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8/1/1996 - The Warriors for Uighurstan by Adam Smith Albion

The Warriors Uighurstan TASHKENT Uzbekistan August ByAdam Smith Albion EASTERNTURKESTAN iiiiiiii Whenever lostthethreadofmythoughtswhilewritingthetextthatfollows dried Map WurMsh World Turk Dunyasi Haritasi hanging Oif abovemydesk PrintedinIzmirin1994undertheauspicesoftheTurshMinistryof Education shows whole Eurasia Atlantic Yellow Sea ghting independent WurMsh states autonomous Tursh states muhtar ozerk Turk devletleri salmon cannot whether color schemewas deliberately adopted suggest thosemapsofthe BritishEmpire Rf fifIi picted quarter globe In visually string shading analogous message about prestige domain By chromatically coupling swathes territory spread overtwo continents themap projects glance mpressi range multitude hence power influence Turc Falngundertheheading independentTursh states areTurkey NorthernCy Azerbaijan Central Asian republics USSR including Wajistan although Wajiks Turc ethnically Indo European These makeuptheTurcheartland andarepainted TheRussianFederationlooksas tattered dishcloth since large pieces excerpted colored eleven country constituent republics andreonsare picked tonomousTurshstates TworegionsofGeorgia AbaziaandAjaristan arealso China territory designated WurMsh world shaded accord I ingly Like Nimrod Ministry Education driven million people Finally mostsignificantlyforthepurposesofthisnewsletter sixth covering approximately million square meters anointed Turks Spanning distance Caspian Sea Mongolia Turkestan Wha isuEes exicographesseemsureJ isaplacename iossintheen perficially geographical terms Anglo Saxon world Solzhenitsyn Slavic Commonwealth resonant concept easier invoke define In This about Turks their heterogeneous identities centered tribe group focus instead profound monoethnic allegedly unites Unfortunately precisely within borders Turkestan definition never question generate sensus Naturally therehasbeenamultiplicityofanswers reflectingthe confficting agendasofhevariousgroupshahavesough ocapitazeonhedea sevocave Mt powerbyharnessing ittotheirowncause Pan Tursts Turanians Jadid Reformers Tatarstan Bashkortostan Chuvashiya upper Volga Sagestan Chechnya Ingu shetiya Kabardino Balkar Karachai Circassia Caucasus Gorno Altay Kha Vuva Mongolian border Vakutia Saha Republic For widespread misperception Turkey Yakuts Turks therefore Muslims ASA The Voice People March Bosnia Herzegovina Gagauzia Moldova mysteriously omitted Islamic pious foundations Tsarist Soviet ficials right chauvinists Turkey today advanced different criteria linguistic political torical distinguish members Turke stanfrom imposters Fromthe Russianpoint ofview nineteenth Turkestan referred Tsar defined mappedconquests Central Asia overseen Tash Governor General Under Soviets these wereorganized theAutonomousTurkestanRepub Thus brief period least Turke definite administrative territorial meaning although itwasnotonethatmostTurkicpeo would chosen themselves In final analysis perhaps isbestnottothinkofTurkestanasa physical location imaginative landscape Turkic intellectual history On ceptual plane meeting place Turkic nations symbolizing ethno cultural common nominator supposedly binding loyalties divide But specify constitutes Turkic nation Is hoped union territorial political abroad commonwealth inter Turkestan vague protean cannot reconciled world since physics clarity tends produce explana obscurer thing explaining igizotum ignotius At various times Turkestan hasbeen rallying political banner religious mission racial sense shared common purpose linguisticumbrella tactic ofeducational reform power administrative convenience principle offoreign policy mystical union One should proven cruel disappointment supporters among educated elites useless mobilizing masses other appeal supranationalism It utterly credited notion USSR Kemalist Turkey until since enjoyed revival among Turkish intelligentsia religious political right Although futile define Turkestan whole paradox reminiscent quantum physics thatone halfofit canbe delimited quite precisely While boundaries Western Turkestan remain doubt Eastern Turkestan historical designation China westernmost province traditional Uighurs Known Chinese Turkestan opposed Russian Turkestan breathless nineteenth century travelers explorers reorganized rather pedestrian sounding Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region People Republic ofChina Culturally torically forms continuum Central Asia which however geographically isolated formidable mountain ranges Tien Shan Kunlun Pamirs It province China Tibet where theHanChinese numerically minority although thatbalance rapidly changing From point majority Uighurs speak language similar Uzbek Sunni Muslims Xinjiang represents easternmost outpost Turkic world their political subordina Beijing historical accident national tragedy Probably other Turkic group Uighurs still refer their Eastern Turkestan retain sense spiritualbelongingto Tur kestani collective From point Chi Xinjiang nominal Middle Kingdom since theHan dynasty third centuryBC despite jiaJg frontier In Chinese control colonization really begin until eighteenth century under Manchus Qing Beijing since In short Xinjiang deeply divided place population looking other halflook ingwest visited Xinjiang interesting times Chi curse Two months elapsed since Shanghai summit April minds Uighurs their Western Turkestani cousins