Forget bad human rights PR from the likes of Steven Spielberg. According to Xinhua and the Canadian Press, the biggest challenge to Beijing 2008 Games comes from…Uighur separatists?
China believes terrorism is the biggest threat facing the Olympic Games and has called for closer international co-operation to prevent possible attacks. While not a traditional target of international terrorism, Beijing faces a growing long-term threat from Islamic separatists among the Uighur population in western China’s Xinjiang region.
“This year poses a challenging test. We have scheduled massive training programs before the Olympics to better prepare against any possible threat,” an officer from the General Staff Headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army said, according to Xinhua.
According to the article, China is getting advice in this effort from the FBI.
