Asia Sentinel

lashing back at Turkey
written by T Long , August 25, 2009

Cassio raises three good points ('Genocide', July 27) : 1. Turkey is one country that should not be pointing fingers. Such 'HYPOCRIT[ical]' accusations must surely spring from Turkey's outsized sensitivity to the issue and from its diplomatic fatigue.

2. About ten countries ( = their upper chambers or their laws) have recognised the Armenian genocide. I was mistaken to assure commentor Oyt (in 'sparring commentors, both missing facts', July 16) that she need keep her denial to herself only when in France; she should also watch it in Canada, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Belgium, Slovakia and the Vatican. If we include countries - and weaker supra-national organisations, like Europe or South America - whose parliaments (lower chambers) have passed resolutions declaring the genocide, then the number is much higher (if not 'more than 40' ) and includes the USA's as well as Russia's.

And 3. China should recognise the Armenian genocide.


However, as is usual with little red net minders, there is a lot of misinformation mixed into such a short posting : 1. the honour of having committed the first genocide of the last century goes not to imperial Turkey but to imperial Germany, which nearly exterminated the Herero and Namaqua peoples in the colony that has since become Namibia. This was in 1904, the year of Bloomsday, after the 2nd Anglo-Boer war had established the neighbouring UK colony in what is now South Africa.

2. The extermination of the Armenians did not occur in 1915, but rather began in that year. (As the extermination of the Herero and Namaqua did not occur in 1904 but rather began in that year).

3. the People's Republic has not killed only '50 islamist-panturquist uyigurs'.

4. the islamist / pan-turkist uighurs did not kill 'more than 100 chinese womans without defence'. (And by 'Chinese' i suppose Cassio means Han migrant. It is an amazing bit of double-think how the Han super-majority avoids using the word 'Han', normally prefering to say 'Chinese' ('zhongguoren' ) - and always so in situations where minority peoples are expected to knuckle under and bite the bullet for the good of 'the nation'. To be anti-Han is to be anti-Chinese ! While certainly Nationalist in some sense of the word, the chauvinists whose comments follow herebelow are not generally Socialist enough to insist that Uighurs too are - ideally - 'Chinese'.

5. the National People's Congress will never pass a resolution declaring the West Asian events beginning 1915 to be a Genocide, because the very last thing the PRC dare do is accept the principle that nation-states can have any business commenting on the 'internal affairs' of another. While there is no upper chamber per se in china to prevent such a resolution becoming law, there is the brake of the system's single-party nature.

http://www.armenian-genocide.org/current_category.7/affirmation_list.html

" genocide"
written by cassio , July 27, 2009

Such a genocidal and criminal country like Turkey is the last one to be able to accuse of "genocide" China.Turkey has commited the first genocide of twenty century against Armenians in the historical Armenia -Wester Armenia and Anatolia more than one and half millions peoples childeren, womens,old mans have been exterminated in 1915 because of their origins(Armenians) in their homeland and still Turkish governement deny it but dare to call genocide the killing of 50 islamist-panturquist uyigurs who killed more than 100 chinese womans without defense. That HYPOCRIT genocidal TURKEY should be punished by China wich must retaliate by recognising Armenian genocide of 1915.more than 40 country reckognised Armenian genocide in their parliment,amon them Russian Federation.

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...
written by Oyt , July 17, 2009

Hi T Long, thanks for suggesting Robert Fisk. I've read some of his work and what I've seen is mostly descriptions of horrible deaths, eye witness accounts, and proof that there was a horrible massacre.

However, there is no proof in Robert Fisks writings or anywhere else showing this was a systematic killing organized by the government. Again, if you find such proof, do let me know.

All I ask to be convinced is proof - thats not too much to ask for is it?

a defense of Sylvia Hui [1]
written by T Long , July 17, 2009

Tony Ngai (July 16) says that correspondent Ms.Hui, having the UK as her "adopted country" and/or being a "Briton", would "talk about the moral right issue with us" and undeservedly "claim the moral high ground". Such a characterisation strongly suggests that he may not have read her article (except for its first line, where he seizes on her adjective "restive"); he certainly has not understood her argument, much less her tone. He gets her London residence from the little bio below the article, but is in such an all-fired hurry to post his reaction here that he does not notice how her name ought to be spelt. Does Mr.Ngai really think that a person's residence determines absolutely her thoughts? Why then not just save us some time - give us his own place of residence, and let us roll our eyes and presume the rest?

