【Telegraph.UK】Urumqi riots signal dark days ahead

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Urumqi riots signal dark days ahead                                                               
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/malcolmmoore/100002509/urumqi-riots-signal-dark-days-ahead/
                                                                        

By Malcolm Moore
Last updated:  July 8th, 2009
                                   
Yesterday,I was able to use Twitter to relay real-time information from PeterFoster in Urumqi about the race riots which have claimed 156 lives.
Today, nothing works. Peter is not able to receive calls or textmessages. My Twitter account has been blocked, even while using thevirtual private networks (VPN) that help me skip past the Chinesecensors. Twitter remains blocked in general in China, but others seemto be able to access it with their VPN. I guess the problem is justwith me.

The situation remains tense in Urumqi, and Hu Jintao has had to flyhome to deal with the issue. No one else has enough authority to imposehimself above Wang Lequan, the powerful party secretary of the regionand member of the politburo. Wang’s days appear numbered, however - theevents in Urumqi may well compromise his reelection to the standingcommittee. It will be interesting to see if Hu flies directly to Urumqi.

Turning over the riots in my mind, I concede I was wrong in my lastpost to suggest that Rebiya Kadeer would rise in stature as a result ofthe riots.

When I wrote the post, I had limited information and I jumped to theconclusion that the 156 victims of Sunday’s violence were Uighur.

In fact, it appears that the majority of the victims were HanChinese, brutally killed by gangs of Uighurs roaming through the backstreets of Urumqi. There are some horrific pictures circulating of rowsof bloodied bodies and cyclists lying in puddles of blood with theirheads bashed in.

I apologise for running ahead of the facts, but the idea thatChinese troops had been unable to prevent the Uighurs from murderingHan Chinese honestly never occurred to me.

Now that the sequence of events is clearer, I have a lot of praisefor the Chinese security operation in the city. According to PeterFoster, who is on the scene, they managed to prevent escalatingsituations getting out of hand several times yesterday with calm andjudicious policing.

In addition, allowing journalists to circulate and protecting themfrom the crowd has clearly paid dividends. Rebiya Kadeer’s claims that400 Uighurs were killed on Sunday were dismissed by my colleagues onthe ground, who have neither seen nor heard any evidence to back up heraccusation.

I would encourage the authorities to stop censoring the internetnow. Allowing information to circulate does not lead to greaterinstability - this unrest has shown that the wild rumours that developwhen news is suppressed can be incredibly explosive.

My feeling is that the Han Chinese, now that they have marched andlet off some steam, are unlikely to assemble in large numbers again. Anenormous security operation should succeed in preventing any morechaos. But the long-term picture is still troublesome. How will theUighurs and the Han Chinese resolve their differences?

The Chinese authorities have taken the first step, arresting 13people in Guangdong in connection with the factory killings whichproved the catalyst for the riots. But that’s unlikely to satisfy theUighur population, which has been fed ugly and wild rumours of massrapes and butchery.

In addition, China’s refusal to admit that Uighurs have a legitimatecomplaint - that they are economically disenfranchised anddiscriminated against - will hinder any reconciliation.

The Chinese believe that Uighurs get an easy ride from police andare allowed to get away with petty crime. They also worry aboutpolicies that allow Uighurs to carry knives and threaten hardworkingHan Chinese. This needs to change. Uighurs and other ethnic minoritiesshould be subject to the same laws as everyone else in China.

However, the complaints of the Uighurs are far more serious. Theyare restricted from worshipping freely, from free movement (theirpassports are often held by the police and visas are difficult toobtain) and they are clearly not benefitting from the economicprosperity of their province.

When I was last in Kashgar, last year, I asked a former colleaguewho has since departed China, what the fundamental problem between HanChinese and Uighurs was.

“There’s a total lack of respect for Uighurs,”was his reply. It is difficult to imagine that there will be a change,and the hatred on both sides will run deep in Urumqi long aftersecurity is re-imposed.

China may even be succeeding in turning the Muslim Uighurs, who havetraditionally been enamoured with Western values and culture, towardsthe anger and disenfranchisement felt by the fundamentalists just overthe border in Pakistan and Afghanistan. These riots have been awatershed moment for Han and Uighur relations, and I fear that moretrouble lies ahead.

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