http://blog.foolsmountain.com/2009/07/1 ... g-problem/
The letter was written to Mr. Ruan Yunfei 冉云飞, a well-known Chinese writer and blogger, by someone from a very small minority group in Xinjiang after the Urumqi Incident. It provides a unique perspective into the ethnic relations in the region. It is unique because the author is neither Han nor Uighur and the voice from smaller minority groups in Xinjiang is seldom heard. The author expresses her views with extraordinary candidacy and courage.
The original letter is
here.
Letter from Xinjiang – Reflections on the Xinjiang Issue
冉老师：
Mr. Ran:
I don’t know if you still remember me, but I went to visit you last October when I was attending a conference in Chengdu.
The reason I write to you today is I want to share some thoughts on the Urumqi Incident as someone from Xinjiang.
I grew up in a frontier town in Northern Xinjiang. The local Uighurs is a small number. Most of the locals belong to other smaller ethnic groups and are obedient.
Although we also have corrupted officials there, there are almost no revolts against the government.
I went to university in Xinjiang. In the universities in Xinjiang, Min Kao Han民考汉 students, that is, ethnic minorities who graduate from schools taught in Chinese, are all allocated to one class. Han Chinese students have their own classes. Moreover, there are also classes for Min Kao Min民考民 students, that is, those taught in minority languages. These Min Kao Min民考民 students are mostly ethnic minorities but there are also a small number of Han students.
When we go to university, all the classes have to be taught in Chinese. When we attend common courses [as opposed to courses for different majors – translator], Han Chinese students are taught together while Min Kao Han民考汉 students and Min Kao Min民考民 students are grouped together and taught in one classroom. In the class of ethnic minorities, the teacher has to resort to Uighur sometimes when the students can not understand the technical terms in Chinese [teachers for minority students are mostly Uighur – translator]. When this happens, we Min Kao Han民考汉 students are very frustrated [because they are schooled in Chinese and they can not understand Uighur – translator]. It is the same with some Uighur students. They are schooled in Chinese and neither can they understand the technical terms in Uighur. This affects our grades. [See NOTE 1]
I heard in Inner Mongolia all classes in the university are taught in both Chinese and Mongolian including sports. There, the Department of Chinese Language中文系 is called the Department of Han Chinese Language汉语系 because Chinese languages include more than just Han Chinese language (this fact is overlooked by many).
All Xinjiang universities have preparatory classes for students before they start university courses. All Min Kao Han民考汉 students who will attend universities outside of Xinjiang, Min Kao Min民考民 students and Han Kao Min汉考民 students [See NOTE 2] are required to take these preparatory classes. Only those Min Kao Han民考汉 students who attend universities inside Xinjiang are not required to take these classes. Min Kao Han民考汉 students who want to study in universities outside of Xinjiang attend one year of preparatory classes。 These classes are basically a repetition of high school materials and the fees are very expensive. Min Kao Min民考民students and Han Kao Min汉考民 students need to take two years of preparatory classes. If you can not pass these preparatory classes, you have to keep studying until you pass HSK exam (a Chinese language proficiency test, an equivalent of TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The test is very difficult. Some questions are so odd that even Han Chinese students can not get it right.) Among those who fail to pass the test, some from poorer families go back home after one or two years of preparatory classes. Some Kazak students can afford to study abroad in Kazakhstan (I heard that Kazakhstan government gives preferential treatment to Kazak students from China).For those students who barely pass the Chinese language test or only make their way through cheating, studying their majors later in the university is a nightmare because the classes are all taught in Chinese. As a result of the language barrier, many minority students have bad grades. This also affects minority graduates entering the job market, especially those Min Kao Min民考民 students. They have a very hard time finding a job. [See NOTE 3]
I saw many instances of religious interference in my university. For example, during the month of Ramadan, the woman in charge of our dormitory will “raid” our rooms at night to make sure the Muslim students are not observing Ramadan. The university will also request Min Kao Min民考民 students (most of whom are Muslims) to gather in the school’s dining hall after class and eat their meals together.
