Xinjiang Uighurs and ETIM thread

[Yusuf]

It's a modernization problem and the same problem faced the world over. Television. Would you rather watch an Iman spouting about the bad or the good of the world ... or the latest Chinese kung fu soap opera?

Freedom of choice Sir. If the Uighers want to live that way what's wrong?

[Officer of Engineers]

You're not understanding. It's not that the Han is forcing the stuff on them, it's just that the overbearing culture the Han bring with them is unavoidable. Turn on the TV and you get blasted with comercials and kung fu soap operas. You may get a sermon once a week but there is no way to avoid the lifestyle portrayed on TV.

That's where the resentment is. Seriously, if the Uyghars can have Uyghar kung fu soap operas instead of Han Chinese kung fu soap operas, there wouldn't be a problem.

Of course, no one blames BAYWATCH.

[Yusuf]

Sir have read quite a bit of whats going on there and have had Chinese justifying ethnic cleansing. The problem doesn't look as simple as you are putting it.

[xizhimen]

turkish president likened this event to genocide,caused a big outcry in china,a lot of scholars appeal to the government to review china's position on turkish kurdistan and Armenia ,some even call on the government to use the vast chinese foreign reserve to fund those peoples independence movement,kurds acount for 20% of the total turkish population.han chinese acount for roughly 93% of total chinese population,while all other 55 minority groups altogether acount for around 6% .

[xizhimen]

"ethnic cleansing",you mean by intermarriage or genocide?

[Officer of Engineers]

Sir have read quite a bit of whats going on there and have had Chinese justifying ethnic cleansing. The problem doesn't look as simple as you are putting it.

Nothing is as simple as that. This is the result of the Law of Unintended Consequences. Economic prosperity in China means Han domination. It is unintentional but that is the way it is. To get rich, you have to deal with the Han Chinese. To bring prosperity to a Chinese region, you have to bring in the Han Chinese. It takes money to make money and right now, Han Chinese has the money.

[Merlin]

These comments are from the Chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur regional government.

Viciousness of rioters 'unexpected'

20 July [ChinaDaily] Police shot dead 12 mobsters during the July 5 riot in Urumqi, a senior official has said - the first time the government revealed the extent of force used by security forces in the worst violence in that region in decades.

On the night of the riot, police in Urumqi "resolutely" shot the mobsters after firing guns into the air had no effect on these "extremely vicious" thugs, Nur Bekri, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur regional government, said in an interview over the weekend.

Bekri said three of them died on the spot while nine died later. He did not reveal which ethnic group the mobsters belonged to.

"The police showed as much restraint as possible during the unrest," Bekri said, adding that many officers were injured and one was killed after being hit by mobsters.
He also said the death toll from the unrest had risen by five, to 197, and most of them were innocent people injured by thugs with iron rods, stones and bricks. Knives were also used.

Families of the victims could receive a compensation of 200,000 yuan ($29,270) from the government and possibly another 200,000 yuan from an ethnic unity foundation set up after the riot with donations from the public, Bekri said.

Bekri said authorities had received information about the protest beforehand but had not expected such violence to erupt.

"We could never imagine that the mobsters were so extremely vicious and inhumane," he said, adding that the government believed the rioters had prepared weapons in advance for use in coordinated attacks. ....

Xinhua News Agency cited police authorities as saying it received reports that rioters had attacked people and property in more than 50 locations across the city on July 5.

It said the rioters, most of them from other parts of the region, appeared to have been well organized, saying weapons were gathered in advance.

In the days preceding the riots, there were "noticeably hot" sales of long knives, some of which were used in the attacks, the report quoted vendors as saying. ...

[tphuang]

Sir have read quite a bit of whats going on there and have had Chinese justifying ethnic cleansing. The problem doesn't look as simple as you are putting it.

It's not ethnic cleansing. There is no gov't policy toward that. When you have a land with vast natural resources and the rest of country lacking resources, you are gonna want to develop it. It's no more different from people moving up to Alaska and then disturbing the natives and the wild life (except, there is much less precious green up at Xinjiang). And when Uighur complains about job opportunity, maybe they should start considering learning Chinese and their own language at the same time. It would like a Mexican refugee complaining about not getting a job at Google office in Silicon Valley because they only hire people who speak English.