As to the UK (quite apart from whatever Ms.Hui may know or ignore of its history), some of what Mr.Ngai says is true : that insular kingdom did commit "too many brutal, inhumane, and immoral activities around the world" - though, being established in 1707, it can only have been doing so for the past three -not four- centuries. We should hope that Indians and Pakistanis remember the "series of massacres carried out by the British forces in the sub-indian continent", as we should hope that they remember too the series carried out there by Indian and Pakistani forces.

The UK did (does?) have designs on Tibet. Whether this means separating the region from "China" depends on one's historical point of view; the ground is surer if we are content to characterise such schemes as "dirty and nasty". I would like to know more about Churchill's involvement. There are many things to know of him that are bad - his repatriating Russian soldiers to Stalin and certain death is one; the better things to know of him include his literary bent and his contempt for Chiang Kaishek. In the meantime when it comes to Britons meddling in Tibet -in violation of whosever sovereignty- my preferred villain remains the cosmic telepath Younghusband (1863--1942).

Is the UK "now a declining country"? From the economic and racial-purity standpoints, yes - along with the rest of the West. May it "very soon .. become the Sickman of Europe"? In Mr.Ngai's dreams!

He even has an ignorant insult for Britain, the island on which the UK is basically situated. Was it, in the year 9 CE, a "barbarian's paradise"? Barbarian from the standpoint of the imperials on the mainland, perhaps, who 34 years later would land on her beaches intending annexation. That invasion was contemporary with the Eastern Han dynasty's successful Vietnam war, and twenty years before the Xiongnu (AKA Huns) pushed us Han Chinese out of the Tarim Basin, in the modern XUAR.

a defense of Sylvia Hui [2]
written by T Long , July 17, 2009

Mr.Ngai says that Ms.Hui's BBC writes "false and blatant" reports about China. The word "blatant" here is in incorrect usage: one may say that the reports are "blatantly (= obviously, bare-facedly) false", but one may not say a report, false or otherwise, is blatant -- unless our point is that there ought not to be any reporting of any kind on this matter at all. That point, smacking of a CCP boardroom, is not what Mr.Ngai means, surely.

That the BBC is "biased" is undeniable, but "treacherous"? There can only be one state for that state-owned enterprise to betray -one state's security for it to unpatriotically compromise- and the state in question is not the PRC. Or does Mr.Ngai mean 'treacherous" as the stair is in an MTR entrance during a typhoon? And how are we to reconcile this dim view of that SOE media colossus with the "fact" that Ms.Hui's allegedly "adopted country formally recoginzed Tibet as a province of China and part of China last year"(sic)? Is the BBC then acting contrary to London's policy? High treason, indeed!


As to "another Opium war", our preventing which the unpatriotic BBC "can't stop", Mr.Ngai means the robbing of territory (the unequal treaty ports, e.g. Hong Kong, Fuzhou, Ningbo, etc.) and presumably the forced termination of Chinese protectionism. I agree that China will see off these dangers. But as to his tired old historical tale, we must admit that our ancestors were poisoning themselves with opium well before the Royal Navy enforced a 19th century version of WTO rules to penetrate, dominate and greatly expand this immoral trade, which like many other Qing businesses was "illicit" (unlicensed, illegal) only for foreigners - as Fuzhou's national hero Lin Zexu vainly insisted. While it is as you say, that "the opium war is still vivid in our minds", there arent many Chinese who know any more about it than a schoolboy does; few even remember that there were actually two Opium Wars (1839-42 and 1856-60).


As to "our beloved country .. now engaged in her cultural renaissance" and "the iron volition" of her people, we must remember that when we reckon those people at "almost 1.4 billion" we are including many millions who have not yet been schooled to share our standpoint re: history and territory.


