| Xinjiang's Troubled History |
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| Written by Mark O'Neill | |
| Tuesday, 28 July 2009 | |
 One country – two people
The bloody events of mid-July in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, in which hundreds of people lost their lives, have their roots in a clash of cultures that is at least 1,400 years old. In 657, the western Turks surrendered to the army of the Tang dynasty and the area of what is now Xinjiang became part of China, with the name 'Protectorate Pacifying the West'. Pacification, however, has never made it much past the talking stage. The conflict between Uighurs and Han Chinese over Xinjiang is similar to that of the Arabs and Jews over Palestine, an intractable struggle over history, religion, blood and ownership of the land. The Uighurs themselves arrived in the region from the Mongolian plains in the middle of the ninth century and established control over much of it until the Mongol conquest in the early 13th century. After the Mongol empire collapse, the region split into warring kingdoms, one of them called Uighurstan. In the 17th century, the Mongolian Dzungars established an empire over much of the region. In 1759, a Qing general recaptured the region for the emperor. Fearful of the Dzungars, he ordered their extermination, killing more than one million people, in an ethnic genocide. During the decline of the Qing and early Republic period, there were frequent rebellions, as Uighurs and other groups sought to exploit the weakness of the central government. In the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire sent teachers and imams to Xinjiang, whose elite sent their children to study in Turkey. The Uighurs of Kashgar proclaimed the first East Turkistan Republic on November 12, 1933; it lasted only three months before a Chinese warlord named Sheng Shicai took over Xinjiang and ruled it for 10 years. Uighurs called him 'a butcher'. They gave the same name to Wang Zhen, the man who did more than any other in history to bind Xinjiang to China. In 1944, with support from the Soviet Union, the Uighurs proclaimed the second East Turkistan Republic in three districts of northern Xinjiang. It lasted five years, until Wang's Communist army conquered the region. From October 1949, as Communist Party chief and military commander of the region, for each Chinese soldier killed, Wang ordered the execution of five men in the village where the killing took place. In 1954, Wang set up the Production and Engineering Corps, in Chinese Bingtuan or military group'. They were demobilized soldiers who became militia farmers, similar to the Jews who migrated to Palestine before and after the establishment of Israel. They now number more than 2.5 million and produce much of the region's cotton, tomato, fruit and other farm crops. They have also developed mining and mine-related industry and have a dozen listed companies. The corps has its own education system, including two universities, a newspaper and television stations. By 1964, thanks to Wang's policies, the Han percentage of Xinjiang's population had quadrupled from six percent, or 300,000, in 1949 to 32.7 percent in 1964. In 1949, the Uighur proportion was 75 percent. Wang's brutality was too much even for Mao Zedong, who fired him from his post in Xinjiang in 1956. But Wang remained a senior figure in the Communist party and army and an advocate of military force in Beijing in May 1989. He remains a hero among the Han in Xinjiang. his ashes were scattered over the Tianshan Mountains north of Urumqi after his death in March 1993. In the 2000 census, Han accounted for 41 percent of the region's population against 45.2 percent for the Uighurs. If the current rate of migration continues, the Han will become the majority within 20 years or sooner A research paper published by the Bingtuan in August 2003 said that study of the Uighur language was useless. "Our long-term aim is to Sinicise the local population. We must first destroy the Uighur language. We must encourage large-scale migration." The report stated. It advocated the Israeli example and establishment of large Bingtuan settlements in the five areas of Xinjiang where the Uighurs account for more than 50 percent of the population, including Hetian and Kashgar, where support for the ETR is strongest. "The Bingtuan method is to choose places where no-one is living, to avoid giving Uighurs the idea that we are stealing their land. Introducing water will improve the local economy and living standards of Uighurs and block the growth of terrorism." During the 1950s and 1960s, Han migration was compulsory or nearly compulsory. Soldiers stationed in Xinjiang were ordered to settle there, families with the 'wrong class background' were ordered to send a member there and political prisoners were sent there to work. Since the 1990s, the migration has been driven by economic incentives. Xinjiang's nominal gross domestic product in 2008 was 420 billion yuan, against 220 billion in 2004, thanks in part to large government investments