Chinese andbetrayed Furthermore ruthless police crackdown against Uighur splittism barely fortnight fresh everyone minds The worst floods century Xinjiang place while there The rains began 20July sweepingawaybridgesandparalyzingcommu The Jadids Reformers begin century example envisaged Turkestan would unite northern nomadic Turks collectively Kirghiz settled southern oasis Turks primarily Uzbeks Sarts In Turke would approximately coterminous modern Central Asia But would leave Azerbaijan which cluded today Pan Turkic conceptual framework It would include Tajiks other since earlier censuses failed distinguish Uzbeks Tajiks Persian ethnic linguistic points cannot qualify Tur kestani those criteria Yet Ministry Education include though Iran explaining Tajiks Muslims almost Turks Turkluge yakin But exactly Turkluk quality being Turk causing confusion first place Also known confusingly Federative Soviet Republic Turkestan FSRT Turkestan Autonomous Soviet So ialist Republic TASSR UzbekPresidentIslamKarirnovhasrecentlybeenpushingthemotto Turkestan OurCommonHome butitisonlya bland slogan implying policy prescriptions whatsoever certainly Pan Turkic pretensions Xinjiang Pinyin transliteration might familiar Sinkiang Wade system The region geography described length ASA Through Torugart Pass August nications On Chinese ploded nuclear device about250kmawaybeneath Taklamakandesert amgratefultomysisterAlexisfor helpingmethrough manifold services travel ingcompanionand translator towhom thisnews letter affectionately dedicated SUNDAYMARKET Itwasthefirsttime everwitnessedatrafficjamcon sisting entirely donkey carts Straining wheezing braying sneezing theyhadbeen pouring bazaar since before The crunch started moment crossed muddy Tuman river andgotjumbledcho osingcross directionsatthe footof thebridge EverySundayin Kashgar thousands ofdon pulling carts laden goods converge They arrive endless stream debouch twenty acres market Ninety thousand shoppers flood behind The whole population ofKashgar The result ismayhem The Kashgar Sunday market phrase Steinbeck while model neatness supply Muskmelons blankets clothing timber grain fodder handicrafts practically anything could think exchanged hands astonishing outdoor emporium In central there streets stalls devoted exclusively skull boots embroidered fichus daggers inlaid handles latter being traditional accessory Uighur dress attached openly One clearing reserved piles capacious wooden chests faced withhammered metal Theywere burnish shone season bridal trousseau boxes since summer preferred weddings Along banks river livestock arenas where ground churned watch This interesting market formany people countryside cacophony brays whinnies whatever noise camelmakes aarghs wasalmostdrownedoutbythe raised voices ofhominidsbargaining The market activity swarms around tractive arcaded building looms midst forgotten citadel ruined civilization Its front reads Stock Exchange Market Kashgar Interna tionalMarketofCentralandWestAsia inChinese Ui English Russian But these booming words boasts Ozymandias among vegeta sweetmeats spread building front steps Private shops invaded arcades westwingisnowa billiard O nceupona technological modernizers raised edifice temple thenewgods investment portfolios puterized transactions But ahead their their visions electronic capitalism prema unfruitful Like Atlantis forgotten waves closed Kashgaris doing business pretty theyhaddone sincetimeimmemorial 8Mymythology fanciful captures Kashgar untransformed since Middle The officialHistoryoftheHan Dynasty writtenovertwo millenniaago mentionsKashgar smarket Kashgarwasthe capital Shule State comprising Western Regions third century BC Institute Current World Affairs Ages moving rhythm Marco Polo would found unfamiliar INSURRECTIONSANDMIGRATIONS Kashgar Chinese Kashi proper starting point discussion ofthe Uighurs Urumqiis admin istrative Xinjiang never Uighur Kashgar spiritual heart East Turkestan spite remote situation province south eastern periphery It located sharp V where mountain chains collide To ferocious Taklamakan Go desert Nevertheless oasis between Tarim basin Pamir always major trade The branches Silk Road skirting desert north south forked Kashgar Marco Polo following route thirteenth century became first Euro peanto visit The character Kashgar Xinjiang whole hasbeen Turkic since theUighurs migrated north eighth century originally allies Tang Dynasty against Arab Tibetan other Turkic invaders Turkic peoples stripe another thousand years until Manchustook Kashgarin Kashgarbecameanim portant commercial cultural center early never preeminence surviving onslaughts Mongols Tamerlane sacked Islam Was introduced region tenth century Islamic world mostfamous intellectuals eleventh centurycartographerandlinguistMahmudal Kashgari isburied little south ofthe inUpal From start control exercised Manchus their Muslim subjects tenuous The beginning cycle insurrec tions repressions continue From Tajik officer Khokand calledYakub Beg teredthefraywithasmallbandoffollowers doubthe hadheardofCortezortheAztecsbut wouldreallylike believe turned inspiration sometimes Bernal Diaz extraordinary account victory against because intwo years emerged improbably ruler Independent Kashgaria fiefdom covering Xinjiang diplomatically recognizedby Tur keyandGreatBritain YakubBegwasvisited sittingin state Kashgar imperial panoply Robert Shaw first Englishman remained wreathed mystery turies sinceMarco Polo