Further Reading
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Younghusband

Josiah
written by Xiao Li , July 16, 2009

Josiah,
When the Jews first migrated to the US, they worked har and smart, and climbed their way out of poverty into a successful community, without any of their lot in the government to speak for them. Similarly, the Chinese and Indians migrated to many countries, worked hard and smart, and became successful even without any of their kind in government positions. And all these 3 groups were heavily discriminated against. But one common thread is found in these 3 communities: As a group, they don't give any violent problems to their host countries. They just focus on improving themselves. The Uighurs have equal rights in China, like any other Chinese ethnic groups. It is up to them to improve themselves. It is up to themselves to explore opportunities in the fast developing China to carve out their own fortunes.

Lackey
written by Bruce L , July 16, 2009

Sylvia Hui, you are but a chink. Yellow chink as such.

Female chinks are often portaryed as whores in Hollywod films good for sleeping with the white men. One doesn't need much skill for that.

Yes they will patronise you because it's not easy to find a chink to write what they want others to read abt a rsing China.

A response to Slyvia Hui
written by Tony Ngai , July 16, 2009

First of all, Xinjiang is not a restive province of China relatively when compared with the eastern part of China over the past 100 years. It is common sense, Ms Slyvia Hui . The UK, your adopted country that immorally and illicitly hard sold opium to my country and poisoned our ancestors , had tried to separate Tibet from China many times from the late 1880 to 2008 and one of the infamous Britons is Winston Churchill who got involved in this dirty and nasty scheme. The U.K is now a declining country and very soon may become the Sickman of Europe and thereupon is powerless in trying to separate Tibet from China. In fact, your adopted country formally recoginzed Tibet as a province of China and part of China last year.

As to Xinjiang province of China, Han Chinese first settled in that territory two thousand years ago. Then Britain, your adopted country, was barbarians’ paradise. China ruled the Xinjiang vast territory for many centuries during which time Uighur Chinese migrated to the Xinjiang region and mainly lived in the southern part of Xinjiang province. I am sure very soon there will be more than 100 million Han Chinese moving to that vast land. You stand no chance to separate Xinjiang province from China.

Don’t talk about the moral right issue with us, the Han Chinese. The opium war is still vivid in our minds and a series of massacres carried out by the British forces in the sub-indian continent could never be wiped out from the minds of Indians or Pakistanis. The United Kingdom committed too many brutal, inhumane, and immoral activities round the world in the past four centuries. You don’t deserve to claim the moral high ground. So tell your BBC to stop writing false and blatant reports about China.

Don’t forget that China is nuclear power that can sink the United Kingdom overnight if your adopted country dares to challenge us militarily again. We will defend our territory integrity at all cost. After all, China is not the late Ching Dynasty, nor is it the former Yugoslasvia. We are no longer the Sickman of Asia. China, my beloved country, is now engaged in her cultural renaissance. We will definitely build up our strong military might and make our country prosperous so as to prevent another Opium War and subsequent national tragedies from happening again. This is not nationalism but patriotism. This is the iron volition of almost 1.4 billion people. You Britons, including your Biased and treacherous BBC, can’t stop it.

If you Britons try to dismember China, we will surely try to disintegrate the United Kingdom.

Beware of Retribution
written by Walawala , July 16, 2009

The US and the UN have labeled the East Turkestan Islamic Movement a terrorist group.

Uigurs separatists fghting for independence of Xinjing is doomed to failure whether it's orchestrated by the CIA, MI6 or Turkey.

Ask India whether it would grant independence to Kashmir, Turkey to Kurdistan, Russia to Checnya, Thailand to Patani, Phillipines to Moroland, Britain to N Ireland, Indonesia to Aceh or Papua, Spain to Basque, etc.

So do not to others if you do not want others to do unto you.

Ethnic Cleansing
written by Dynas Tee , July 16, 2009

Erdogan himself represents the long history of ethnic cleansing and is the product of forced turkicisation of the Greek Punts. He is very bold to make the pontification about genocide in China..

Law & Order
written by Hollaway , July 16, 2009

Turkey you have just blown the chance of getting into the EU with your callous behaviour.

We can do without the Turkish Islamist mob "justice" all over our European cities later.

It's in the genes. Turkish' violent & unruly behaviour.

Easy to say
written by Josiah , July 16, 2009

Xiao Li its easy to say that the Uighers should be more smart, but how can they if there is no opportunity for Uigher leaders to emerge?