in industry and infrastructure and incentives to new settlers. China's dramatic economic growth has driven up prices of the farm, oil and mineral products which are the mainstay of the economy. Its oil, gas and petrochemical sectors are booming. Ironically, while Han settlers arrive, the Uighurs are going, or being sent, to cities in the east to work. The program began in 2000; in 2002, the number of migrant workers was less than 300,000 and has reached nearly 1.5 million now. Residents of Kashgar, one of areas affected, say that families who refuse to allow their children to go will be fined up to six months of their income. The program has both economic and political objectives – to provide work and skills to the unemployed and income to their families and to remove possible recruits for violence and put them into a 100 percent Han setting. It was violence between these migrant workers and their Han colleagues in a factory in Shaoguan, Guangdong, that sparked the recent violence in Urumqi. Directing these policies is Wang Lequan, the Communist party chief of Xinjiang and head of the Bingtuan since December 1995 and working there since 1991. It is by far the longest tenure of any provincial or regional chief in China. He has been a member of the Politburo since November 2002, a result of Beijing's fear of Islamic terrorism after 9/11. One major obstacle to 'Sinicization' is the very low rate of marriages between Han and Uighurs. Families on both sides fiercely oppose such unions because of differences of religion, language, diet, customs and family ties. By contrast, Han marriages with Hui and Kazakh people are common. Like the Palestinians, the Uighurs are largely helpless to oppose the long-term strategy of Beijing. The World Uighur Congress, based in Munich, says: "Han Chinese are colonists who want to replace us with their own people and assimilate those of us who remain, wiping out our culture." Wang Lixiong, one of the few Han intellectuals to publicly support the Tibetan and Uighur causes, said that Beijing's policy of 'stability' was every day losing the hearts of local people. "Xinjiang may become the next Middle East or Chechnya. Conflict in the future will become more and more intense. The policies are turning one race against the other. In this vicious circle, the contradictions are intensifying and push the two sides further and further apart and could cause changes that are irreversible."
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written by Tiffany Necklaces , September 26, 2009
During the 1950s and 1960s, Han migration was compulsory or nearly compulsory. Soldiers stationed in Xinjiang were ordered to settle there, families with the 'wrong class background' were ordered to send a member there and political prisoners were sent there to work. Since the 1990s, the migration has been driven by economic incentives. Xinjiang's nominal gross domestic product in 2008 was 420 billion yuan, against 220 billion in 2004, thanks in part to large government investments in industry and infrastructure and incentives to new settlers. China's dramatic economic growth has driven up prices of the farm, oil and mineral products which are the mainstay of the economy. Its oil, gas and petrochemical sectors are booming.
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written by T. Ngai , August 10, 2009
People around the world should think about making troubles in western countries by encouraging separatist activities in, say, the U. S A., Australia, France, Germany and France. As these countries are crazy about making ethnic troubles in other countries as this article shows. How to subvert these countries? Simply emulate what the West had done in the Tibetan province and Xinjiang Province of China and instigate ethnic violence in Australia , Canada, U. S. A , France, Germany, Britian and then Asians can righteously write a lot of "moral" things concerning the brutalities of these western countries. Of course we should pay hypocritical writers like Mark O'Neill to remark that these countries will soon be consumed by ethnic conflicts endlessly.
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And then we can propagandize that the exsitence of these western countries is illicit and these countries should be dismembered and let each city of these western countries go independant and be born free and so on... The only way to protect China is on the offensive by making troubles in those countries which dare to make troubles in China. Many a westerner only believes in might , not morality or justice. report abuse
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8000 girls ascent the Heavenly Mountain
written by puah siew hoon , August 03, 2009
Perhaps the rabid Chinese chauvinists among the contributors to this forum might be cooled off somewhat once they get a glimpse of "8000 girls ascend the Heavenly Mountain" - a movie that dramatizes the lives of girls aged 13 to 19 lured to Xinjian to assist in the colonialization of that area by way of increasing the birth rate among Han soldiers......
