Trouble involving Uighurs is nothing new.
"...China's western holdings include Uighur Muslims, a Turkic people who would just as soon not be part of China's regime. Chinese authorities were quiet about killing unruly Uighurs until 9/11 and the 'war on terror' gave them an excuse for their anti-Muslim actions...." (September 4, 2007)China's government seems to be aware of how trouble in its western territory might affect its image. Foreign reporters have been ordered out of the areas. Out of concern for the safety of the foreigners, officially. (asiaone news)
From the Beijing's point of view, it's already a bit late for that.
"...Chinese authorities say 156 people were killed and more than 1,000 others injured on Sunday after Uighurs took to the street in protest.There may be an element of truth in the official version: that the incidents are essentially Uighurs "rioting". Two Uighurs died in a "massive brawl" late last month, between Uighur and Han workers at a toy factor in southern China's Guangdong province. People, including Uighurs, have been moving there, looking for work. (CNN)
"Authorities blamed Uighurs for 'rioting', although exiled Uighur leaders say security forces used disproportionate force in their clampdown and that hundreds of Uighurs may have died...."(asiaone news)
China: Executions, Persuasion and Education
It's fairly clear, from news that's getting out, that China's national government is anxious to restore order and a measure of tranquility to its western territories. A Communist Party leader, speaking in Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region's capital city, Urumqi, made it clear that he was quite serious about stopping the violence."...More than 1,400 suspects have been detained, according to Chinese officials, who have vowed to deal harshly with those involved in Sunday's riot.Meng Jianzhu's remarks about "persuasion and education" are reported in a July 8, 2009, Xinhua article. There's an excerpt at the bottom of this post.1
" 'For those who brutally killed the other people in the riot, the government will execute them,' Urumqi's Communist Party leader, Li Zhi, said Wednesday.
"China's chief police officer, Meng Jianzhu, said the main instigators 'should be punished with the utmost severity,' while others who were 'provoked' to take part in the riots 'should be given persuasion and education,' according to Xinhua...." (CNN)
Meng Jianzu's assurance that those who were following the lead of others will be "given persuasion and education" would not comfort me, if those to be 'educated' were friends and family. There seems to be a certain lack of transparency and accountability in China's system of government, which allows speculation that the "education" will go well beyond what a western government might call "rehabilitation."
But that's getting into topics like penal philosophies and mind control: which are beyond the focus of this blog.
China and Uighurs: 'It's the Fault of Foreigners'
Judging from his public statement, state councilor and public security minister Meng Jianzhu must be very good at his job. He already knows who is to blame for the violence involving Uighurs.Foreigners are to blame.
Or, more precisely, "overseas separatists".
"...Meng said that adequate evidence proved that the riot was masterminded and remotely controlled by overseas separatists and it was a serious struggle to maintain national unity against separatism...." (Xinhua)Presumably Uighurs living in China have had the urge for independence 'persuaded' and 'educated' out of them by now.
I think I understand how important what China's national leaders might call national unity is to them. Without places like Tibet/Xizang province and Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, their domain would be smaller.
Many nations have dealt with threats to national unity. For example, almost a hundred and fifty years ago, under somewhat different circumstances, the dominant northeastern states in America crushed a revolution in the American southeast. In the case of the War Between the States, it took the South about a century - and a new set of national policies - to recover economically.
I hope that Uighurs (or Uyghurs) have a better experience.
Related posts:
- "A Reporter Escapes the Taliban, Monks Escape China"
(June 20, 2009) - "Tiananmen Square Commemoration in Hong Kong: No Tanks"
(June 5, 2009) - "Tiananmen Square 20th Anniversary: A Losing Battle for Traditional Information Gatekeepers"
(June 3, 2009) - "Pentagon Computers Hacked - Joint Strike Fighter Project Data This Time"
(April 21, 2009) - "Chinese Anti-Carrier Missile: Cause for Concern"
(March 31, 2009) - "Cyberspy Network Hacked 103 Countries' Systems"
(March 29, 2009) - "Tibet: Fifty Years of Chinese Liberation, and Counting"
(March 10, 2009) - "The New York Times Banned in China"
(December 20, 2008) - "Worm Spreading Fast in Pentagon Computers: (not) in the News"
(November 21, 2008) - "Pentagon Hacked, Removable Media Banned: Cyberattack Hits American Military"
(November 20, 2008) - "White House Computers Hacked, Probably by China: News That's Not Fit to Print?"
(November 9, 2008) - "Thai Police, Punctured Protesters, and Exploding Tear Gas from China"
(October 13, 2008) - "World Bank Group Network Hacked; Chinese IPs Used: Just What We Need"
(October 10, 2008) - "Remember Melamine? It's Baaaack!"
(October 4, 2008) - "Melamine,China, the 2008 Olympics, and Transparency"
(September 29, 2008) - "Liu Xiang and the 2008 Olympics: There's Something to Learn Here"
(August 18, 2008) - "Forget the Olympics For Now: China's Secret Submarine Base is Serious"
(May 2, 2008) - "China's Military: This Can't Safely be Ignored"
(March 27, 2008) - "The War on Terror? This May be
The War For Freedom"
(March 18, 2008) - "Tibet: A Preview of Coming Attractions?"
(March 16, 2008) - "China: Toxic Toys and Dubious Dumplings Aren't Signs of Terrorism"
(January 30, 2008) - "It's Not Both Sides: It's All Sides"
(September 4, 2007)
- "Foreign reporters ordered out of China's Kashgar"
asiaon news (July 10, 2009) - "Mosques in Riot-Hit Chinese City Open for Prayer"
FOXNews (July 10, 2009) - "Report: Major mosques close in Urumqi, China"
CNN (July 10, 2009) - "Chinese police break up Uighur protest after prayers"
Reuters (July 10, 2009) - "Chinese police chief urges hardline crackdown on thugs in Xinjiang riot"
Xinhua (July 8, 2009)
- "China's Uyghurs -- A Minority In Their Own Land?"
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, via GlobalSecurity.org (July 8, 2009)
1 I think it's safe to say that what appears in Xinhua's English online edition are views which have been approved, directly or indirectly, by China's national leaders.
"Xinhua reports the news to readers in China and to the world. It also functions as part of a broader information apparatus for China's leaders. The agency 'receives, translates, condenses, and provides analysis of news gathered from all over the world and presents it daily to China's readers...'...." (GlobalSecurity.org)
"Chinese police chief urges hardline crackdown on thugs in Xinjiang riot"
Xinhua (July 8, 2009)
"China's top police officer on Wednesday urged no leniency in the punishment of thugs who took part in the Urumqi riot.
"Meng Jianzhu, state councilor and public security minister, made the remarks when visiting local residents injured by the rioters and family members of those victims in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
"In the July 5 riot at least 156 people died and more than 1,000 were injured.
"Leading rioters should be punished with the utmost severity and those taking part in the riot, who were provoked and cheated by separatists, should be given persuasion and education, Meng said.
"Commissioned by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, Meng also visited local police officers and members of the Armed Police personnel and mourned for the victims.
"Meng said that adequate evidence proved that the riot was masterminded and remotely controlled by overseas separatists and it was a serious struggle to maintain national unity against separatism...." (Xinhua)
No comments:
Post a Comment