Kashgaria lasted decade repercussions impact developments Xinjiang First episode example modern Chinese invincible Now taking People Republic ofChina amuchtougherpropo sition defeating Manchus Nevertheless rather Uighurs talked especially revolu tionary minded 6migr6s Tashkent reticians luxury because getting cracked People Liberation Army aremoreinterested histor precedent first experience Sitting distance Xinjiang think Yakub Beg achievement could duplicated conditions right Second demise Kashgaria savage Chi reconquest Xinjiang refugees present Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan The fleeingwere mainly Uighurs KazakhsandHui known Tungans This emigration Xinjiang Central Asia first during century established first islands East Turkestani malcontents exile precursors organizations Tashkent others discussbelow Other emigrations ofXinjiang followed enriching ethnic mosaic Central Asia great human suffering At times refugee hasbeen versed depending which border seemed inhospitable group question There occasions Tsarist Soviet policies proved rebarbative Chinese Many Ui ghurs moved Russia toward beginning century because Chinese political repre ssion found themselves returning Russian revolu broke Perhaps million Kazakhs Xinjiang order escape reprisals after failure Kazakh revolt Many returned after Bolshevikstookpower fleebacktoChinaagain Soviets instituted redistribution confis cated their livestock forcibly began settling during collectivization A large number defeated White Russians crossed border China Red Army small community their descendants lives there There major uprisings Xinjiang century The first bloody jacquery lasted years beginning Hami The population revolted against tightening political control Urumqi capital Xinjiang position taxes displacement Ui ghurs their being redistributed Han neighboring province Gansu The rising quickly became general Hui warlord called Ma Zhong command Ultimately rebellion defeated covert tanks bombers Stalin The Red Army pulled Soviet Republic Kashgaria still being mooted But briefly declaration Turkic Islamic Huiarethe Muslim Chinese ethnicHanswhohavebeenconverted toIslam Veryoften theirnamesbegin Ma which Mandarin language makes Muhammad RepublicofEasternTurkestan before itwascrushed The second occasion foundation independent Republic Eastern Turkestan tered Kashgar The Nationalists distracted Civil War communists short rebels moment Nevertheless memory short lived republic another faggot feeding among sUighurrevolutionaries Both rrections caused population flows Central Asia The movement occurred April Uighurs advantageofabriefthawinSino Sovietrelationsto across border Kazakhstan encountered intheBarakholkadistrictofAlma Ata where wastold migrationended As result these oscillations there Uighur 6migr6 population approximately strong living Central Asia majority Kazakhstan There significant concentrations inKyrgyzstanandUzbe kistan It difficult estimate situation Xinji accurately since Han Uighurs vested interest distorting statistics According Chinese officials population Xinjiang lionandtheethnicbreakdown follows 5million Uighurs million Han million Ka zakhs Kyrgyz Tajiks The Chi anxious point Uighurs comprise majority nationality their autonomous egion because seems reinforce fairness justice Beijing sminority policy The Uighurs other disgruntled norities world claim their numbers vastly underreported numbers ranging twenty million Yet samebreath theyhave virtuallybecome minority Xinji Beijing systematic resettlement ofHaninto province The swing ethnic balance Han favorandweakenthe position ofthe Uighurs My contacts Tashkent judge arrive provinces looking Xinjiang officials admit moving laborers farmers forestry workers workforce communist party economic develop region ManyWestern observersdo believe Han majority Whetherornot Beijing perceived attempts swamptheUighurswithHanare heartily resented KASHGARB EHINDTHETIMES Therewasno questionwhich ethnicitywas dominant Kashgar The Uzbek style tubeteika skullcaps their shaved heads looked boiled dipped above their darkly tanned faces They raised platforms drink wearing their black coats curling theirhighbootsbeneath Womenwouldpasswith their eyebrows penciled together which considered beautiful Uzbekistan Quite fewwere veiled A Uighurveil large brown knittedwool cloththrown thewhole reaching shoulders The women peeked through stitches raised their faces curtain wanted observe anything carefully There Chinese signs OldTown Every whereelseintownChineseandUighur alwayswrit Arabic script given strict equality pearing parallel above shops restaurants But there patently Mandarin because hardly Han There great building going The scaffoldingwas alwaysmade roughly lashed One could recognize where building addition about bundles peeled poplar trunks thirty propped against Shashlyks grilled corners smoke vendors squatting beside their goods pavements overflowing peaches which owner feather dusting flocculent On closer spection itturnedouttobeafattysheep stail KashgarhaditsHan sections Asin everyChinese there People Park strewn garbage large artificial Mao Zedong statue This statue showed Mao Helmsman right raised underpart sleeve noticeably decay On Kitchen Row called restaurants served delicious Han But menus offered sweet given Uighurs Muslims The street choked bicycles forms donkey carts motorcycles sidecars The Public Security Bureau Censuses suggest Uighurs Kazakhstan Kygyzstan Uzbekistan