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T Long, Lowly rated comment [Show]
re: 'Good Article' by S.C.
written by T Long , August 03, 2009
I agree with S.C.'s comments (immediately below, Aug 2) except for one. While it is unfortunately true that the notion of a grand 'western' conspiracy to thwart China's rise (or her return to global centrality) seems to be a part of the standard brainwash in the People's Republic, and true that one does not hear much of this particular conspiracy when one travels in other countries, one can with a little research outside mainstream media find a good many tales of 'western' (UK-USA, and USSR/Russian) meddling, which has ranged from outirght war and economic containment to rank assassination, espionage and sabotage. The worst of it--the so-called Cold war, where China was the avowed enemy of first one and then the other superpower--may be past us now, but the competition by increasingly corporate states for dwindling resources and technological-industrial edge is real and quite contemporary. Western conspiracy is certainly over-used in Chinese state propaganda (and it is pernicious in that it allows common media consumers to fancy themselves possessed of historical insight)--but it is not, S.C., a 'chinese invention'. Mr.Santos is likewise mistaken to fault those chinese who will not see that 'the West is far, history has moved on' (July 30).
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For the rest though, quite right, S.C. - the principles of fairness, neutrality and objectivity distinguish 'western media' from the party-control version. No one would claim that every western media organisation --let alone every western news item-- stays true to these principals at all times and in all cases. Some particular 'western' media organisations are manipulative mouthpieces, and the post-'9.11' performance of even the better ones was disgraceful, if not quite totalitarian. But that is the virtue of variety. The commenters here who claim that Mr.oNeill (in his article, above) is working as part of a grand, communist-style smear campaign are quite simply not thinking (if they are even reading at all -- their poor english suggests otherwise). And yes, 'pointing to western colonialism' is another trick of the brainwashed mass mind. China now enjoys many fruits of western civilisation --the alphabet, railroads, cinema, socialism, high-rise buildings with electric lifts, television, internet, car culture, ground-to-orbit missiles, label fetishism and now environmentalism-- what does it mean that we abominate the colonialism which bankrolled all these developments? On the other hand, if crushing native populations can really be justified by history (Lao Zhang, 'You did the same earlier' July 31), then we may certainly claim self-righteous western criticism of our expansive 'motherland' to be hypocritical - but on what ground then can we claim such criticism to be the voice of 'the most evil civilisation in history .. the blood-sucking West' (MoveMountain, 'See through the Smoke screen' July 29 )? report abuse
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written by SC , August 02, 2009
Good article.
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Regarding some of the comments - it is about time the Chinese stop papering over their own problems by trying to blame the West. After spending half my live in Australia/NZ and half in China, the only time I hear this idea of a Western conspiracy to limit the rise of China is in China. It's a Chinese invention to deflect attention from the real issues, and nobody with any intelligence is going to buy into it. Regarding the western media - read any news article on Yahoo News or Reuters or wherever and they will always quote the Chinese government's position, with quotes if possible. Do Xinhua do they same or tell one side of the story? And pointing to Western colonialism doesn't justify what China is doing. Two wrongs don't make a right. report abuse
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Sinophobic West
written by Dynas Tee , July 31, 2009
The Western press are conditioned to be sinophobic to delay the inevitable rise of China by spreading lies about China. In the case of China, they are prepared to fund Al Queda to kill Chinese nationals. Recently Ozzies absolve Rubiya as terrorist becos she herself did not kill any Chinese nationals. This is in contrast to the West treatment of Mr. Bin Laden who did not personally kill any American in his 9/11 adventure.
