Uighur mortis

I apologize to any regular readers for not posting more about Beijing’s crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang, which the Chinese government is treating more and more like Tibet — encouraging Han ethnics to move in, Mandarin-language domination, careful control without full suppression of local religion, etc. And, the central government allowing Han rioting against Uighurs furthers all of these aims, with Beijing then belatedly stepping in to “control” the issue.

Xinjiang, unlike Tibet, has no leader as famous as the Dalai Lama. Nor has it the U.S. celebrity support of Tibet. And, newer on the radar screen, complicated by allegations in the past of Uighur involvement with Afghanistan’s Taliban, Uighur issues have less support from Washington than do Tibetan ones.

Add to that a swelling American deficit and Washington looking warily at its Chinese financiers of said deficit, and, it’s unlikely President Kumbaya is going to do too much.

Chinese demolish ancient Uighur city in name of ‘need’

Claiming it was too earthquake-prone to remain standing, Beijing is demolishing the centuries-old, nay millennium-plus-old, city of Kashgar and partially replacing it with a Potemkinish recreation.

Here’s my guess as to the real reason the Chinese government decided on this.

Kashgar is seen as too potent a symbol, rallying cry and focus of Uighur community, religious belief, even nationalism. So, it “has to be” destroyed.

If something happens to Lhasa, Tibet, next, you know this is what’s up.