Author: B. Raman
Publication: Ramanstrategicanalysis.blogspot.com
Date: October 4, 2009
URL: http://ramanstrategicanalysis.blogspot.com/2009/10/october-1-day-of-mourning-in-xinjiang.html
According to reliable source reports from
Tibet and Xinjiang, October 1, 2009, which marked the 60the anniversary of
the founding of the People's Republic of China, was observed as a day of mourning
by the Uighurs and the Tibetans in Xinjiang and Tibet.
2. Despite the strong security measures taken
by the Public Security Bureau of Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous
Region, pamphlets purported to have been issued by the Munich-based World
Uighur Congress (WUC) calling upon the Uighurs not to celebrate the day managed
to circulate in the Uighur-majority areas of the city. The pamphlet said:
"On October 1st, 1949 Mao proclaimed the People's
Republic of China and incorporated East Turkestan into its territory. Since
the land had been conquered by the non-Chinese Manchu emperors of China in
the later part of the 19th century and renamed 'Xinjiang' or 'New Dominion',
the people of East Turkestan had tried more than three times to throw off
the yoke of the foreign invaders. Replacing the rule of the Manchu emperor
with Nationalist Chinese or
Communist Chinese did little to help the people of East Turkestan.On this
60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China,the World
Uyghur Congress does not celebrate the yoke of oppression or the 'dictatorship
of the people.' This date conjures feelings of anguish and misery for the
people who have endured the takeover and transformation of their homeland
into another Chinese province."
3. The local authorities had made it a criminal
offence to disseminate anything, which could weaken national unity and ethnic
harmony.They were taken by surprise that despite the stepped-up vigilance
some local sympathisers of the WUC managed to circulate these pamphlets. Some
arrests have been made in this connection. SMS messages on mobile phone networks
were ordered to be suspended during the whole of the week, apparently due
to an apprehension that these messages could be used to organise a public
demonstration on October 1 against Beijing's rule.
4. While the Chinese authorities denied any
ban on the visits of foreign tourists to Urumqi and Lhasa, they had reportedly
advised the travel agencies, which organise tours to these areas, to ensure
that no foreign tourists would be present in Urumqi and Lhasa for a week from
September 28.
5. As part of the security measures, kite-flying
and sale of items which could be used by terrorists such as knives, syringe
needles,fertilisers, certain women's cosmetics items etc were banned. A ban
was also imposed on women carrying their cosmetic bags in public transport.
6. Worried over the non-participation of Uighurs
and Tibetans in the celebration of the 60 th anniversary, the Public Security
Bureau issued warnings that any Tibetan and Uighur public servant , who did
not attend the celebrations, would be liable for disciplinary action.
7. A week before October 1, the Xinjiang's
People's Congress Standing Committee passed a so-called "Information
Promotion Bill" banning people in the region from using the Internet
in any way that undermines national unity, incites ethnic separatism or harms
social stability. (4-10-09)
- The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),
Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi, and, presently, Director,
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai. He is also associated with the Chennai
Centre For China Studies. E-Mail: seventyone2@gmail.com