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In fact, the West is preparing to make use of Al Queda by replacing its current leadership around Bin Laden with a good Wahabi aligned to the Western interests. report abuse
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As free as the grass grows
written by Born free , July 31, 2009
Vietnam and Korea managed to break free from being a Chinese province long ago.
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It's only a matter of time for Tibet, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan and Taiwan. report abuse
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You did the same earlier
written by Lao Zhang , July 31, 2009
When Europeans arrived at the new world many years ago, they killed Indians there and made the land known as America later. So it is not difficult for us to use force to handle matters at our home. Survival of the fittest, don't you know that, babe?
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Behind the Scene
written by Bruce Lee , July 30, 2009
Fernando Cavalho Santos . .. . .
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Baby, you're still living in the dark ages. Check out what the CIA & MI6 are doing to destabalise many souvereign nations. Far or near is not the issue. If they can bully smaller nations today to kowtow they will. Remember Noriega of Panama? Today in Iraq & Afganistan? Please wake up. The Chinese are no fools either. report abuse
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written by Fernando Cavalho Santos , July 30, 2009
Amazing - an article about China and Uighurs, and some geniuses somehow manage to tie it to the West, etc.
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Can't you guys deal with your own problems without always seeking someone else to blame? Hello, the West is far, history has moved on, but the Uighurs are near, so are the Turks, learn to live with them somehow. Blaming the West for your own problems of your own making won't solve them. report abuse
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T Long~You Are A Fake, Lowly rated comment [Show]
More Fascist Nonsense -- [1]
written by T Long , July 30, 2009 Like any bigot, MoveMountain doesn’t make sense ("Smoke Screen", July 29). She wants to put what she calls the “Uighur problem in Xinjiang” into the “right context -- 20 million Uighurs against 1.3 billion Chinese” – i.e., the entire population of the XJAR (Han & Uighur) against the entire population of the PRC (Han, Uighur, etc). I have another context for MM : the 7.5 million Hans in Central Asia over against 66 million members of the mostly Muslim, Turkic-branch of humanity. (Or against 73 million if we include the mostly Muslim, Iranian-branch populations in Tajikstan and XJAR – but then too we must add too the unpublished number of military¶military Hans). Depends on what sort of line you draw, doesn’t it? I cannot agree that “the riotings subsided the very moment our beloved army are on the ground.” It is hard to be certain of what happened, since reporting was heavily censored and controlled, but we do know that Hans rioted for at least another day in Wurumuqi and that there was more trouble in the western (predominantly Uighur) parts of the AR, and so many detentions cannot all have been peaceful. But even if violence did wane under martial law, how does this prove “that these evil faked religious bigots were only able to slaughter the unprepared & unarmed innocent civilians”? Since you are probably talking about the non-Han rioters, let ‘s ask : are those Uighurs who rioted really “evil”? What a strange, Gang-of-Four-era word! Are they fake? fake religious? As if we modern Hans have any idea what it might be like to have a real religion! Or are they fake because they are “no match for the fire power of our soldiers”, whereas real fundamentalist agents have shown us they are more than able to harm our ‘prepared and armed” military¶military. “Bigots”? MM should look in the mirror; should look again at her own letter (here in bits or below in full -- July 29). report abuse
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[2] Central Asia and Mark oNeill
