But as in all incidents in this area both sides are
blaming the other for the outbreak of violence.
Correspondent: Kanaha Sabapathy
Speakers: Colin Mackerras, Professor Emeritus at Griffith
University; Dokum Isa, Secretary General, World Uigher Congress based in
Germany
SABAPATHY: The clash happened on monday when a group of
Uigher demonstraters, seeking information about friends and relatives who had
been detained recently met resistance from authorities when they tried to enter
the police station in Hotan
Xinhua news agency reports that armed police shot several
of the demonstrators only after they had killed a policeman, a security guard
and two hostages.
Chinese authorities described the incident as an
organised, premeditated terrorist attack on local political departments and
claim that the demonstrators had come prepared with arms, knives, molotov
cocktails and explosive devices.
ISA: All chinese government never issue the true
situation. Chinese government always accuse the people of any kind of Uigher
activities as terrorist activities.
It's a claim denied by Dokum Isa, secretary general of
the World Uigher Congress based in Germany.
SABAPATHY: Control of oil, gas and coal rich Xinjiang
province is important to Beijing but it has always faced resistance from the
native Turkic speaking Muslim Uigher people who say they are being
discriminated against.
Dokum Isa says the events of September 11th 2001 gave
Beijing the oppurtunity to label them as terrorists.
ISA: Before september 11th Chinese government called most
of Uigher activities as just separatism, separate activities or religious
activities. But on september 11th, in one night we have become terrorists.
SABAPATHY: Dokum Isa says although the Chinese have
brought in oil companies to exploit the resources in the region unemployment
among qualified Uighers remains very high.
ISA: Alot of young guy no job. However Chinese government
transferred alot of Han Chinese and provide job for them. Alot of oil companies
open petrol industry in this area. Ninety nine percent employment, employer
worker are Han Chinese transferred from China. Economic discrimination,
political discrimination very high that's why there is alot of problem between
the Han Chinese and the Uigher people.
SABAPATHY: Han Chinese presence in Xinjiang has increased
from 4 percent in 1949 to over 40 percent today.
China has pumped in money to develop the region but Colin
Mackerras Professor Emeritus at Australia's Griffith University says it has
done so with little cultural sensitivity.
MACKERRAS: When they modernise which they are doing and
that's a good thing, I think they should be much more careful that they are
being sensitive about the local people's culture.
SABAPATHY: China fears that Hotan which is close to the
Pakistan border may be prone to the influence of terrorist groups like the East
Turkistan Islamic Movement who would use Islam to instigate separatist activities
and violence in Xinjiang.
Professor Mackerras says its difficult to confirm if
Uighers are involved in terrorist groups but he says overreaction by both sides
to such claims only heightens tension in the province.
MACKERRAS: What I can say is that I think they do exist
and the chinese overreact towards them and that makes the situation worse and I
think the Uighers also react, alot of them, I don't say all of them by any
means because the majority want to have a peaceful and stable life. The fact is
that each overreacts towards what the other does and thinks and that makes the
situation more tense.
I mean as far as the question of tension is concerned I'm
sure the riots that happened on July 2009 just made the situation worse. I mean
the Chinese government's response has first of all been to suppress it and
secondly to try and improve the standard of living and that's good to improve
the standard of living, but I think they should be more sensitive about the way
that the Uighers want their standard of living increased and to have more
respect and sensitivity towards their culture.