Bomb blasts rock Beijing
The Chinese government has launched another campaign to "fight crime" after the capital was rocked by two bomb blasts in early March. The explosions followed three similar attacks on public buses in Urumqi, the capital of the north-west Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on February 25, which killed 19 people, and anti-Beijing riots in another Xinjiang city, Yining, in early February.
Previous "anti-crime" campaigns have led to massive arrests and summary executions, terrorising the population.
Xinjiang officials have been quoted as saying that the independence movement has organised political parties, colluded with overseas groups, "infiltrated universities, middle schools, primary schools, factories, openly clamoured for and incited workers' strikes, teachers' strikes and student strikes".
Mining disaster in China
At least 86 workers were killed in early March while working underground in privately owned coal mines in the central Chinese province of Henan.
An explosion in one pit set off others in connecting shafts in the mine in Pingdingshan county, one of numerous badly maintained and poorly regulated mines. Up to 10,000 miners die each year in mine accidents. A quarter of coal mine casualties take place in unlicensed pits.
Turkey deports Iranian refugees
The Turkish government has begun to act on an arrangement with Iran to return asylum seekers, deporting 21 refugees on March 2 and handing a further 45 directly to the Iranian regime on March 14. All had been accepted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as legitimate asylum seekers after fleeing Iran in fear of arrest, torture and execution.
Ankara has issued a further 600 refugees with deportation notices. An activist with the International Federation of Iranian Refugees and Migrants Councils says that the government has begun arresting refugees "home by home".
The IFIRMC is demanding that the agreement be ended and international standards for the treatment of refugees be observed. Protest messages can be faxed to the Turkish embassy on (06) 239 6592, Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan on (90 312) 417 0476 or foreign affairs minister Tansu Ciller, (90 312) 419 1574.
Taiwan party passes Kuomintang
Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party now represents more people in the island's legislature than the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) after its victory in the March 15 by-election in Taoyuan county.
While holding only eight of 25 constituencies, the DPP now represents 50.16% of Taiwan's population, monopolising the northern seats which include the capital, Taipei. The DPP split in October, a keen pro-independence faction leaving to form the Taiwan Independence Party.
DPP secretary general Chiou I-jen said there is less need for his party to engage in radical measures because of its "increasing political influence". Last year, President Lee Teng-hui appointed a DPP leader as an adviser on foreign policy.
Bethlehem demonstration
On March 20, a student demonstration at Rachel's Tomb in Bethlehem, on the West Bank, called to protest against illegal Israeli construction activity on Abu Ghneim mountain, quickly turned violent as students threw stones at Israeli soldiers, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Hundreds of students pushed back police Palestinian and refused to end the confrontation.
According to the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), the Israeli army has been deployed in force in the region. Snipers were installed along the main street of Bethlehem. LAW is calling on the international community and the Israeli public to demand an immediate halt to the Israeli construction activity on the disputed mountain.