The numbers little higher respondents reluctance expose themselves takers members minority It unlikely though thatthereare halfamillionUighurs inCentralAsia thenumberclaimedby6migr6sinAlma Ata The headquarters Spark Motherland Uighur revolutionary organization Alma Ata claims earthed secret sinicizing Xinjiang million Han relocated Tarim basin million elsewhere region Spearheading massive program resettlement history families living Tiansha valley central China allegedly began arriving Mayof If there Chinese Xinjiang Financial Tines July Uighur popula already approximately million Assuming children family generations modest Uighurs their number today should around million Perhaps census figure wrong likely population figure million Xinjiang wrong In Uighurs complaining their numbers underre ported right These calculations suggest total population closer million where Uighurs comprise Institute Current World Affairs police largelyUighurbut People Liberation Army rather visible presence exclusivelyHan The overlap cultures symbolized Uighur stirring great cauldron zhuafan neath Chinese lanterns Myoverall impression Kashgar paced Its multi ethnic composition cosmopolitan atmos phere Best Chinese stare waigu foreigners ifwehaddroppedfromthemoon Wide amazement invasive curiosity standard reaction Westerners places China inKashgar The central square dominated Id Kah mosque faced yellow tiles Uighur mosques minarets called entrance portal They seemed white shady porticos supported columns painted forest green On street outside Id Kah white skullcaps being soldfor3yuan U S apiece Mysisterand Friday prayer together noticed there wasawoman sittingamongthem franklynobody seemed bothered Whenwe arrived mullahwas reading hadith Arabic which translated explicated Uighur His lesson prayers continued hourwhile themosque filled Wekneltonred prayer rugssetoverrushmatting andbycountingthem mated eight hundred people could inside Not onlyweremost oftherug soccupiedbythe prayers started there large congeries faithful mostly wearing white skullcaps overflowing portico The morningazan Beij Beijing pleonasm China since whole country single Only Uighurs subtle resistance contumacy exist parallel their creation They their watches Xinjiang hoursbehind official clocks Theywork eatand prayon schedule deliberately provocatively unsynchron izedwith ofChina including theHanin Xinji confu singly Beijing Thus quickly learnswhen inquiring aboutbank schedules marketopeningsorbustimetablesthattheanswers useless untilone specifiedwhich temporal universe information conforms Since Beijing thousands kilometers Xinjiang should separate summer until Beijingtime Buteveryoneknowsthe systemwasnot troduced convenience It passive secessionfrom dictates ofBeijing Timeitself become politicized Unsurprisingly Id Kah clocktowerinthemiddleofKashgarisbroken donot blame SUPPRESSEDVOICES shallneverforget itandneitherwillmy sister We turning corner Kashgar complain found Uighur students willing frank discussion At instant nasty storm paused covering faces A voice beside asked politely Are eigners Doyouhaveanyquestions Whoare Theyoungmanreplied I aUighur My Uighur order friends following afternoon One worked editor student literary magazine Kashgar edibiyoti It gether Aksu edibiyoti outlets Ui ghurs express dissent albeit tortuously disguised Reviews poetry articles Kuomintang crypti cally cohceal political commentary gathered reading between lines become although being expert myself afraid failed followmyinformant elaborate explanations But understoodwellenoughthatthemildestcriticisms ofBeijingmeantsailing pretty close thewind The other friendwas studying Islam afternoons madrasa thathad opened Chinese religious policies liberalized leader reasoned particularly Xinjiang toler toward Islam would weaken resistance support Beijing By tokenmoneywas earmarked restoration historical Uighur ments buildings Thus instance foundation stone revamp mausoleum Yusup Hazi Hajip educated Royal Kashgar Islamic College thoroftheeleventh century classicTheWisdom ofRoyal Glory August It purple domed building tiling green wooden window screens However hether contributed waytoUighurprideisdisputablesince itmaybespank inglyshinybutitwasutterlydeserted When bicycled countryside Abakh Hoja mosque second largest Kashgar found finished state Restoration begun declared protected historical state funds appeared until later abruptly before According student madrasa authori Xinjiang having doubts about their previous generousview Islam They arebeginning retrench perceiving their policy double edged As Crimea population Russian Although Ukraine Crimean peninsula Moscow later Kiev The institution Xinjiang recent development apparently nothing existed years No accuse Chinese being historical authent icity still there The rebuilt mausoleum willbe towering magnificent original KAZAKHSTAN Alma Ata Basin Yining S T Turpan Turpan Xinfiang Depression K shgar Tarim TAKLAMAKAN DESERT AFGHANISTAN KUnlun Mts Hotan Qinghai EnBET Lhasa INDIA MYANMAR Miles sword While opened valve religious feelings stifled raised Uighur awareness oftheir separate cultureandheritage The gional newspaper Xinjiang Ribaohadbecome especially shrill against religious fanaticism accusing ringup thepopulation rebellion inthename ofjihad practically equating Islam subversion Free religion protected China Basic Law newspaper targets grouped under portmanteauterm illegal religious activities The young teachers