China needs to devolve more power to its less Han Chinese areas, and be prepared to give the Uighers or Tibetans more positions of leadership in their provinces.

If you don't create the conditions where leaders can emerge and articulate and help solve problems, grievances will emerge as mob justice, which as we can see is not pretty.

Otherwise China is making the same mistake the British Empire made in Ireland and America.

EU - No Way
written by James O , July 16, 2009

The hands of the Turks are drenched in blood - other people's blood!

The blood of the Greek Cypriots, the Kurds, the Armenians.

The dead of these poeple and their loved ones are crying out LOUD for justice to be served on the Turks.

We dread the day Turkey ever gets into the EU. That's when more blood will spill from the Turkish Islamic sword.

Uighurs should get smart and less emotional
written by Xiao Li , July 16, 2009

The Uighurs should think harder to do what is best for themselves that are achievable.
If they fight for secession/independence, they will be fighting a losing battle, and they will suffer greatly. China will never allow XinJiang to secede, and the clampdown from the police and military will be very heavy handed. And no other country will come to the rescue of the Uighurs, except planting car bombs to kill more Uighurs. The Uighurs can instead choose a softer approach and fight for affirmative assistance from the central government to uplift the living standards of the Uighurs via economic development. It would fit in nicely with the Chinese government's strategy to diversify development away from the congested east coast areas. They can play along with the central government's eagerness to showcase development in minority areas to prove that the Dalai Lama is wrong. Why adopt a confrontational tactic that leads to nowhere except to hurt themselves? The foreign subversive elements can provide instigations for trouble, but nothing else once the trouble starts. They should think win-win with the central government. XinJiang has unique features that can bring in foreign investments, tourists, etc. There is a lot of Muslim(Arab) oil money looking for places to invest. And these Muslims are quite worried about putting more money into the USA or western countries that can suddenly freeze their assets on the slightest whim and fancy. Also the west is going through a slump. Why aren't the Uighurs working with the central government to attract more of these funds into XinJiang? Also for many toursists to China, like myself, we are getting bored looking at temples and palaces which all look very similar after a while. XinJiang would provide a change for us. Why are there so little efforts to develop the tourist industy in XinJiang? Uighurs, please don't take the path of the Dalai Lama. It is a no-win direction if you do that. Think cooperation, Think Win-Win, Think economics, Think business, and you will see progress. If you think confrontation, you will see a lot of blood spilt.. yours and your children's. Turkey is not going to help you. USA is not going to help you. They are more interested to sell their stuff to China. They will only pay lip service to you. The CNN and the BBC will only look at you as an opportunity for news coverage and TV ratings. Uighurs, you are CHINESE nationals. Go claim that right and privilege. Don't think Turkey, you don't belong there, and Turkey is not going to welcome you if you suddenly start pouring into Turkey as refugees.

typo
written by T Long , July 16, 2009

Robert Fisk's "The Great War for Civilisation" (2005), that is. [

sparring commentors, both missing facts
written by T Long , July 16, 2009

Oyt says [s]he'd like to see evidence for the Armenian genocide (post#1, July 15), some "official proof" (post#2, July 15). [S]He would do well to begin with Robert Fisk's (2005). Anyone--Turk, alGerian, French, Brit, USAmerican or Israeli-- who feels this book on Europeans in the "Middle East" is too much to read cannot claim to want the facts.
Scipio presumes that Oyt, like Erdogan, is Turkish. Oyt is certainly in denial, but this is a fairly common position in any of the NATO countries. It is very far from true "that every civilised nation in the world has recognised as a genocide EXCEPT Turkey" (Scipio, July 14). No country has so far followed France in making the denial of this particular genocide a crime. As long as Oyt isnt resident in France, [s]he 'll be able to keep up the denial unmolested.

Now the boot is on the other foot
written by irene puah , July 15, 2009

Can our rabid Chinese nationalist contributors remember the days when the official Chinese foreign policy was to assist and support "freedom" fighters everywhere? Now, these freedom fighters are located in Tibet and Xinjiang, their cause is wrong and any foreign support is "meddling". Hahahaha

...
written by Oyt , July 15, 2009

By neighbors I meant neighbors in everyday life, not neighboring countries.

