China has changed course over previous years, in both releasing information and the action it takes following unrest. But the deadly attack that left 5 people killed at the doors of the Forbidden City, in Beijing, has prompted a different approach.
In older times, China would have dealt with the problem quietly, and without divulging any information on the case or the action it would take.
But the problem with Uyghur separatists is not going away, and China now feels that the activities it is blaming on the Muslim Uyghurs, are unjustified and alien to the Chinese identity.
Uyghurs have lived in China for centuries. They came in via the Silk Road and have toiled and prayed alongside Han Chinese without a ripple.
But in the recent past, Uyghurs have felt that their condition of non inclusion was forcing them to live on the fringe of Chinese society, and that slowly prompted a move towards independence.
Although their quest to separate from the mainland will not happen, since their territory is strategically vital to Chinese interests, and is inhabited by many Han, their willingness to act has been bolstered both by events outside their borders and by the repressive measures imposed by the Chinese authorities.
The problem with the actions taken by the central Chinese authorities, is that it does not distinguish the people who are creating mayhem from those who don't. Once anyone identifies him or herself as something other than Han, and does not 'conform' to the ideal of Chinese identity, that person is to be singled out, and if he or she acts, he will be named as an enemy of the state.
But Uyghurs numbers are quite large, something that rankles the Chinese authorities. At the time of this attack, which the Chinese blame squarely on the Uyghurs separatists, there were more than 10 million ethnic Uyghurs in the southwestern provinces.
Unfortunately, the Forbidden City attack has now become the preponderant excuse for reprisals, which the Chinese authority will not fail to undertake. Already Uyghurs in the capital complain of the scrutiny and discrimination they face, which was already palpable even before the attack.
The Uyghur separatist movement, called ETIM, has been classified as a terrorist group by the UN and the US, and there is no doubt that their intent is not to obtain independence through peaceful means. But knowing the regime and the way the Chinese authorities conduct their affairs, the ETIM activities could render life very hard for the ethnic minority.
Some are saying that China is using the ETIM excuse to justify actions that could come under scrutiny as violations of human rights.
What Uyghurs have protested chiefly in recent years, is the forced settlement, a practice China has used with disastrous consequences in Tibet, of Han Chinese, to both control and resettle the Uyghurs, in their own corner of the country.
Some in China insist that ITEM has already established international terrorist linkage to some of the more dangerous Muslim groups, but the evidence is lacking. Although that may change, there is little that the Uyghurs can do at the moment to prevent the backlash that is soon to come.
Partial Source : France 24/ 11.01.13
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