Inside the Current Issue

A Quiet Injustice in China

Roderick Graham

I had known Maryann [the interviewee's name has been changed] before, but decided to interview her so I could tell her story. Maryann recently immigrated to the United States. She is a member of a group of people living in a land blessed with energy resources. Because of her Muslim religion she and those like her have always been at odds with the dominant power. Some in her group - those who have been outspoken about the injustice of the occupying power - have been labeled terrorists. Consequently, all who look like the terrorists (which mean all who look like her), are thought suspicious.

I could be talking about the United States' relations with the Iraqi people - but obviously I am not because I would have made that clear from the outset. I want to make a connection between the Iraqi people and Maryann's people as a hook, to build suspense and interest. It is my little attempt to compete for space in a world full of injustices. Maryann's people, the Uyghurs, have the same problem on a much grander, graver scale.

Who and Where are the Uyghurs?

The Uyghurs (pronounced we-gar), are an ethnic group genetically and culturally descended from the nomadic Turkic tribes from Mongolia - which is why I did a double take when Maryann told me she was from China. Their native language is Uyghur. Around 8 million Uyghurs live in the northwestern region of China commonly known as Xinjiang Province, or officially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The Uyghurs still call this region East Turkestan. Geographically, East Turkestan is China's largest province, but it is sparsely populated.

There is much debate as to how autonomous the regions really are, but ostensibly the Chinese government allows them some latitude in economic and civic planning. Also, they can execute affirmative action policies to promote ethnic diversity with the Han Chinese (the major ethnic group in China), and institute cultural projects to preserve their ethnic identity. Ostensibly. Supposedly.

Same Old Story

Maryann tells me that before she came to the United States, she knew very little of the cultural history of the Uyghurs. The Uyghur people were not discussed in her childhood years in China. Even at her university, Maryann says, there was no discussion of Uyghur history. I thought this was a little harsh, and maybe Maryann's personal views may not be representative of other Uyghurs. But after our interview, I browsed the various pro-Uyghur websites, and found that a common theme was the repression of Uyghurs - to the point where calling Xinjian province East Turkestan can be cause for arrest. Or, as Maryann said, "If we talk about the truth, there is going to be a problem."

So what is the truth for Maryann? As we spoke, she directed me to various websites developed by the Uyghur Diaspora, showing me Uyghur professors and intellectuals sympathetic to the cause. As she mentioned earlier, knowledge of Uyghur history and social conditions are suppressed in China. The knowledge that she is relaying to me was probably learned here on these websites.

"People from the south [Han Chinese] get jobs with less education than qualified Uyghur people," she said.

"Language was a problem," she continued, arguing that all of the formal business transactions and politics are done in Chinese, practically barring many Uyghurs who speak only their language.

I betrayed my ignorance when I asked, "But I thought that education was free in China?"

"No, you have to pay," she said, as we looked at pictures on a Uyghur website, Meshrep.com. "These kids," she points to a picture of a few smiling children, "they cannot pay for education so they just know their own language."

It is sad that as Maryann told me these things, I was thinking in my cynical head: same old story, a racial or ethnic majority dominating the minority ... nothing new here. The conversation drifted somewhat into the creators of the website, and the Uyghur festival signaling the end of Ramadan. And then she said something that made me listen with renewed interest:

"After February 6th and 7th of 1997, things changed ... "

I tried to probe deeper, but Maryann could not tell me exactly what happened on those days. She mentioned kids, and arguments with authority, but nothing definite. I wrote down the dates to research later.

The Similarities are Uncanny

On the 6th and 7th of February, 1997 in Yining City, Xinjiang, 1,000 young people took to the streets and began attacking Han Chinese. Ten Han Chinese were reportedly killed and their bodies burned. A few days later, on the 10th, 30 Uyghurs were reportedly killed by gunfire. The following day, the 11th, the Chinese arrested 18,000 Uyghurs, calling them Muslim separatists. This was "like 9/11" Maryann said.

How true ... in more ways than Maryann realized. The relationship of Beijing to the Uyghurs is very close to that of the US and Iraq: because of the actions that February of 1997, Beijing has undertaken a vigorous campaign against Uyghurs in general, and specifically against any outspoken Uyghur groups who advocate seperation from China. The events of 9/11 here in the US has given the Chinese government an even stronger license by the global community to pursue "Muslim terrorists." In 2002, former US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage met with Chinese leaders and told them the US had added an Uyghur minority separatist group, East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), to their list of terrorist organizations. Later that year, in November, Beijing's small Uyghur neighborhood was ordered demolished with no further explanation. In January of this year, a 30-year old ethnic Uyghur writer named Nurmehemmet Yasin was arrested for inciting "racial hatred" for writing a short story advocating Uyghur freedom.

The similarities continue: the Ugyhur people practice a religion that the Chinese government is ideologically opposed to. In theory the Uyghur people have some degree of self-determination, but in fact they are beholden to the military and economic power of Beijing. The Uyghurs are allowed to practice their religion, but because membership in the atheist Communist Party is required for many high level careers and posts, Muslims who pratice openly are barred from holding prominent positions.

Finally, the biggest similarity of all: the geographical region is blessed with oil - a veritable oasis for energy starved China.

Where is Richard Gere When You Need Him?

I am not optimistic about the Uyghur's chances of being awarded independence. Unlike another autonomous region of China, Tibet, there is no Richard Gere around to drum up support for the Uyghur people. There is no charismatic leader of the caliber of the Dalai Lama to be their spokesperson, nor does their religion have influence over important cultural figures and intellectuals in western countries. Amongst the myriad instances of global injustice, such as Sudan, Iraq, and neighboring Tibet, the Uyghur's complaints will fail to catch the attention of the global community.

But who can predict the future? There is a tremendous social transformation underway in China now. With these changes in the social structure, anything can happen. Who could have been optimistic about African-Americans and South Africans asking for - and, eventually, demanding - equal rights in the name of the law? Or who was optimistic about a small man in India gaining independence for his people without raising so much as a shovel in aggression? The seeds for all of these movements were sowed at a time when no one thought they would grow. But somehow they did. Maybe a seed can be planted with this article.

A good website to learn more about the Uyghurs is http://uyghuramerican.org.

Roderick Graham is a PhD student in the Sociology program.