In the west we don't always have easy access to news coming out of China where the media is kept on a tight leash and forced to make concessions in what they cover in order to get any access at all. Despite this partial news blackout, events in trouble Xianjiang Province are escalating to the point where the Chinese government cannot keep a lid on what is turning into another grim chapter in their long history of human rights abuses.
Xianjiang's population of mostly muslim Uighurs has been seen as a potentially troublesome minority for decades and in an effort to keep the region under control and protect their access to energy resources, the Chinese government has been encouraging ethnic Han Chinese to move into the area and has been showing favoritism to these settlers over the Uighur natives in employment and providing government services. This has reached the point where the Uighurs have become increasingly ghettoized and demoted to a status as second-class citizens in their own homeland. In the Urumqi, the capital of Xianjiang, ethnic Chinese now outnumber the native Uighurs 7 to 1.
In recent weeks this situation has become more ugly, with riots breaking out in major cities, especially Urumqi. Mobs of Uighurs and Chinese settlers are roaming the streets and meeting in violent clashes while Chinese soldiers look on and make little effort to do more than contain the violence. In one case a Chinese mob caught brutalizing a lone Uighur even attacked an ABC news crew and police and soldiers chose not to intervene.
Exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer has been accused by the Chinese of inciting the violence, but she maintains that the Chinese are telling only one side of the story and that Uighurs are being forced to respond to violence from the Chinese population who are supported and protected by the government and military.
The current violence was spurred by a June 26th attack on Uighur factory workers in Guangdong province in which at least two Uighurs were killed by Chinese mobs. Protests have spread throughout Uighur populated areas, but protesting Uighurs often face violent reprisals from the more numerous Chinese population. There is certainly violence on both sides in the conflict, but with larger numbers and the tacit approval of the government and military the ethnic Chinese enjoy a considerable advantage. Bands of Chinese vigilantes roam the streets of the cities, attacking any Uighurs who venture out of their ghetto-like neighborhoods.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Glenn Contrarian
WAITAMINNIT!
Dave Nalle used AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL as a reference?!?!?!?
That begs the question as to whether he'd listen to what they said about torture during the Bush or about the death penalty?
Dave, there's hope for you yet, because by referencing Amnesty International, you've gone against the conservative tradition of ignoring anything liberals say not because of factual basis or lack thereof, but because it's liberals that said it.
2 - cqwefr
I really wish you know the truth before writing anything in the future.
3 - roger nowosielski
Add to that, Glenn, that Dave posted an article in the Culture section, where he does come across as a gentleman and a scholar, so yes, there's definitely hope for Dave so long as he steers clear of from politics - his ill-conceived hobbyhorse and the source of all ignominy.
Stick to culture, Dave, and let whatever political conclusions follow. It'd say it's a safer bet.
4 - Ruvy
In one case a Chinese mob caught brutalizing a lone Uighur even attacked an ABC news crew and police and soldiers chose not to intervene.
Were it not for the constant lying, villification and de-legitimization of the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria, and the rest of Israel, I might feel outraged reading this. But as it is, the lying bastards have it coming, even if in this instance, they were on the "right" side of events. I guess I'm just fresh out of outrage.
I wish to raise another point here. Right now, it looks as if the Uigurs are the innocent victims of Chinese mob violence, and given the tendency of the Communist Chinese regime to cover up anything that may reflect badly on China, it seems as if they stand indicted. That is how it looks right now.
But there may be another side to the story, a third side to the story, one that may take some time to emerge. Indeed, when you look at Tibet, you find that there is indeed another side to the story, a third side that doesn't canonize the Dalai Lama as the living god-king of the Tibetans, or make the old man look so good at all.
5 - Baronius
Communists keep thinking that they can diffuse racial tensions by forcibly mixing ethnic groups. It's a perfect demonstration of the failure of top-down thinking to recognize daily reality.
6 - roger nowosielski
But they have under dictatorial (and somewhat benevolent) regimes - such as Tito's.
7 - chris
The bloody muslims had a well prepared plan like 911. They sent women and children in main streets for peaceful demonstration, which attracted the attention of all polices. By the same time the young muslims went to the small streets or corner areas to attack individual Han chinese, which ended up the death were mainly Han Chinese. All human being should condem such a bloody crime.
8 - ourlives
“Over 150 of them when Chinese settlers and police attacked a Uighur protest march Urumqi on the 5th of July.”
Before you come to a conclusion, do your home work.
From what source that you are sure those 150+ people were killed by the Chinese police? From pictures and videos I viewed, most of them are Han Chinese. The are cut in the throat or hit in the head with rocks. If they were killed by the police it should’ve be gun-shot wound.
And, if the people are killed by the police, then how do you explain the shops and buildings were set fire and destroyed? Would police do that while crack down the riots?
9 - Lumpy
Amnesty works for the same tranzi elites who now also run the US govt. Get the picture?
10 - Lumpy
I see the Chinese shills have arrived. Must be on break from leveling WoW characters.
11 - Glenn Contrarian
'ourlives' -
How do you know the difference between a Han Chinese and an ethnic Uighur just by looking at a not-so-close-up picture?
You don't.