being pressured close madrasa recentlyhehadbeen harassed going inand outby plain clothes policemen temporarilystopped attending TheXinjiang authorities factbeen claiming since thatsome Uighurs adopted slogan Religion Before Marxism Leninism President Jiang Zemin recently signaled harder linebyblandly announcingthat religionmustbe adapted socialist society Usually euphemistic terminology strin gentthemeasuresitdescribes wasinformed mosques Gansu Ning provinces where million Muslims filled capacity Developments there concern Beijing asmuch Xinjiang however since Mus question Hui Uighurs Hui physi RUSSIA SIBERIA Heilongjiang C MONGOLIA Jilin Nei Monggol Liaoning INNER MONGOLIA Shanxi Sichuan Hunan Guizhou Yunn Guangxi VIETNAM cally linguistically identical toHan indeed until considered religious community thnic minority learned Alma Ata chairman Ningxia Islamic Association Ma Zhiren reaffirmed July Hui harbor separatist pretensions condemn Xinji separatism muchto chagrin ofUighur 6migr6s There irony historically instigators insurrections against Han described above almost always Hui The Uighurs meanwhile nation traditionally passive phlegmatic followers ratherthan leaders remarked Id Kah mosque tended Now Uighur stormbegan speak The crackdown moreover ideological struggle against religion intensified three months The building mosques banned He himself though Kashgari living among 6migr6 groups Alma Ata previous years trans lating Bible Uighur Twomonthsbefore lahwhomheknew foolish trustedhad expressed interest reading Christians Holy Book Whenhe brought ofhis manuscript mullah house foundChinese securitywaiting forhim Hehadbeen betrayed For twenty claimed withoutchargeinasolitary cellsomewhereontheedge Institute Current World Affairs oftown questionedandbeaten Whatdid question about What doing Kazakhstan whomhe associatedwith Kashgar whyhehad trans lated Bible And I converted American Pentecostists think Christ message peaceisagoodone toldthattothepolice Theyletme In first July security forces swoop religious booksellers alongside Id Kah mosque They seized books threatening financial given Arabic Uighur Ko commentary could The police interested relig texts They onfiscated books offered interpretations scriptures The authori suspected separatist ideas seeping religious commentary Revolution justified ologywastheirnewnightmare asthehard edito rials Xinjiang Ribao clear The Chinese short frightened fundamentalist genie bottle Were fundamentalist Wah ideas becoming attractive The young grave perhaps disguise Wahhabism sured growing number their contempo raries wanted about Iranian experi religion political empowerment flirting Shiism Now regretted concentrated mullah explication hadith Friday Might fomenting revolution front The madrasa laughed bitterly Of course All imams appointed authorities The mullah taken Id Kah mosque months before seemed particularly resented Chinese creature What happened previous mullah Now began shuffle prevaricated Fi nally killed crowd May branded collabora The Chinese press merely reported Aronghanaji identified important committee member China Islamic Association injured attackers However talked Kashgar adamant supreme Muslim leader Xinjiang Nobodywaswillingtodiscussthe detailsofthe apparently sparked Aronghanaji speaking favor birth control Uighur couples hitherto subject China child permitted cities three countryside wastold however thattherewasmount pressure Uighurs breed propaganda extolling family three stepped throughout Xinjiang The mullah pronouncements sounded government drive He enraged masses however because words coincided Beijing dirty campaign Uighurssee tomarginalize theirethnicitybydrown ingthem inexhaustible stream ofHanimmigrants Although cannot agree Beijing embarked policyof genocide theconclusionofradical6migr6s acknowledge fewerUighurbabies plusmoreHan immigrants powerful formula skewing nicpercentagesinXinjiang IfAronghanajiwaspromot family planning collusion Beijing surprised victim Kash garipopularjustice The conversation these young conducted Uighur restaurant bowls laghman Like dissenters meeting conventicle discuss extremely uneasy cussing Gl ances exchanged Voices dropped someone passed table thank friends prickly illuminating afternoon CRACKDOWN Operation Strike Hardwas launchedby Beijing April The hundred crackdown crime fected whole China truncheons particularly Xinjiang Guang Tibet Police sweeps arrests nated By June campaign already declared complete success thousand criminal offenders seized stantlyexecuted during firsttwomonths From Uighurs point crime paign pretext political purge By ofMay 6migr6 groups claiming Ui students intellectuals religious figures arrested executed By July those risen arrested executed killed police brutality There resistance bloody between Uighurs internal security forces inmanytownsacross province Thesewerethe The figures taken rather remarkable letter dated July addressed parliaments Turkic countries Turkey Northern Cyprus Azerbaijan Turkemenistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan It signed United National Revolutionary Front Eastern Turkestan other 6mig6 Uighur groups Appealing Turkicmemoriesandsentiments theirentreatystressesthatevents inEasternTurkestanarenotandhaveneverbeenanexclu sively internal Chinese affair proven history The youth Eastern Turkestan taken If China willwipe nation earth TherearealsoreportsofsterilizationsofUighurwomenaftertheir firstchild andofforcedabortionsonamassive