These massacres you speak of were during the deportation of the Armenians = kicking out. Please have a clue what your talking about if your going to be almighty.

I never suggested changing sides in middle of war was reason for genocide, but it is an explanation for the deportations.

Again, find me some official proof of these deportations being systematically planned by the government to kill all Armenians. And not some pissed off stupid Turkish soldiers doing idiotic things.

I ask for some real evidence, and you try to insult my intelligence.

Is that what they teach you, hating on people you've never met?

Send all turks to turkey
written by Xiao Loong , July 15, 2009

Turkey can take back all their turks now residing in China. And the Europeans can admit turkey into Euro since they love the turks so much. Mmmm..did I see the Europeans shaking their head and saying "NO" to that one. They know the turks are trouble.

...
written by Scipio , July 15, 2009

Oyt I hope this is not the kind of history that they teach in Turkey. The Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were not "kicked out", they were in fact massacred as part of an organised ethnic cleansing plan by the Turkish nationalists. Armenians were not "neighbours" of the Ottoman Empire, they were its inhabitants and citizens. I suggest you reading a real history book written by a neutral (non-Turkish) source, there you will find all the evidence you need.

PS: Outside the borders of Turkey, the act of changing sides during a war is no reason reason for a genocide.

CIA and Al Queda
written by Dynas Tee , July 15, 2009

Al Queda has stepped up its terrorist activities against China with the help of ETIM and the CIA. The CIA has an unsavoury past dealings with Islamic terrorist from the Mujahideens to Talibans, and Sunni insurgences in Iraq. Al Queda and Sunni Wahabist groups are also famous in attacking the Iranian interests with the help of CIA.

Killing Infidels
written by Howard C , July 15, 2009

Law and order must prevail in Xinjiang. The Uigurs just can't simply go round committing arson, murder and looting in the the host country. Hundreds of innocent Chinese were killed by the rampaging mobs without reason whatsoever. If not for the troopers more would have been slaughtered.

These Turkic-speaking people originate from Turkey and migrated to China via the silk route during the Yuan Dynasty.

The Turkish Uigurs must realise that the Han Chinese aren't Armenians, Kurds or Greek Cypriots.

It's good the Chinese government invited the world's foreign press down to the killing fields to see for themselves first-hand what actually took place and who used violence.

Another Earth Quake for China
written by Malaysian Chinese , July 15, 2009

China never learn from Tibet
A big earth quake is going to shake china again and this time, more chinese going to be killed.

...
written by Oyt , July 15, 2009

Didnt the Armenians switch sides in the middle of the war and start betraying the Ottoman Empire (after hundreds of years of being friendly neighboors ) when it needed it most as it was being invaded by its enemies?

The Ottoman Empire decided to therefore kick all Armenians out of the country in this time of war. The long journey was not well planned by the then resourceless Ottoman Empire and many people unfortunately died. Is there any non-fabricated evidence suggesting this was all super strategically planned by the Ottoman Empire. Id like to see it.

...
written by Scipio , July 14, 2009

I think Erdogan and Turkey need to seriously tone down and become more realistic about their role. Turkey's geopolitical importance is only temporary, it's not an upcoming India or something that they seem to be fantasising. They are just not in position to make such bolt remarks to China, a country which can buy off Turkey any day of the week.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Turkey has a history of Genocides against Armenians, Kurds, Greeks, Assyrians and god knows what else. It's quite funny actually when you think about the Armenian genocide (second only to the Jewish holocaust) that every civilised nation in the world has recognised as a genocide EXCEPT Turkey... In fact in France it has become illegal to deny the Armenian genocide. And now Turkey is blaming another country for a genocide? What an irony...

Creating Suspicions & Enimity
written by Adelat , July 14, 2009

See how smart these Judeo-Christain Westerners are.

They write to sour people-to-people relationship between Turkey and China which has been good friends since time immemorial.

They also don't want us into the EU but want to continue to make use of us from time to tiime.

See for yourself
written by Mao dynasty , July 14, 2009

Why not exile, uhh relocate, the Turkish embassy in Beijing to Xinjiang?

That way, the Turkish ambassador can report first-hand to Turkey's Prime Minister what is really going on over there.