written by T Long , July 30, 2009 MoveMountain’s grasp of geo-politics is shaky. She claims that other countries’ internal security nightmares are for China “external environments .. in our favour.” Russia faces in Chechnya a mostly Muslim, ethnic (but non-Turkic) insurrection; our neighbouring states the ex-USSR ‘Stans, mostly Muslim and Turkic, face “various degrees of Islamist troubles” (as well as being “so poor , weak”  – how is this good for the great motherland? Pakistan may be our ally, but it is first and foremost an ally of the USA; and it is only as “staunch” as it is stable, and it is currently being torn apart by the very troubles MM gladly sees in our other neighbours. The Afghan state too is presently a USA ally; the anti-govt Taliban there, whose bravery MM seems to laud, “faced with their battles of survival facing off” against NATO forces, would gladly bring their insurrection into our great motherland, you idiot. It is true that some (not “all” of “our detractors enjoy comfortable sanctuaries in the West; but equally true that other detractors enjoy uncomfortable prison cells here at home. It is true that some Western media seem (not “seems” to “do their earnest biddings so shamelessly”. The nature of information-supply organizations is that each has its own propaganda agenda, each ignores some news and trumpets others. Is our organisation with its single unwavering message any better? If you bother to look, you will find a great variety of opinion abroad, all legally published. Including Mark oNeill (“this so-called China-hand author” in the ranks of the unwavering anti-China media is an ignorant insult : if MoveMountain has even read his reporting, she certainly hasn’t understood it. report abuse
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[3] Unity of Asia and Ugly China
written by T Long , July 30, 2009 It is true that the great motherland ought to beware the “'most evil civilisation in history' -- the Caucasian Christian blood-sucking West”. But we must admit that quasi-Caucasian non-Christian Westerners such as Karl Marx are good, and some Caucasian ones such as Norman Bethune have been helpful. It is true that the USA military-intelligence did “divert the Islamist fury & rage” against the USSR, successfully in the Afghan Stan; the Taliban were glad to “turn the clash of Christian (civilization)--Islamic civilization” into one of Soviet anti-religious civilization—Islamic civilization. But if we are to see a new holy war against “Confucianist” Chinese anti-religious civilization, will it help peace and understanding to blame outsiders? Even our information-supply organisation Xinhua now says that it is ridiculous to maintain that the people are ignorant and easily manipulated: “Blaming people for not having all the facts is no different from saying they are unable to distinguish right from wrong, and that is simply untrue. [for those unable to read Chinese, english, see today’s www.scmp.com] As to MoveMountain’s Western-free “ultimate unity of Asia” I shudder to think what she has in mind. When she kicks “all the illegal white settlers” out of Australia and New Zealand, will she allow the Chinese immigrants to stay? Will she allow the natives to have any say in this? Or will she, like the Japanese of 75 years ago, claim that her actions are for the general propsperity of greater Asia? As to MM’s nastier comments --“evil Christian whites”, “this half-beast-half-human nation of Turkey .. these sub-humans”, “Let's shoot them mercilessly”, etc—she really should keep her ugly thoughts in the Chinese-language chat-rooms of the great motherland where they belong. She is lucky to be able to write English -- don’t show our Ugly Chinaman to the world! report abuse
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Crushing the Crusaders
written by Masood , July 29, 2009
The cunning Judeo-Christian Western countries are trying hard to deflect the fury of the Islamic wrath to China.
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Sorri mate, it won't work. You can'l change Allah's injunction in the holy Quran. The West is Islam's "inverterate enemy" and Moslems must seek them out for destruction sooner or later. It's being played out all over the world - in the streets and subways of Europe, in Indonesia (yet again). No place is safe so long as the mujahideens are within your borders. Well, the London Olympics are around the corner. Let's wait & see . . What goes round, come around. report abuse
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No Colony!
written by Mac , July 29, 2009
High time the red head english get themselves out of northern ireland before it's too late!
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Reap what you sew.
written by Irish Observer , July 29, 2009
"History has shown that no empire shall last forever "- wise words which should be taken more seriously.
