Feb 20th 2011, 16:30 by J.M. | KASHGAR
TWO fire engines stood parked by the road leading past Kashgar's main mosque. They were clearly not deployed to fight any fires. Atop one sat a helmeted officer behind a shield. The nozzle of the vehicle's water hose pointed to the junction where an alley leads into the maze-like old city of this ancient oasis town. An officer in camouflage uniform sat on the other vehicle. In a nearby government compound, several more security personnel could be seen wearing helmets and carrying shields, standing next to a line of armoured vehicles. They had not been there the day before.
Kashgar is no stranger to security measures. It belongs to a part of China's Xinjiang region that is periodically racked by separatist incidents, sometimes violent, involving members of the ethnic Uighur community. It has been particularly edgy in the past two or three years. An outbreak of deadly clashes between Uighurs and Han Chinese in 2009 in Urumqi, the provincial capital, has left the authorities uneasy.
But today the government perhaps had reason to be a little more jittery than usual. Calls had been circulating on the internet for Chinese to gather in central areas of 13 major cities (none in Xinjiang were named) on February 20th to stage a "jasmine revolution"—in reference to the upheavals that have are convulsing the Arab world. An unsourced posting to an American-based Chinese website, Boxun.com (in Chinese, and currently under a DDOS-style attack) seems to have started the flurry. Chinese authorities quickly moved to suppress it by blocking posts on microblogs that contain the word “jasmine”. They stepped up surveillance of several activists and deployed large numbers of police near central Beijing, apparently to pre-empt any protests.
Banyan’s latest column discusses why China does not, in fact, appear to be on the brink of a pro-democracy upheaval. In Xinjiang however the authorities might worry that Muslim Uighurs can identify more readily with their democracy-seeking co-religionists in the Middle East and Africa. Many of Kashgar's Uighurs do have much to complain about, from discrimination to unemployment to a makeover of their old city which has forced thousands of them from their homes into soulless new apartment buildings. Soon after my arrival on February 18th I noticed I was being followed by a black Volkswagen. It remained on my tail until I left the city 48 hours later. When I proceeded on foot, one of its occupants would get out of his car to lurk behind me. Kashgar's police have a reputation for intimidating foreign correspondents in this way.
They probably have little to fear, however, from any popular uprising in support of democracy. Xinjiang's troubles tend to be related to ethnic tensions rather than democratic yearnings (though some activists might hope that ending rule by the Han-dominated Communist Party might pave the way for democracy). In Urumqi, tensions between the communities have become so ingrained in the aftermath of the rioting in 2009 that it is hard to imagine Hans and Uighurs marching together to call for political reform. Security is far less visible than it was then, but squads of black-clad riot police, some with batons and others with rifles, can still sometimes be seen in the streets.
Xinjiang does have at least one strong connection with recent events in Egypt, however. It was here that Chinese authorities pioneered the technique of shutting off the internet and mobile-phone messaging systems as way of controlling unrest. Five days cut off from the internet was not enough to stymie the masses arrayed against Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Xinjiang was subject to similar restrictions for months in the wake of its riots. This created at least some sense of common cause between Uighurs and Hans. Members of both communities complain that business was badly disrupted by the blackout.
(Picture credit: AFP)
On this blog our correspondents across Asia survey its many fast-changing parts, from Afghanistan to the Pacific islands, stopping at all points in between to take in politics, business, pan-Asian themes and local arcana.
Advertisement
Over the past five days
Over the past seven days
Advertisement
Subscribe to The Economist's free e-mail newsletters and alerts.
Subscribe to The Economist's latest article postings on Twitter
See a selection of The Economist's articles, events, topical videos and debates on Facebook.
Advertisement
Readers' comments
The Economist welcomes your views. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers. Review our comments policy.
Sort:
The discontentment of people cannot be planted in a country from outside, rather it should come up from within. The important point is whether people is really dreaming for "freedome(!)" or they actually prefer to stay neutral onlookers ? History teaches us that future of the country is moulded by the people, and not by the outside well wishers.
I browsed Boxun.com and so called "Jasmine revolution". I have to say, Economist.com, are you serious? You can define a "revolution" just according to several unverified pictures and videos? And these pictures and videos were pictured in commercial shopping street, it is hard to tell those people went to there to protest or shopping. As for the so called "protester who accept interview", believe me, in China, no rational people will express his or her political opinion when getting interview.
It's interesting to see lots of people here continuously show off there ignorance and shamelessness.
Nobody has the right to stop you from writing a comment, even how meaningless that comment is.
Free Tibeters seem have no patience and correct attitude to learn a little history, have no idea what the word "SUZERAINTY" means, have no clue that tibetans had absolutely no control over there diplomacy and defense for hundreds of years, have no knowledge.............
