Uighurs in China

Uighurs (pronounced WEE-gers) are a Turkish-speaking Muslim group from Xinjiang, a vast desert region in Western China. This land, also called Uyghurstan or East Turkestan by those who support Uighur independence, was incorporated into the Chinese empire in the 18th century. There are currently about nine million Uighurs in this territory.

Uighurs have sought independence from China and claim that the Chinese have been unfairly denying them basic freedoms. Many of the uprisings have turned violent, and accusations of terrorism have been leveled against the Uighurs. For instance, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement has been labeled a terrorist group by the U.S. and the U.N., even though the actual existence of the group has been questioned. Since the 9/11/2001 attacks in the U.S., China has increasingly tried to showcase Uighur movements as terrorist activities, thus soliciting support from the U.S. and other countries in the name of rooting out Islamic radicalism. Though evidence linking Uighur independence movements to international Islamic terrorist activities has been sparse, hundreds of Uighurs have been detained or harassed on these grounds. Human rights groups have claimed that Chinese authorities have used the terrorist link as an excuse to push a harder crackdown on dissidents in the region.

The Value of Xinjiang

China possessively holds on to Xinjiang because of its value and resources. Xinjiang is strategically located at the borders of Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India- giving it significant geo-strategic importance. It has abundant oil and mineral reserves and is China's largest natural-gas producer. Xinjiang comprises over one-sixth of China's territory and is sparsely populated. Land is a valuable commodity for a country that battles against overpopulation and congestion.

To develop the province, the Chinese government has invested millions of dollars in the region. Uighurs claim that the benefits and jobs created go mainly to Han Chinese (the majority ethnic group of China constitutes over 90% of the Chinese population), who are provided attractive financial incentives to move to Xinjiang. Resources of the region are under government control, and the profit made from extracting them is not returned to locals.

Diluting Numbers

The Xinjiang province was populated almost entirely by Uighurs until the 1950s, when the People's Liberation Army soldiers began to settle there. As a result of these state-sponsored population transfers, the proportion of Hans in Xinjiang went from 6% then to 40% in 2000. In the 1990s, the government launched a program of economic incentives called "the Big Development of the Northwest" to attract new Han settlers to the region. In less than ten years, between one and two million Chinese immigrants came to Xinjiang. Uighurs claim that such actions are deliberate attempts by the Chinese government to dilute Uighurs' presence and spread the influence of Hans. As Han numbers grew, conflicts broke out over job discrimination and loss of land to Hans.

Religious Repression

The Chinese government is officially atheist, and looks at religion as a symbol of feudalism and colonialism. It has routinely suppressed religious expression across the country, including Islam among the Uighurs. Government officials restrict the appointment and activities of religious priests and often ban mosques from broadcasting traditional prayer calls. Pilgrimages to Mecca are state-sanctioned; independent pilgrimages are illegal. Only state-approved versions of the Koran, the Holy Islamic Book, can be used. It is traditional for Muslim men to keep beards and women to wear headscarves, but Muslims working in the public sector are forbidden to do so.

Persecution

To escape the oppressive Chinese government, many Uighurs flee to neighboring countries. China routinely claims that such refugees are terrorists or separatists, and urges other governments to return them to the Chinese government. If returned, they often face torture, imprisonment and death. The fairness of trials for these individuals has been widely disputed.

Uighurs face persecution for their religious and political beliefs. Thousands of Uighurs are held in prisons and labor camps for having dissenting political beliefs. People in China can be sent to labor camps for up to four years without access to any legal defense. When trials for political cases are allowed, legal defense is usually not permitted and family and friends of the accused are barred from court. Further, legal definitions of crimes are vague in China, leaving room for extended persecution of groups opposed to any part of the government.

Longstanding Conflict

Tension between the Uighurs and the Chinese government has often erupted into violent conflict. As the Chinese government controls and censors news in the country, the occurrence and death tolls of many clashes are contested.

For example, in 1997 thirty Uighur religious leaders were arrested, following which thousands of protestors began demonstrations to call for their release. The police violently dispersed the gatherings and killed about 167 people, though official reports registered only 9 deaths. Over 5,000 of the demonstrators were arrested for assembling to express views against the government. Another string of incidents occurred in 2008, when over a thousand people gathered for anti-government protests in Xinjiang. The police arrested around 400 individuals . The protests were fueled by a government ban on women wearing headscarves and the death of Mutallip Hajim, an Uighur businessman who died in police custody. Later in the year, Uighur dissidents attacked police stations and detonated bombs to express their discontent.

In July 2009, fresh riots broke out in Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital. Uighurs were upset with the inadequate government response to the deaths of two Uighurs workers that occurred in an ethnic brawl. Thousands of people destroyed property and attacked others. Uighurs began their attacks against police, but later moved on to target Hans. Hans mobilized to "take revenge" on the Uighurs. Violent means were used on both sides. Internet and mobile phone services were restricted or blocked. This prevented the spread of unrest and limited news about the riots. The Chinese government said that 197 people died and 1,721 people were injured. The government has claimed that the riots were provoked from outside, particularly by the World Uighur Congress. These accusations have been denied and remain unproven. Uighurs claimed that around 600 people died during these riots, most of whom were Uighurs. Over a thousand people have been arrested in the aftermath of the riots.

The U.N. and the Uighurs

Following the 2009 riots in Xinjiang, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillai, voiced concern over the large number of deaths and injuries. She said, "I urge Uighur and Han civic leaders, and the Chinese authorities at all levels, to exercise great restraint so as not to spark further violence and loss of life." Pillai emphasized the right of demonstrators to express their grievances through non-violent means. An independent investigation into the causes and conduct of the situation was called.

When China made its human rights report before the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) in early 2009, it was questioned about its treatment of minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet. Sidestepping the issue, the Chinese Ambassador said, "We would categorically reject this attempt to politicize the issue."

Resources:
Uyghur Human Rights Project
Global Security website