| The Uygur people of Xinjiang China are in really a | | | | Do they pose a threat to regional peace and safety? |
| very unenviable position. | | | | No, it is no more than a desire by these nations to |
| They do not wear saffron robes and are not | | | | curry favour with the Chinese. |
| Buddhists (or at least not any more) so they do not | | | | The Central Asian states, predominantly run by near |
| attract the attention of the Richard Gere's of this | | | | despots who came up from the ranks of the old |
| world as the Tibetans do. Somehow after "9/11" | | | | Soviet regimes, see the wealth of opportunity of |
| being Muslim does not elicit a lot of world sympathy. | | | | being viewed as supportive of Beijing. Trade deals, |
| They live under a regime whose censorship laws are | | | | millions of dollars in potential investment and one plus |
| so harsh that you could be imprisoned ( and possibly | | | | billion potential consumers can do a lot to turn a |
| worse) for handing out leaflets that are anyway | | | | fellows head. Being less than vocal in supporting the |
| negative of the state. So, they can not effectively | | | | Uygur is a small investment indeed for the expected |
| get the message of their plight to the outside world. | | | | returns. |
| They live in a country that is on the verge of an | | | | The "Great Game" of the 19th and early 20th |
| economic boom which has all the capitalists "free" | | | | centuries that was played out between Russia and |
| nations around the world almost salivating to get a | | | | Britain over Central Asia and north western China is |
| part of the bone and who are willing to bury any | | | | back on and being joined by the likes of the United |
| scruples or ignore any "minor issues" of human right | | | | States, China, India and some European countries |
| abuses to do so. | | | | including Turkey. Each is trying for an economic and |
| But the Uygur are a Turkic people and until fairly | | | | or military presence. The Central Asians are falling |
| recently that meant something important to them. | | | | over themselves in accommodation, hedging bets |
| They had a worldwide brotherhood of "kinsmen" | | | | each way and that all for the sake of almighty dollar, |
| stretching from the Central Asian plateaus through to | | | | yuan or ruble. |
| the Caucuses and to Turkey. Among these | | | | One of the articles I mention ( “Uyghurs offended |
| "brothers" they sought solace, moral support and | | | | at newspaper slur” Institute of War and Peace |
| inspiration. In many instances their lives where saved | | | | Reporting 23/1/04) cite, among other things, reports |
| by being able to step over the borders of Xinjiang | | | | how a Kazakhstan newspaper essentially branded the |
| into the neighbouring Turkic nations. Generations of | | | | 50,000 - 200,000 plus Uygurs (depending on whose |
| Uygur intelligentsia have looked to Turkey for | | | | figures you believe) living in Kazakhstan as terrorists |
| inspiration as leaders and supporters. | | | | and trouble makers. This is not a new story though it |
| However, as recent new articles attest, this is no | | | | has not been as publicly stated before. In Uzbekistan |
| longer the case. Where, once they sought and | | | | for example there have been rumblings against the |
| received a shoulder, now the Uygur may face a fist. | | | | Uygur residents there for some time. The publication |
| Where once they may have sought sanctuary more | | | | of this article, however, does mark a watershed for |
| than likely now they will be marched back to the | | | | the Uygur. |
| borders and forcibly repatriated no matter what their | | | | Whilst the Kazakhstan Interior Minister distances his |
| possible fate. Where once in Turkey they had parks | | | | government from the opinions expressed in the |
| named after their nationalist leaders now the Uygur | | | | news article one can not help thinking back to the |
| organisations in diaspora are refused the right to hold | | | | early rumblings against another ethnic group. Not that |
| peaceful international meetings. | | | | one expects a "final solution" to the Uygur question |
| This then is the reality of Central Asian and Turkish | | | | but the outcome could be less than pleasant for the |
| politics today where "brothers" can be ignored. | | | | Uygur in Xinjiang and of Cental Asia generally if they |
| Is it because the Uygurs are international terrorists? | | | | continue to remain friendless in the world. |