Calm Down People
written by Oyt , July 14, 2009

Why are you discussing what the Ottoman Empire did almost 100 years ago in time of war. If you want to start a thread about the Ottoman Empire and their killings of Armenians, then start the 23958295's thread about that and enjoy speculating something that you werent part of and something that only historians should decide.

As far as the PKK and the Kurds that Turkey is killing in Iraq - this is in retaliation of the terrorists that kill innocents in Turkey. The PKK has been identified as terrorists by almost all countries in the world.
As for the Kurds living in Turkey, they are enjoying more freedom than ever..not perfect, but slowly getting there.

As for the Prime Minister's accusations - yes they were extreme. However it is clear that the Chinese government arent all angels in this with the brutality that has surfaced in minority areas. The general Turkish plea is to resolve this fairly.

Dont make this a bigger deal than it already has been. Turkey and China have good relations and will continue to do so. If you spread hate because of what one politician said or what one or two rogue individuals did..then you're just not aiming for peace.

A rich comment indeed
written by Taneug , July 14, 2009

The comment by Erdogan is a little rich coming as it does from a country where genocide actually took place. In the early part of the 20th century, one to one and a hallf million Armenians were systematically slaiughtered by the Turks and Erdogan's government continues to deny it and imprison Turks who ask for the truth to be told. He isa nothing but a hypocrite.

The Ummah
written by Mohd , July 14, 2009

Oh my brothet Turkey. Don't forget that Iraq has to thank you for what it is today .

Has Turkey forgotten that American jets flew off Turkey to bomb Saddam's Iraq? Turkey was the US staging outpost.

What a big joke!

War on Terror
written by Belber , July 14, 2009

TURKEY: Welcome China to the Genocide Club. We can surely teach you a thing or two abt how to decimate your minorities with our techniques of massacres and slaughter of Armenians, Kurds, Greek Cypriots, etc.
CHINA: Thanks.
TURKEY: Sorry. Only for our Muslim brothers.

Terror behind the Veil
written by Damokcles , July 13, 2009

We can learn genocide from the Turkey.

Check out the net and see how the Turks massacred the Armenians (and deny at the same breath), the Kurds and the Greeks in Cyprus.

Happy reading . . . . abt this big MOSLEM HYPOCRITE.

Retribution
written by Hickory , July 13, 2009

Where Moslems multiply, these squatters become violent and always seek secession concocting excuses to kick out host infidels (kafirs).
Look at:
Chechnya in Russia
S Thailand
S Phillipines
Kashmir in India
Xinjiang in China
N Cyprus (Greece's territory forcefully taken by Turkey)

As their numbers grow exponentially they become restless and start terrorist activities within their host countries

UK bombings
Algerian riotings
Turkish migrants now stand at 5 million and growing in Germany (potential time-bomb)

For the West who play the Moslem card against China and Russia beware - Turkey's entry to the EU will send the Islamic Turk to all corners of Europe and bring down your Anglo-Saxon institutions, culture, etc., that you cherish much. But do you have a choice? You are not reproducing yourselves. Ha! Ha! Ha!

China did not annex anybody.
written by Xiao Loong , July 13, 2009

Anybody who has taken the trouble to follow China's history would have found that China had never expanded its geographical boundary through military conquest and annexation. It is always the reverse. The Mongolians conquered China. The combined Mongolia and China then became a bigger China. The Manchus came to conquer China. Then China plus Manchuria became the new bigger China. Xinjiang been Chinese territory for many centuries. The Turk traders came to trade in China and settled there. Now they are asking for independence. How ungrateful! Perhaps the Indians and Pakistani immigrants to UK can ask for a piece of UK? Yeah, start with Birmingham. Or maybe the African immigrants to France could ask for a piece of France? Better still the blacks in USA should ask for a piece of the USA and become a seperate nation. Afterall, the blacks were Africans brought against their will to the Americas. Same logic as Uighurs asking for Xinjiang's secession from China.

Turkish genocide
written by Yang Yang , July 13, 2009

There should be a international tribunal into the genocide perpetuated by Turkey against the Kurds. In fact Turkey has not given up going after their blood. Every now and then, Turkey takes advantage of Iraqi instability and go on a shooting and bombing spree on the Kurds at the Iraqi - Turkey border.