[Edited]
12 - Clavos
It ain't the first time we've had Chinese government employees posting here. A couple of years back, we had quite lively discussion for several days with about fifteen of them from all over China.
I think that was Lumpy's reference.
13 - Bliffle
Specialized trolls search blogs for references to their favorite thing, then comment bomb the blog. You should see what happens when someone mentions s.c.i.e.n.t.o.l.o.g.y.
14 - Dave Nalle
Before you come to a conclusion, do your home work.
There are links in the article to multiple soures.
From what source that you are sure those 150+ people were killed by the Chinese police?
I never said they were killed by the Chinese police. I specifically said they were killed in the rioting.
From pictures and videos I viewed, most of them are Han Chinese.
And again, I did not say that those killed were exclusively Uighurs, though that is the impression given by almost all news accounts. I'd be interested to see your photos or any evidence that they are mostly Han Chinese. None of the sources, not even Xinhua, are suggesting that the majority of the attacks are by Uighurs against Chinese.
Dave
15 - Dave Nalle
I wonder if China lets them have access to the parts of the net denied to other Chinese citizens so long as they post their pro-government messages.
Dave
16 - Ruvy
I thought, just for the heck of it, that I would go to Xinhua to see what they had to say about all this.
This article details, according to the Chinese, the activities of the World Uyghur Congress led by Rebiya Kadeer. It presents a day by day, hour by hour listing or the alleged activities of Rebiya Kadeer and the World Uyghur Congressin the days leading up to the violence in China.
This article about "netizens" talks of alegations of biased reportage in the media, and how "the ethnics-based approach of analyzing the riot misrepresented the true picture in Xinjiang, a place home to 47 of China's 56 ethnic groups, including the Uygur (45.62%), Han(39.87%) and Kazak (6.99%) ethnic groups.
Netizens believe that the western media's languages are not neutral, and the way of defining the brawl at a toy factory in Shaoguan best shows how the Western media try to orientate the Western readers' attention. To frame the brawl as racial violence is not only wrong in fact but also malicious in nature, they said, accusing some Western media continuously play up the ethnic tension in China through many ways, following the same intrigue of reporting the Lhasa riots."
Finally, not from Xinhua, but from Dekafiles, comes the brief report running at the top of the screen that the presient of China left the G8 Talks early, in order to deal with the violence in Xinqiang.
17 - Dave Nalle
I'm disinclined to believe any spin Xinhua chooses to put on the news. There's more than enough evidence of the racial nature of this violence from other sources to take it seriously.
Dave
18 - Ruvy
Dave,
Xinhua's articles are only posted to give their side of the argument, such as it is.
19 - Lumpy
When is Cindy going to stop by to defend her red Chinese comrades?
20 - Cindy
Lumpy,
What have I ever said that would lead you to think I would support the Chinese govt?
21 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
You posted: "I'm disinclined to believe any spin Xinhua chooses to put on the news. There's more than enough evidence of the racial nature of this violence from other sources to take it seriously."
I would caution you against such an outlook, because this is precisely the view that keeps conservatives and liberals polarized against each other in America.
Xinhua - while they are an official government organ (and somehow the word 'organ' has always seemed appropriate) - sometimes they have factual news that we don't normally get here. That's why I enjoy reading the Gulf News btw.
I'm not saying to believe everything they say - no way would I say that! What I am suggesting is a different way of viewing news and claims - is it factual or verifiable? And even if it is factual or verifiable, is it still intentionally skewed?
It is good to be cynical as you are, but only if one still has enough of an open mind to listen to the evidence presented on all sides of an argument before one passes judgment on the matter at hand.
22 - Lumpy
I thought from your other posts that u were generally pro socialism and terror and anti liberty.
23 - Cindy
Dave,
Excellent article. I would like to make one point.
Here is the way I have understood it from what journalists were saying. The Chinese govt allowed media in right away. This is very important distinction, to me. There were protests all over China earlier this year. Not more than a peep escaped. Journalists who made initial reports were immediately punished and silenced. Here is what happened then:
February 1, 2009
Violent unrest rocks China as crisis hits
The collapse of the export trade has left millions without work and set off a wave of social instability
In northern China, television journalists were punished after they prepared a story on the occupation of a textile mill by 6,000 workers. Furious local leaders in the city of Linfen said the news item would “destroy social stability” and banned it.
Later in March: Protecting civil rights leads to jail in Sichuan
Now, in this case, a suspicion of propaganda arose because of the Chinese govts welcoming of reporters. In my opinion it is a tactic--it did not seem uncontainable.
(Paragraph two of your article could have the names changed to Palestinians Israel, Israelis --I am stunned that your focus on Hamas doesn't permit you to see this. I am in agreement with Staughton Lynd, who said that worldwide sympathy for the Palestinians suffers because of violence. I agree with him--It's an example how violence against people never works.)
24 - Cindy
18 - Lumpy
Then you'll have to pay closer attention, won't you.
25 - Cindy
I am surprised Joanne has not been by to comment about the people whom she chose to portray with the words: the Chinese govt calls them 'terrorists'.
The Chinese govt called the students at Tiananmen Square 'terrorists'.