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See Through The Smoke Screen
written by MoveMountain , July 29, 2009
Uighur problem in Xinjiang must be put in the right context~20 million Uighurs against 1.3 billion Chinese in China, 48% Uighurs against 45% Hans with the rest consisting of other communities in Xinjiang itself, Xinjiang will never run away from the embrace of the great motherland forever provided China does not self-implode. The external environments are also in our favour~Russia is faced with Chechnya, the various 'stans' countries are either so poor , weak & embroiled with various degrees of Islamist troubles themselves , Pakistan is our staunch ally, the Talebans are faced with their battles of survival facing off with NATO & US forces, the exception is perhaps this half-beast-half-human nation of Turkey~even this has a weak underbelly with Armenians, Kurds & Greeks wanting their hands on the throats of these sub-humans. Notice how very quickly the riotings subsided the very moment our beloved army are on the ground. This proved that these evil faked religious bigots were only able to slaughter the unprepared & unarmed innocent civilians, they were no match for the fire power of our soldiers. Let's shoot them mercilessly before they can hurl up their East Turkestan banners!
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What Chinese need to be cautious is always this 'most evil civilisation in history'~the Caucasian Christian blood-sucking West. Be careful not to allow the West to somehow divert the Islamist fury & rage & turn the clash of Christian-Islamic civilisation to becoming Islamic-Confucianist. Behind all those evil smiles & hand-shakes of US officials at the US-China Dialogue, one is so disgusted by these evil Christian Whites who can sweet talk to you on one hand while stabbing you at the back at the same time. One simply cannot fail to notice that all our detractors enjoy comfortable sanctuaries in the West & the Western media (including this so-called China-hand author) seems also to do their earnest biddings so shamelessly. They have done these throughout history & they will do it again & again more desperately so now that they are struggling to halt their destined decline. Asians must get rid of all Western influences in Asia for they sow discords & conflicts hindering the ultimate unity of Asia. Asians must set our sights higher at getting the sparsely populated Australia/N Zealand back into Asian hands(kicking all the illegal white settlers) instead of squabbling among ourselves fighting for limited spaces & resources for our over populated people. History has shown that no empire shall last forever & therefore the West shall fall just like the Roman Empire & the world's peoples shall rejoice at such spector. report abuse
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At Peace
written by Fei Hong , July 29, 2009
When the West were strong they forced opium down China & carved out China into concessions.
Votes: +6
Today, China is strong both militarily & economically. A dangerous economic rival to the West as such. Gunboat diplomacy won't work anymore. It hasn't worked for Iran and N Korea as well. How do you sabotage China then? Simple, says Germany and the West. Destabalise China internally. Encourage separatism and balkanise China - Taiwan, Tibet & Xinjiang. But the West mustn't forget about "what's goes around come around". It's true. It's happening before our very eyes. Ask the Buddhists, the Hindus, etc. The West today is going downhill for all the bad things they have committed over time. Btw, China treats its minorites better than any country in the world. Check out the treatment of minorities elsewhere - regular pograms in Indonesia, the current apartheid in Malaysia, the Blacks in the US, etc. report abuse
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Wolf no better informed than Bruce Lee
written by T Long , July 29, 2009
“Bruce Lee” (July 29) claims that Turkey is the ancestral home of the Uighurs, and “Wolf” (July 2
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 , meaning to correct “ avid”, claims that Uighurs are not Chinese, but rather Turks. Of course this begs the question : if Uighurs are not Chinese simply because they do not say they are, then aren’t most Taiwanese “not Chinese” as well? I won’t dispute Wolf’s careful statistical analysis of the identification or non-identification of Uighurs-living-abroad with the PRC state (which may or may not have let them have travel documents & exit visas), but when it comes to “racial” origins it must be said that Wolf is quite as poorly informed as Mr.Lee. Wolf ignores that a Turk who is a citizen of the state Turkey (e.g. ethnic Greeks, Armenians and Kurds as well as Turks) is quite different from a “Turk” who is a member of the Turkic branch of humanity (e.g. Azerbaijanis, Hazaras, Kazakhs, Kyrgyzs, Tatars, Turkmens, Uzbeks and Uighurs as well as Turks) and may be the citizen of any state. Wolf’s careful statistics do not show that Uighurs wish to be citizens of Turkey. Should we exclude from the supra-ethnic Chinese state anyone who is not loudly, proudly “Chinese”? Or anyone who has (non-Han) ethnic ties abroad? Shall we expel the ethnic Mongolians to Outer Mongolia? The Tibetans to Nepal and Bhutan? The Chaoxian to one of the Koreas? The Dai to Thailand? The Miao, Yao and She to Laos? Fascist nonsense has no place in a modern socialist state. report abuse
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Playing The Moslem Card Against China
written by Bruce Lee , July 29, 2009
Moslems are a restive people. All over the world, when they think they have the numbers, they want to secede and become an independent entity eg from the southern Phillipines to Petani in Thailand. They won't want to have a kafir (infidel) governing them.