Not secession, but equality
written by Matt L , July 13, 2009

The protests/riots last week were not about secession, but equal treatment by the government. Beijing can make noises about terrorists and splittists, but if it respected the religion and culture or its larger ethnic groups like Uighurs, Tibetans, Kazakhs, and Hui, they would not feel the need to protest.

Let's not divide ourselves into panda huggers and dragon slayers. This is a problem that can be solved relatively easily by central policy planning.

Turkey should fess up!
written by Abe the babe , July 13, 2009

Hey Erdogan,
Move your country to slowly fess up to the Armenian Genocide and the Pontian Greek one, before you go accuse others of genocide. Still stalking the Kurds, haven't killed enough yet?
SHAME ON TURKEY, always trying to stir trouble, whether it's Europe or Asia.

Move more Hans to Xinjiang and Tibet
written by Ying Ying , July 13, 2009

The Chinese central government should move more Hans to Xinjiang and Tibet, so that all talk of secession from China will cease. Minorities integrate better when their group is not too big. Uighurs should think of themselves as Chinese, behave Chinese, and take advantage of China's new found wealth like any Chinese.

No wonder Europe does not want Turkey
written by Mutusamy , July 13, 2009

Turkey is such a trouble maker. Why would Europe want to embrace Turkey. Look at the Turks committing genocide against the Kurds at the Iraq-Turkey border! And look at the genocide record of the Turks during the Turkey-Greek conflict over Cyprus. The Turks better go clean up their own backyard first. None of Turkey's neighbours like Turkey. And now Turkey is pissing off countries further away.

Independence for California and Birmingham
written by Yao Weng , July 13, 2009

I think Birmingham should secede from UK, as the population there is mostly Pakistanis, their religion and culture there is totally different from UK. And I think northern California should secede from the USA. I think that area is very Chinese. And southern California should also secede from USA. It is clearly a Hispanic area. Florida definitely should secede. The majority of the people there are Hispanics. Even the street names are Hispanic, and the restaurant menus are in Spanish. New York state should revert to Israel, as the state is probably majority Jewish. And Alaska should be given back to the Eskimos. If China does not know what to do with all their cash, instead of buy US treasury bills, they should start funding trouble makers in the USA. Learn from the experts in trouble making.

There is NO East Turkistan.
written by Roberto , July 13, 2009

The Uighurs should forget there is going to be any East Turkistan, It is Xinjiang province and a part of China. It is best that the Uighurs fit into the rest of China and take advantage of China's fast growing economy, and be a part of a super power. The alternative route is to create trouble, and be treated as trouble makers. They can flee to Turkey and be looked down upon as second class immigrants in Turkey. And the Turks are hypocrites. How about giving independence to the Kurds living in the Turkey-Iraq border areas?

Hypocrites.
written by PCK , July 13, 2009

The Uighurs too to the streets in large numbers and were well armed. This is hard a spontaneous event, and can only be an organised one. The number of people killed were mostly Hans. So who is committing the genocide here? The CIA is very likely giving support to the extremist organisations to create trouble in China to slow down China's rise as a world power. It is hardly anything new. In the middle east and africa, a lot of the monster countries you see today were previously cultivated by the USA. And when they get out of control and start giving trouble to the Americans, they are suddenly called terrorists. The USA funded the Taliban monsters when Russia occupied Afghanistan. The USA funded a monster Iraq to create trouble for Iran. One day the Uighurs are gonna start planting bombs in NY and London, and then the USA nd UK will call them terrorists.

UK
written by Christiano , July 13, 2009

Hey Brits,

When will they next "Big Bang!" come at one of your subway stations from those ingrate Moslems residing & feasting on your soil?

US Conspiracy
written by MoveMountain , July 13, 2009

Is Washington Playing a Deeper Game with China?
By: F_William_Engdahl

July 12 —After the tragic events of July 5 in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, it would be useful to look more closely into the actual role of the US Government’s ”independent“ NGO, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). All indications are that the US Government, once more acting through its “private” Non-Governmental Organization, the NED, is massively intervening into the internal politics of China............

http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=11961

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written by ibrahim , July 13, 2009

patriot,

those days on which we were banning Kurdish language are over now. We are doing it in our backyard. We are also trying to establish relations with Armenians.