As for bitterness between the sides, you kind of have to understand the Chinese psyche. Han group in general is pretty racist, so it considers it unfair that Uighurs have so many advantages from affirmative action laws. Most hans also considers Uighurs to be lazy and backward. Anytime you have that as the basis of society stereotype, you will have problems. And then, Uighurs believe that Han are squeezing them out, taking over their land. Well, that's going to happen. News flash, you are not going to be able to live a 15th century lifestyle in this day and age. And if you don't speak the language, how do you expect Han employers to hire you?

And other ethnic groups attacking Han for doing well is nothing new. The most notable example is in Malaysia. Yet, people can't accept the truth that Han group is doing better naturally rather than through gov't favouritism.

[Officer of Engineers]

It's not ethnic cleansing.

No, it's not but it is perceived to be. Big K, a citizen of Turkey, made a statement that the Han Chinese is hated from Istanbul to the border of China, that is saying something.

[kuku]

It's not ethnic cleansing. There is no gov't policy toward that. When you have a land with vast natural resources and the rest of country lacking resources, you are gonna want to develop it. It's no more different from people moving up to Alaska and then disturbing the natives and the wild life (except, there is much less precious green up at Xinjiang). And when Uighur complains about job opportunity, maybe they should start considering learning Chinese and their own language at the same time. It would like a Mexican refugee complaining about not getting a job at Google office in Silicon Valley because they only hire people who speak English.

As for bitterness between the sides, you kind of have to understand the Chinese psyche. Han group in general is pretty racist, so it considers it unfair that Uighurs have so many advantages from affirmative action laws. Most hans also considers Uighurs to be lazy and backward. Anytime you have that as the basis of society stereotype, you will have problems. And then, Uighurs believe that Han are squeezing them out, taking over their land. Well, that's going to happen. News flash, you are not going to be able to live a 15th century lifestyle in this day and age. And if you don't speak the language, how do you expect Han employers to hire you?

And other ethnic groups attacking Han for doing well is nothing new. The most notable example is in Malaysia. Yet, people can't accept the truth that Han group is doing better naturally rather than through gov't favouritism.

So these problems in PRC wont go away anytime soon.

[VietPhuong]

The most notable example is in Malaysia.

You mean Indonesia?

[snowhole]

Not all the Chinese attacked in Indonesia were of Han origin I suppose. They were mainly immigrants from the southeast China.

[jonsl]

Not all the Chinese attacked in Indonesia were of Han origin I suppose. They were mainly immigrants from the southeast China.

Strictly speaking, even immigrants from Southeast China are Han, unless they emigrated from China before they became assimilated/mixed with Central Plains Chinese, which would have been yonks ago.

[Yusuf]

The assimilation policy is to slowly dilute and finish off the Uigher culture. Yes a country does want to exploit natural resources in any part of it's country, but that doesn't mean you finish off the locals.

India too is a land of many languages and cultures. But there is no assimilation policy of the Hindi north who have come south looking for greener pastures. I am from north of India, settled in Bangalore which is in the south. I learned the local language. I respect the south culture and enjoy it. I enjoy south Indian food. Infact the local language Kannada has a preference to the national language Hindi in government jobs. Similarly in other southern states of India. What's the big deal?

How difficult would it be for the Hans to learn and respect the Uigher culture and language? Why this whole policy to finish off the Uighers callbg them lazy and a liability?

[Merlin]

This is the official reply. 'All ethnic groups are equal before the law'.

Han Chinese revenge attackers should be punished, says Beijing official

21 July [Guardian] Uighur assaults in Xinjiang were covered extensively in the press but witnesses report attacks on Uighurs days later

Han Chinese who took part in violent riots in China's north western region of Xinjiang should be punished, a senior official in Beijing said today. ....

"After the 5 July incident, some people in Urumqi, out of indignation over the crimes committed by rioters or sorrow for the loss of their families, did take to the streets," acknowledged Wu Shimin, vice minister in charge of the state ethnic affairs commission, when asked about the events of 7 July at a press conference in Beijing.

"I believe all ethnic groups need to go through normal channels and adopt legal means to express their opinions; even opinions on unlawful incidents. All people are equal before the law; all ethnic groups are equal before the law. Anyone who has violated the law should be severely punished." ....