People’s Court also denied knowledge of the case.
China has sentenced dozens of people for their involvement in the riots, most of them Uighurs. The riots were the deadliest outbreak of violence in Xinjiang in years, and China blamed the violence on overseas-based groups agitating for broader rights for Uighurs in the province.
Ethnic tensions have simmered in western Xinjiang for years, with many Uighurs resentful of Beijing’s heavy-handed rule. China says it respects minority rights and has boosted living standards and economies in minority areas such as Xinjiang.
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Comments (55)
Jere
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 6:38pmAnd why is it that they call China an emerging Democrasy. Oh I got it its cause they are told to call China that at the point of a gun, Wonder what China is going to do when our overspending gov. files for bankruptcy.
Report Post »northalamo
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 5:58pmSounds like our very near future.
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 5:51pmI fear that an attempt to silence anti government sentiment & opinions is starting here. The FCC is our Chinese communist government. The Chinese do not mess around. If it is true that the problems over there are being caused by muslims, they are going to find out real quickly that they have met their match.
Report Post »JohnnyJT
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 5:20pmThey need to put some Liberal Communist DemonCrat News Reporters in JAIL
Report Post »woodyb
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 4:37pmSo much for China joining the association of civilized nations!!!!!!!
Report Post »melli50
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 2:24pmAnd Big Sis is right in step with the Chinese with her gestapo tactics with regard to the pilot who posted the anti-TSA YouTube video. She had is house searched for starters and who knows what else. He’ll likely face charges. We no longer have to look across the Pacific to see outrageous things being perpetrated on private citizens. It’s going on right here in our own backyard.
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on December 25, 2010 at 9:02amIt’s that GD Patriot act ! And a bunch of week in the knee Cowards who thing the govt can
Report Post »make them safe, when their cry’s for more laws has doomed them to experience the
very terrors they fear so much.
When the dollar collapse’s, or there is a man made Flu pandemic, these cowards who
always cried for giving up our rights to protect them will not fair well with the
well prepared patriots.
DUI laws started the decline of our freedom in order to please these MAD members
they may as well be Commi‘s or NAZI’s forcing roadblocks and forcing citizens to
give up blood and breath thus establishing GUILTY until you prove your Innocent .
We are now seeing the effects of giving police those powers.
I hope the Soccer mom’s realize what is in their future.
At least we have scans of their Naked bodies now.
Eyeball
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 2:20pmWhat can you expect from the Chi-Coms. Imaging how many people are in prison there for doing nothing other than ticking off some official.
Report Post »tobefreeinmt
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 1:36pmHow heart warming! Do you like Chinese food? No? Well, get used to it.
Report Post »Merry Christmas from the U.S.of C.!
ObserverOnTheHill
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 1:15pmComing soon to a theater near you !
Report Post »TaterSalad
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 11:18amWhile China was sentencing this journalist to life in prison, Barack Obama was bowing and kissing the azz of Chinas’ president and borrowing billions $$ to fund His pet projects here in the states. Pathetic!
Report Post »5410amh
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 11:11amchina owns the U.S. I‘m surprised the haven’t repocessed us!
Report Post »shellmen
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 10:27amSoon to be seen right here if barney and al s have their way. Anybody that says we donot need Rush and Glen should have their heads examened.
Report Post »blacksmith
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 10:05amUighurs are muslim. China is communist. Pick your poison in this story. The enemy of my enemy is not my friend! Oppressed by sharia or communism, what is the difference? Live free or die! Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees!
Report Post »colorado uprising
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 10:04amComing soon to a town news blog near you.
Report Post »mtnclimberjim
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 9:36amAnd this stupid reporter forgot he was in china? What did he expect, dumb ass. Did he do this to make a point? Hope you got to tell your family bye bye. Call cigar bill, maybe he can come over and get your dumb ass out.
Report Post »mcpbob
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:20amGeorge Soros “SPOOKY DUDE” says China is the model for success…
Report Post »starman70
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:56amHIS model!
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 11:03amWhat else would you expect out of Soros? Everyone now knows what this guy is.
Report Post »goodinohio
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:16amIn America they just call for the murder of people that publish things the dictators don’t like.
Report Post »silveracer44
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:23amTrue.
Report Post »burnteye86
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:04am“…officials denied knoledge of the case..” Well, wouldn’t you?
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:54amAnd the “New World Order” Led by the “CHI-COMS”. A revolution coming to a country near you.
Report Post »chickster
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:46amThis is exactly what the FCC czar wants for us. Net nutrality is just the begining.
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:30amAnd tha lot of that Trillions was used to buy bonds back from China so they would not
Report Post »be holding them when interest rates sky rocket and the bonds WE bought
will be worthless, then China in about 10 years can buy all national forest land and parks
thus taking possession of the Country they own, that is the reason there will
be a push to empty all rural populations into cities, then what happens outside the city
can be secret.Ask yourself What is the collateral for these loans ?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1341110/Fresh-humiliation-euro-zone-China-says-bail-debt-ridden-nations.html
VanGrungy
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 9:14amyup… you have it projected correctly..