And of cource i will make seperatism. We will defend East Turkistan more than Tibet. That is natural. They are our relatives and we share same religion.

There is no Kingdom of Heaven in the world, and i know Turkey is not that too. But our sins are not obstacle for doing something which we believe it is right.

Ethnic cleansing
written by Dynas Tee , July 13, 2009

Most of the innocent victims were ordinary Han Chinese and if you are talking about genocide, then the separatists supported by Al Queda is doing the ethnic cleansing and the usual Al Queda Islamist hallmark of beheadings. The West especially in Germany called the uprising as peaceful demostration and obviously lost any credibility in reporting even though they may have different viewpoints regarding China rise.

TURKEY THE ROLE MODEL?
written by Patriot , July 13, 2009

Ibrahim,

No separatism please.

Do the same please for the Kurds, Armenians, etc., in Turkey.

Look after your own backyard first.

uyghurs have right to exist
written by ibrahim , July 13, 2009

East Turkistan is homeland of Uyghurs and they feel the Uyghur existence in danger. Ratio of Chinese people is increasing. They are loosing their language. And clashes started due to discrimination of Uyghurs in their own land.

They are not interested in dying. If China could be a little fair, Erdogan would go on with Abdullah Gul's statement, "Uyghurs are the bridges between Turkey and China". Which was said just before events started.

And rethoric changed to accusation of genocide. U can see it is not ordinary approach of Turkey to East Turkistan region.

WE JUST WANT OUR BROTHERS AND OUR CULTURE IN CHINA SAFE.

I am Turkish, and i can understand Uyghur language 65 percent. We have same roots. And we were silent enough before, when Bosnians died in Srebrenica, and when Azerbaijanis died in Khojaly. When Tatars deported from Crimea... When Meskhet Turks had to leave their homes in Georgia...

As long as we gain a little strength, we will start to defend the rights of our friends again...

Very well written
written by Ruben - New York , July 13, 2009

Of course, it is only one article and I would not surprised if other people may have a lot more to say on the subject.

However, it is an article very well written. It is hard to keep a clear mind in a time when emotions run high. No wonder that she is being bashed by both sides. Her realistic point of view is to be commended.

After all, it is almost never about who is right and who is wrong, but about the balance of the forces involved. In this context, Sylvia Hui has done a superb job.

Islamic Time Bomb In France
written by Sashah , July 13, 2009

When will the ever-growing Algerians set fire to France again given the way they are discriminated in France today? Let's wait and see.

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written by MoveMountain , July 13, 2009

Turks, these half European half Asian, or neither-nor beasts of the Muslim kinds, want to talk straight-into-our-eye with Chinese about 'genocide' or racial persecution~what a laughing stock! Before they do that, let us start providing fundings, weapons etc to the Kurds (especially PKK), Armenians (remember more than 1 million Armenians died during WWII at the hands of the Turks before the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire?), Palestinians/Arabs (Turkey betrays its Islamic credentials by siding with the much-hated anti-Islam Israelis in the Arab-Israel conflict), Iranians etc in order that they can start extracting 'blood' from this ultra treacherous traitor of Islam. Let's bring 'fires' onto Turkey for this bad-mouth indiscretion!

Fifth Column
written by Ali , July 13, 2009

Germany beware.

With millions of Moslem Turks within, Turkey can easily destabalise you.

Hee!

Ingrates
written by Ip man , July 13, 2009

Uighurs go home! Go back to Turkey!

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written by Greg Arzoomanian , July 13, 2009

China is doing to Xinjiang and Tibet what Japan did to China 75 years ago.

Xinjiang means new opportunity
written by Shi fatong , July 13, 2009

Sylvia Hui, please get your history right. If you cannot accept China's claim to Xinjiang and Tibet, then neither G,Britain can lay claim to Scotland nor USA can lay claim to all off it's 50 states. Grow up and be realistic . As to the freedom fighter, go and find a job, work hard, raise a family and enjoy life.

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written by John Doe , July 13, 2009

No people like their country occupied and renamed "New
Territory" by the invader.

Freedom is not given but won
written by Freedom Fighter , July 12, 2009

The very word "Xinjiang" means Newly (occupied) Territory.