scale these reached September according 6migr6s women Kashgar Artush region Yarkand compelled terminate their pregnancies latest examples fulminant violence Xinjiang during decade Racial incidents officials jargon curred inKashgarandAksuin Theywere ceeded counter revolutionary armed rebellion Baren township riots Kashgar fiveUighursandKyrgyz andmoreriotsinHotanin 1995when popularimamwasremovedby authori tiesandreplacedbysomeonemorepliable Itgoeswith saying Chinese reacted these shows ethnic restiveness splittism characteristic vigor improvingpublic order firmhand Terrorist actions against theHanare relatively recent development Bombs exploded inUrumqi yearlaterinKashgar Iheardaboutanotherbombthat destroyedabankinKashgar lastyear buttomyknowl explosionwas never reportedby press The stood Seman Lu opposite Seman Hotel where tourist groups A hotel constructed Bombs represent escalation ladder guarantee intensification ofvio lence resentment onboth sides Thisnew element thewaragainst theHanshowthat leastsomeUighurs Oscar Wilde would decided uppolitics seriously Operation Strike Hard followed immediately wakeofthe Shanghaisummiton26 April Thepresi dents China Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Tajikistan Russia treaty established security confidence building measures along western China frontiers Valid years envisaged kilometer demilitarizedzoneandanexchange ofmilitary information relevant border security Furthermore removedthe obstaclesonceand alltoward demar cation ofChina extensive borderswith Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan portions whichhadlongbeenin dispute The groundwork treaty For eignMinisterQianQichen during previous Vis iting Central Asian republics carefully extracted commitments their presi dents support Beijing position Taiwan stand against threats China territorial integ Regionalgood neighborlinesswasthe ultimate Trade agreementswere carrots Joint pledges weresolemnlyintoned fight separatist fundamentalist terrorist movements The Uighurs appalled onebyone theTurkicnationsadoptedtheChinese For years watched peoples Western Turkestan throw Russian Empire wonderedifEasternTurkestan stimehadcome Instead found themselves still locked within Chinese Empire worse before abandoned their cousinswhose soleintentwastopursuetheirowninter Realpotitik proved powerful moral rooted shared faithandhistory Asforblood inspi rational proclamations about Turkic family nations turned empty rhetoric before U ghurs Chinese blandishments diluting thatblood lymph When Sino Kazakh commission criminal extradition treaty May Uighur activists Alma Atasaw itasdirectedagainstthem Thefinalblowcame President Jiang followed Shanghai summit touring region July He secured promises boththeKazakhandKyrgyzleadersnotonly tokeep China internal affairs Kazakhstan supports measures taken Chinese government taining national unity Nazarbayev suppress Uighur nationalist organizations operating their countries The Uighurs utterly betrayed In their Central Asia China Beijinghadbeen given freehandto dealwith refrac subjects wished Thus Uighurs coinci dence thetiming ofthecrackdowninXinjiang Theau thorities commenced repressions immediately after Shanghaisummitbecause presidents Central Asia hadgiventhemcarte blmlche There another reason Chinese purgeXinjiangofalldissentingelementsnow saidmy Uighur cloud Hong Kong When colony reverts Chinese suzerainty midnight June Beijing wants country peaceful sible The likely source disturbances after Xinji Tibet where there clamp temples monasteries recently Chinese authorities admitted May nationwide crackdown being pursue supporters Dalai Lama The screws being tightened Inner Mongolia where separatist movements surface occasionally BEIJING S STRATEGY GETTING AND SPEND ING WILL THE UIGHURS LAY WASTE THEIR POWER The Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region autono The posts reserved Uighurs ethnic quotas deceive anybody The appointees firmly subjugated Beijing conduct their business Mandarin official guage region Apart their exemption child policy special privileges Ui ghurs enjoy books newspapers television their language Ironically people fooled ethnic window dressing Hans heard occasionally complaining represented among leadership Urumqi The Chinese strategy undermining aspirations genuineautonomyorindependencemaybesummedup words economic development As elsewhere China wealth remedy political According letter mentioned previous footnote three million soldiers stationed Xinjiang sustained annual budget billion billion Chinese military spending notoriously secret would Uighurs information Institute Current World Affairs vances proposed compact being prosperity obedience An improved standard living Xinjiang authorities Swi solve differences between minority nationalities Urumqi showcase Xinjiang economic surge paced million people Thetown booming richest place China Xian The concrete rises apartment blocks sprouting mushrooms belie which means beautiful tureland Mongol Signs around story Welcome Xinjiang economic technological Urumqi advanced technological industrial development To encourage investment means special trade privileges incen tives Urumqiwasofficially declared How althoughtherearesomelargemosquesintown andalwayshasbeenaHanstronghold 85percentofthe population The smartbusinessmenwiththe cellular ephones Han The tradespeople stalls backstreets allUighur As China newly opened gateway West Sino Soviet border