That’s why Mr. Maurice ‘Agenda 21’ Strong lives in China…
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:19amDid you NeoCons know ?
HOMEOWNER TAX HIKE COMING – Homeowners who don’t itemize deductions on their taxes will be like step-kids at grandma’s Christmas come January first, when they find themselves left out of the Oprah’s Favorite Favorite Things that Congress just celebrated. The standard mortgage interest deduction — which was claimed by about 15 million households last year — is expiring and, despite the efforts of Max Baucus, didn’t make it into the tax-cut deal. “I think it’s only fair that it be in there. Itemizers get it, but lower and middle income people, who are really strapped, don’t,” Baucus told HuffPost Hill. “Second, you’ve got the housing market which is still in a bit of flux.” — That’s one way to put it. “I was not directly involved in that negotiation. That was the Vice President and Senator McConnell, basically. …I‘m disappointed that it was dropped out and I’m going to keep fighting for it.” This year? “I’m going to try this year, but, you know, we’ll see.”
Good thing we save the rich from a tax increase
Report Post »See I told you all somebody WILL PAY THE FED BACK THEIR TRILLIONS !
guyperram
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:47amChump change compared to the “tax” they will extract from all of us through the inflation they claim doesn’t exist. Been to the grocery store lately, or the gas station.
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 10:19amAree with you GUY
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 10:20amAgree damn key board, made in china junk
Report Post »calijohn
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 5:45pmwrong
Report Post »guyperram
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:18amAmerica; look at your future. Months, not years.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:54amAmen! How long before “Net Neutrality” has us all in re-education camps. If Soros, the Bronze God or the ******* socialists have their way, that is what will be happening!
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:18amThe affection our politicians have for China certainly has nothing to do with basic human rights. It’s all about the money and power. Our deficit as it relates to borrowed money from China seems a lot more important when you read a story like this.
Report Post »BoilitDown
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:38amEssentially, we are partially funding these offenses in human rights. We are enablers. Our government’s policies in economics an tolerance for China hurts the entire world.
Report Post »I still lay a lot of this at the feet of the Clinton administration for their give aways in technology and know how.
JimOhio
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 1:45pmNot only do our poliiticians have an affection for China, so do our business leaders as they have exported our manufacturing base to China in the last decade. Kinda hard to discern to what degree greed played in over stupidity.
Report Post »JimOhio
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 2:11pmTo your last point BOILITDOWN, I agree re- much blame lies at the feet of the Clinton administration. I pesonally know one business man who had a company of 400 plus employees that closed not because he wanted to ship jobs overseas. His particular company could no longer compete after Bill Clinton signed NAFTA so it eventually just folded and went out of business.
Report Post »calijohn
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 4:20pmnafta was signed by the 3 countries involved in dec, 1992. george h w bush signed for the u s.
Report Post »the bill was ratified by congress with overwhelming republican support in 1993 and was signed into law by clinton in the same year.
remember, congress ratifies treaties.
calijohn
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 4:26pmalso, less than one half the democrats in the house and senate supported the bill. it passed due to republican support, not because of dem support or bill clinton.
Report Post »it began under a republican administration and was made law with republican complicity.
tower7femacamp
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:13amChina is our new God, they lead and we follow
Report Post »MR_ANDERSON
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:37amHmm, in the upcoming change the world is going to see, I wonder if Democracy and freedom might actually spread. While I know it defies all odds, I will pray for it.
Report Post »Conservativeman
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 7:40amJournalists want protection for bias reporting. I don’t think so. Sorry for the guy but he wasn’t reporting, he was supporting a cause. American journalism is almost dead. The lamestream media is partly responsible for this and the journalist profession is at fault for bias coverage. When journalism returns to an ethical and unbiased profession then it will again have a moral voice in condemning oppression.
Report Post »Reagan/Demint.deciple
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:16amNet neutrality..??? Is this what’s going to happen in the U.S ?? It starts with “ net neutrality” and then with T.V and then the papers…. Don’t ya just love the REDS ???
Report Post »MiketheTrucker
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 8:51amDoes it need to be said?
Coming soon to a journalist near you.
Report Post »dwh320
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 9:50amHere is a headline soon for a place near you…
U.S. SENTENCES JOURNALIST TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR REPORTING ON RIOTS AND VOTER FRAUD
Report Post »mrkeys1962
Posted on December 24, 2010 at 2:32pmChina has changed the ever popular star wars quote from “these are not the droids you are looking for” to “droid? What droid? There is no droid.”
Report Post »*************************
Posted on December 25, 2010 at 2:34amSo THAT’S why our Liberal-biased news media doesn’t REPORT any more. They‘re practicing for when Obama’s commies finally take over America!
boss TAGGART: “I got it! I know how we can run everyone out of Rock Ridge.”
Report Post »HEDLEY LAMARR: “How?”
boss TAGGART: “We’ll kill the first born male child in every household.”
HEDLEY LAMARR [thinks a moment, shakes head 'no']: “Too Jewish.”
Truth4Peace
Posted on December 25, 2010 at 9:32pmShame on anyone who buys products made in China…Please do not send aid(American Dollars) to these brutal agents of Communism.
Report Post »