Well-known Uyghur professor of Economics accused of separatism

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) criticizes the fact that China has now formally accused the well-known Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti of separatism. "The charge of separatism is an act of arbitrariness – and it will further poison the co-existence of Han Chinese and Uyghur people in the multiethnic state of China. Tohti acted as a mediator between the different cultures and is also well-known among European diplomats. An attempt to imprison him for several years must either be mindless or an act of provocation to stir up more violence," said Ulrich Delius, the STP's Asia-consultant, in Göttingen on Wednesday. "We urge the German Federal Government and the European Union to protest against the arbitrary legal proceedings and to demand Ilham Tohti's immediate release."

"By means of his renowned blog, Ilham Tohti had always tried to advocate for a peaceful coexistence of the Uyghur and the Han Chinese. His website, which is in Chinese, tries to explain the concerns of the Uyghur population to a broad audience and thus to build a bridge between the cultures. He stands for equality – and he contradicts the Chinese policy of labeling all Uyghurs as "terrorists", making him a potential threat in the eyes of the Chinese security apparatus. "Yesterday evening, his wife sent a message from Beijing, informing us that the authorities had officially accused Ilham Tohti of separatism."

The most prominent critical voice of the Uyghurs in the People's Republic of China is threatened with being imprisoned for ten years or even a life sentence. He might even be sentenced to death if the trial were to focus on particular guilt.

The fact that the Chinese government has condemned an alleged increase of violence in the Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, which is mainly inhabited by Muslim Uyghurs, seems especially implausible because China's authorities are trying everything to stir up new tensions in the north-west of the country at the same time. 39 people were killed in politically motivated violence in the conflict region of Xinjiang since the beginning of January 2014 – and 254 people died in clashes between the Chinese security forces and the indigenous Uyghur population since the beginning of 2013.

The professor of Economics was arrested in Beijing on January 15, 2014, after he had been put under house arrest or threatened by the security authorities several times before.