Xinjiang commu nications infrastructur being upgraded The Lanzhou Urumqi double track railway nected Turkestan Siberian railway sultthat itisnowpossibletoconveyfreight andtheo retically passengers Lianyungan Yellow Sea Rotterdam train This month Beij allocated billion billion thirty development projects Xinjiang majority having infrastructure improvements Bright foreseen trade between China Cen Asian neighbors Despite these intentions I should insert slight caution Commerce always little strangled until border procedures harmonized simplified described rampant corruption among customs officials newsletter report Xinjiang Kyrgyzstan worst I traveled The quality roads declines sharply nears boundaries between Chinese provinces neither willing financial sponsibility stretch That Xinjiang foreign trade close dollars registered border trade counting about turnover The figure would doubtless higher flood smuggled goods added China become Kazakhstan seventh largest trade partner Their economies comple another Kazakhstan imports consumer goods exports fertilizer steel Kyrgyzstan offers Chinese cotton animal husbandry products metals The markets Alma Ata Bish Osh overflowing shoes clothing particularly electronics brought Xinjiang This trade controlled almost exclusively Uighurs Their geographical dispersion given advantage since China friends relatives across border strike partnerships Since Uighur commu Alma Ata turned Barakholka market intoa livelyemporiumwithastaggeringrange goods Xinjiang stands benefit trade Pakistan Kazakhstan trade Pakistan through China There makingPakistan swarm waterports Central Asia outlets since Lianyungan distant inconvenient Turkmenistan plans route trade through Persian Gull though Islamabad tiatedworkfourmonths toimprove theKarakorum Highway Pakistani businessmen their pyjama kurta interested mainly cotton carpets visible presence streets Kashgar Pakistani scarfs fabrics markets there Most these traders looking though business Tariffs customs procedures verifying goods being shipped Pakistan still complicated Furthermore Xinji southwestern borders recently tight prevent smuggling Pakistan Afghanistan Chinese authorities afraid werebeing stockpiledby Uighurs Finally Xinjiang The region third China total reserves The Taklama desert thought billion barrels troleum beneath sands fields regularly being discovered there further north Turpan Junggar basins The daily yield Tarim basin around tonnes According China ninth Five Xin jiang total yield million tonnes tweennowand average tonnes The Chinese trumpet profits prosperity The Uighurs little celebrate They imagine petro dollars being poured Beijing coffers angry Even wealth redistributed Xinji subsidies grateful sharing percentage dividendswhenthey earningsbelongtothembyright Here fallacy B eijing solution minority nationalityproblem Howeverrich theUighursbecome their resentment likely subside regard Eastern Turkestan colony whose natural sources being exploited rapacious empire Hence thisjokecurrentinAlma Ata AUighurcomesoutofBarakholkawithamagnificentgreen parrotonhisshoulder andenters Thebarmanwhistlesand You abeauty there Where didyou findhim The parrot replies InBa rakholka therearelotsofthem The latest discoveries Tazhong No oilfield biggest found desert reserves million tonnes ofcrude July theBaolang oilfield north Xinjiang estimated million tonnes August Whenthe discovery ofanewoilwellis reported Ui ghurs clinkofmoneyin Beijing pocket When regional officials unveil plans develop tares ofbarren Uighurs picture oceans ofHan brought toworkit Whennewinfrastructure projects announced Uighurs picture roads railways facilitate flood immigration They unimpressed commitments fight encroachment salinization since already blame Beijing making region environmental disaster result nuclear testing Lop Nur The explosions since testing began occurred inJune andJuly Since Chi declared voluntary moratorium Perhaps glorious Deng Xiaoping But Uighurs nursing grudges Beijing maintains political doubt theycanbebought offwith glory THEFUTUREOFUIGHURSTAN Some steps toward decentralization among China provinces likely Deng death For seems uneasy peace cohabitation between ethnicities Xinjiang Genu power sharing Han cards theirownaffairs reliable prognosis Uighurs future Revolution against People Liberation Army surely futile Despite United National Revolutionary Front Eastern Turkestan never exclusively committed armed insurrection understood discussions Alma Ata branch members Tashkent front braced spectrum opinion including throwing loony leftists The allied groups Kazakh Associa Uighurs Association Liberation Uighurstan Ittipak Society Uighurs Kyrgyz However Uighur movements forged unity adversity generally managed speak voice A unify groups single political organization drawn Draft Structure Goals Na tional Union Uighurs Central Asia Alma Ata January A cabinet would ported committee members There debate whether National Union should dubbed Uighur government exile first mooted apparently supported Turkey Saudi Arabia The shockofWesternTurkestan betrayal icalized 6migr6s It clear balance power within their organizations swung those advocating militant action There until recently dovish Menshevik thought could workwithCentralAsia sgovernmentstoadvance their agenda hawkish Bolshevik consid dialogue pointless The doves approached Kazakh Committee Nationalities discuss sibility registering National Union legally The envisaged