CHINA. SEPARATISTS FACE DEATH PENALTY

November 12, 2007: A Chinese court has sentenced six “terrorists” to death or life imprisonment for separatist and terrorist activities, Xinhua reported.
The Intermediate People's Court of Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, held the first-instance trial on Novembre 8 and handed down the death penalty to three people, suspended death sentences to two and ordered life imprisonment for the other.
The six, described as members of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, were convicted of taking part in "separatist activities, illegally making explosives, and training up a terrorist camp" at a local court in the northwest Xinjiang region.
"In order to split the nation ... they carried out extreme religious activities and advocated holy war and established a terrorist training base," said the state media. The six people were part of a "terrorist group" captured by the Chinese police during a gun battle last January in southern Xinjiang.
They were also accused of storing 16 kilograms of explosives and making 67 grenades and two suicide bombs. (Sources: Xinhua, PressTV, 12/11/2007)