I find it difficult to ensure religious freedom for ethnic groups. On the one hand, the government interferes with Islamic practices. On the other hand, practicing a religion other than Islam is disapproved by other Muslims. During my study in the university, one of my classmates and several of her sisters converted to Christianity in private. In their ethnic group (Muslims), people who practice a non-Islamic religion are very much discriminated against and isolated. (Although I don’t like Christianity, I support their freedom of belief.)
On the one hand, both Han Chinese and Uighurs have prejudice against each other. One the other hand, people like us who are from a much smaller minority group have even less social status. Han Chinese think we are a minority people and discriminate against us; Muslims thinks if we are not Muslims we must be like Han Chinese and they discriminate against us too.
In addition, I want to share some thoughts on Wang Lixiong’s book My Far West, Your East Turkistan. I think Wang Lixiong’s book misses the target. He misunderstands the Xinjiang problem. He frames the problem in a bipolar opposition between him and his Uighur friend and forgets Xinjiang is a multi-cultural society of over 40 ethnic groups. This bipolar reasoning can also be seen in the title of his book. Everything is about “you” and “me”. It leaves no room for “a third person”. Wang Lixiong ignores the opinions of other groups in Xinjiang. The Hui driver who accompanied him on the trip had different opinions on many issues. Wang Lixiong simply dismissed them as a result of brain-washing by the government. He never attempted to understand why the Hui driver had different thoughts from the Uighur.
This is the first point I want to make.
Secondly, Wang Lixiong seems to have a preconception that ethnic relations in Xinjiang are just antagonistic. In reality, many different ethnic groups in Xinjiang live peacefully together throughout history. Wang Lixiong’s book is based on a notion of antagonistic ethnic relations. I don’t think he has really reached out to the common folks.
What’s more, I would like to talk about Xinjiang independence as someone from a very small minority group in Xinjiang. Personally, I don’t support Xinjiang independence. The reason is I think the democratic forces among the Muslims are too weak. As soon as Xinjiang goes independent, it will become a fundamentalist country. I am against joining the church and the state. Maybe someone will say that’s their tradition. Those who say so completely disregard other ethnic groups who also live in Xinjiang. I think in a fundamentalist society, it is hard to ensure much freedom. First, gay and lesbian rights are oppressed. In some fundamentalist societies, gays and lesbians are executed. Second, women will face more shackles in the society. In today’s Urumqi, many Muslim women put away their traditional robes and wear fashionable clothes. They want the freedom of choice. It will be very difficult for women to enjoy such freedom in a fundamentalist society. Third, the freedom to practice a non-Islamic religion will be threatened. Fourth, what about other minority groups who do not believe in Islam?
Consequently, from this perspective, I disapprove of Xinjiang independence. In reality, Xinjiang independence is unrealistic. Xinjiang’s neighboring countries in Central Asia have joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization with the Chinese government. Countries in this organization joined forces on the issue of anti-terrorism and they also begin to cooperate on economic issues (oil pipes run from Kazakhstan to inland China). It seems Russia wants to join the organization too. Moreover, for Central Asian countries, they need a strong neighbor like China to hold off Russia and to ensure Russia will not interfere too much in their internal affairs. That’s why I don’t think the neighboring countries will support Xinjiang independence.
Speaking of Xinjiang itself, it has over 40 (47? I forget) ethnic groups, most of which are not Muslims. What these ethnic groups need is not a Uighur-dominated regime in the place of a Han-dominated regime. It is a democratic system that they need. They have already had enough living under the shadow of the dominant ethnic groups.
The Xinjiang problem is not a problem between ethnic groups. It is a problem of freedom and democracy. The Chinese government will not give freedom and democracy to its people; neither will it give to the Uighurs. That’s why the problem can not be solved. When the unsolved problem erupts, it erupts as an ethnic conflict.
I am very concerned about the situation in Xinjiang. I hope everyone I know is sound and well. If you Mr. Ran can publish my letter, it will be my pleasure.
NOW some PRESUMPTIONS are coming out in the open!