themselves lobbyists Uighur cause Some toying aUighur political party although For Free Ui ghurstan launched Bishkek July successful The Shanghai summit Jiang Zemin followup meetingsinCent ralAsiaexploded allhopesofworking within democratic process The hawks crowed theyhadbeenright allalong TheUighursfoundthem selves driven underground The Revolutionary Front publications outlawed especially propaganda organ The Voice Eastern Turkestan A broadsheet Uighur Russian When crossed border ofKazakhstancarryingtheFront smaterials theoreti cally could arrested smuggling seditious literature The their publications become radical since April An editorial The Voice July reads The reason Chinese regime capable carrying repression Eastern Turkestan links inner China Along transport arteries there bridges tunnels reservoirs Our centrate attention problem The praise sabotage along theLanzhou Urumqi railway alleging bridgeshadbeen destroyed previously This In Urumqi talked Ui ghurs their teens They studying English together language school founded Rabija Ka Ms Kadir herself Uighur famous entrepreneur opened private department store became billionaire Now lected fifty young Uighurs school including these sponsoring attend univer sities United States starting asked courses interested One girls parried question How wework freeUighurstan tunderstand West We learn about democracy politics diplomacy Then serve country The Eastern Turkestan hands these young people bombs They future warriors Uighurstan Institute Current World Affairs The InstituteofCurrentWorldAffairs 4WESTWHEELOCKSTREET HANOVER NEW HAMPSHIRE 03755 A DDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Institute Fellows their Activities AdamSmithAlbionAformerresearchassociateat ReporterfortheBuenosAiresHeraldfrom1990to agerfortheworld sleadingproducerofcardiacde Institute EastWest Studies Prague THEAMERICAS fibrillators recently managed million Czech Republic Adam spending years study developing country revolving Pro writing about Turkey Central Asia Sharon Griffin A feature writer contributing Appropriate Technology Health PATH their importance actors Middle East columnist African affairs San Diego Union Seattle Pramila spending years India former Soviet A Harvard graduate His Tribune Sharon spending years southern tracing roots studying social issues involv Adam completed first Africa studying Zulu KwaZulu kingdom religion status women populatio M Litt degree Russian East European writing about nongovernmental organi AIDS SOUTHASIA languages Oxford University EUROPE zations fulfillment centers national needs RUSSIA developing countries where governments still John B Robinson A Harvard graduate feeling their toward effective administration certificate proficiency Institute KiS Christopher P Ball An economist Chris Ball holds SAHARA wahili Zanzibar Master Fine Arts Crea B A University Alabama Huntsville Writing Brown University attended International Summer John Harris Awould lawyer undergrad Delphine French oceanographer spending School London School Economics He degree History University Chi years Madagascar their young studied Hungarian years Budapest while John reverted internat ional studies after Nicolas Rowland He writing about serving Project Director Hungarian Atlan internship product liability department aspects island nation struggle survive Council As Institute Fellow studying Chicago years industrial natural resource exploitation writing about Hungarian minorities former So graduate Russian University Washington effects rapidly swelling population nations East Central Europe EU Seattle Based Moscow during fellowship SAHARA ROPE RUSSIA John studying writing about Russia political parties begin difficult Teresa C Yates A former member American William F Foote Formerly financial analyst sition identities based personalities Civil Liberties Union national force Lehman Brothers Emerging Markets Group Willy their eaders positions based national workplace Teresa spending years South Foote examining economic substructure ternational issues EUROPE RUSSIA Africa observing reporting efforts Mexico impact market reforms Mandela government reform national Mexico people society politics Willy holds Pramila Jayapal Born India Pramila tenure system AVassar graduate ajuris doctor Bachelor degree Yale University history through primary secon University Cincinnati College Law Master London School Economics De education Indonesia She graduated Teresa internship Centre Applied velopment Economics Latin America studied Georgetown University M B A Legal Studies Johannesburg Basque history San Sebastian Spain He carried Kellogg School Management Evans dying feasibility including social intensive Spanish language studies Guate Illinois She worked corporate nomic rights South African constitution worked editor analyst PaineWebber accounts SAHARA Chosen basis character previous experience promise Institute Fellows young professionals funded spend minimum years carrying designed programs study writing outside United States The Fellows required report their findings experiences field month They write subject formally informally The result unique reporting analysis periodic assessment international events issues Author Albion Adam Smith Title ICWA Letters Europe Russia ISSN Imprint Institute Current World Affairs Hanover NH Material Type Serial Language English Frequency Mont Other Regions Mideast North Africa East Asia South Asia SubSaharan Africa The Americas