Votes: -1
The Turkish Uighurs should have been sent packing back to their ancestral homeland, Turkey, a long time ago. Just watch it. The same story will be played out as O'Neill has hoped for in China. Their numbers are ever growing in Europe. Recently, they have planted bombs, torched the streets. Birmingham and elsewhere in the UK with big Moslem concentrations will want self-government. The Moslem Algerians in France and Moslem Turks in Germany. Patronising them won't work. Great Danes have been knifed in public! It's in the holy Koran! The fight to the death between the Crusades (White Christians) & the Moslems. They have to carry out Allah's words. Western interests have just been badly hit in Moslem Indonesia. Can you understand that China is a multi-racial country. The Chinese Han, Kazakh, Uighur, Hui, etc., are free to move anywhere within CHINA. Perhaps you should write about Indonesia's transmigration programme where Moslem Javanese are distributed all over the Indonesia archipelego. The Moslem Turks into Cyprus, Armenia, etc. Yes, you would hope for a Nigeria in China where the Islamists are fighting the forces of modernisation and development, right? report abuse
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Mark O'Neill
written by Ipman , July 29, 2009
Where are your moral principles?
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The Chinese Han shd have decimated the Uigurs like what the white Europeans did to the Bushmen in Australia or the Red Indians in the Americas. Then there would be peace, right. You try to split China by writing abt the Chinese being different i.e Uighurs, Hui, Kazakh, etc. Why not the US? Americans are Italians, Irish, Germans, etc. You define China in terms of Israelis & Palestinians, wiping out their culture, etc. , to sow seeds of discontent and disharmony. Why are white people or westerners like that? Remember, RETRIBUTION will surely come your way. Karma. See how the West will suffer in the near future. report abuse
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written by david2008 , July 28, 2009
Any people with Chinese citizenship are considered as Chinese citizen, regardless they are Han, Uighurs, or other minorities in China. We are equal brothers and sisters. It is western powers that want to see Chinese hate each other and kill each other for their geopolitcal gain. This kind of dirty games have been played all around the world. And western media have been playing a big role of it.
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written by Wolf , July 28, 2009
Hi, David: Uighurs are not chinese, they are Turks, 99% of Uighur do not say they are chinese, even they are living abroad.
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Both Uighurs and Han are Chinese
written by david2000 , July 28, 2009
Xinjiang has been part of China for long time. Uighurs and Han are both Chinese. They have rights to choose where to make living at anywhere in China. Some western media worked hard to create hate among Chinese people. They liked to see Chinese people kill each other. Before they accused Chinese didn't have freedom to choose where they live. Now they accuse Chinese people's right to choose where they like to make a living. When we look back China's long history, we will succeed.
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China is made up of many people
written by Ben Gee , July 28, 2009
China is made up of many people, Uighurs is one of China's main group. Rightly or wrongly, Xinjiang was part of China for over 1000 years. The early silk road past through Xinjiang. The relationship between Hans and Uighurs had never been easy. If Xinjiang ever leave China, as at times in the past, the blood shed will only intensify. There was much less blood shed in the past 60 years than in previous centuries. There were always a few people who want to be king. They stir up trouble. China will not give up any part of its areas. Any one who tries will not suceed as long as China stay strong.
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