However, that doesn't matter at all. At least they have fingers and can type those nonsense out to the Internet and demean the poor country from each asia.
It's all C's in China!
The Cunning Confucian Capitalistic Communist Chinese regime rule by Coercion, Control and Corruption.
Who cares about the D's:
Dumb Democratic Dissidents Demonstrating and causing Disturbances?
Consumption and Cash is the Crown and Content of everything and the Climax and Culmination of Civilization and Culture.
Down with Dogs, Dissent and Democracy!
So C's beat the D's clearly, but what about Cairo, Deng, Dim-sum and Chaos?
Violence is generally not a solution to any problem. Unfortunately, I agree with northernstar, armed uprising is probably the most likely to succeed strategy towards independence over more peaceful alternatives.
I disagree with illit-poet. It seems you do not really know Mongolians if you believe they will ever accept the cage of Chinese domination (however golden) over independence. I highly doubt you yourself would make such a choice for you and your children. There is no poetry in tyrany.
I can see Economist is busy pushing Yasmine Revolution as a reality in China. Good that Chinese government is prepared for the western evil action.
I whish I see poliece on the streets of London protecting me from Muslim Bombers as the events 2005 show the british Police needs to learn from China.
Thanks to the great police force of China,China stays peaceful.
Respect China!!!!
@PL123 wrote:
Feb 20th 2011 8:09 GMT
"I can see Economist is busy pushing Yasmine Revolution as a reality in China. Good that Chinese government is prepared for the western evil action."
Not really, it is just citing the obvious. But the Chinese government should be concerned.
Until there is respect for human rights and a truely free press, there will be dissenters and periodic uprisings of oppressed people, who are not allowed to voice their opinions, in a democratic way. China has yet to accept this fact and therefore will continue to deny any freedom of expression, either peacefully or through the army and police force. It is imperative that The Economist and other like minded western newspapers, keep up the pressure on China, to respect human rights and democracy.
I would like to ask certain pro-China posters to stop using historical political realities to justify current government actions, unless you are willing to cede control of Shanghai to the British.
I would like to ask certain pro-Uighur posters to stop treating them as characters in an anti-imperialist fantasy. What would be best for them is not some glorious armed struggle but a reevaluation of policy in Beijing to give greater cultural autonomy and an end to ethnically discriminatory policies.
So some US Website calls for demonstrations in China, and TE makes it the start of a revolution. Getting a bit desperate, aren't you?
to tocharian,
by you standard Americans are all As!
Amoral Americans amassing afluence by annihilating autocratic axi-of-evil nations through wars of attritions. and aiding and abeting apartheid in isral.
Buural said: I disagree with illit-poet. It seems you do not really know Mongolians if you believe they will ever accept the cage of Chinese domination (however golden) over independence. I highly doubt you yourself would make such a choice for you and your children. There is no poetry in tyrany.
I did not say the majority of Mongols want to rejoin China at present. I only quoted what I read few months ago that a couple Mongol politicans suggested to rejoin due to their hardship.
If I was a Mongol and had to choose between Mongolia Republic and Inner Mongolia of China, considering the HDI and corruption in the Mongolia Republic, I might just choose to live in Inner Mongolia.
ewokern said: 'In 1946, ROC formally recognized Outer Mongolia as an independent country while PRC followed suit in 1949.'
Sorry bud, the ROC has never offically recognized the independence of Outer Mongolia. The present ROC national map and constitution in Taiwan still claims Outer Mongolia as its territory.
The problem in China is actually much different than the problem with which the Arab world is dealing.
Obviously, in China, people live much better economically than in many of the Arab countries that are currently experiencing upheavals. However, in China, the problem will be more serious as the country progresses economically and continues to develop. The reason is that innovation and creativity can only be created in an atmosphere where everyone is free to think and to say whatever he/she wants. In China, right now, that is not the case. This situation will not lead to an upheaval, but it might slow China's growth in the years to come.
Upheavals in China will only be caused if the people feel that they have nothing to lose - much like in Egypt and in Tunisia. The reasons that can cause this situation are inflation and the rising cost of living that is not shared equally by the population.
I have recently written a post about this topic on my blog: laowaiblog.com/currency-war/
I invite everyone to read and to comment
Thank you!
Western reporters are getting desperate to start a revolution in China, first it was resorting to reporting on a busy shopping street and now fire engines outside a mosque.
What next ? Ask your Chine correspondent to throw some jasmine on the ground and publish a report about it ? LOL
Northenstar, Mongolian culture and even its language are extinct from Mongolia today due to decades of occupation by the Soviet Red Army. There are actually few true Mongolians left there due to mass rapes and forced marriage with Soviet soldiers there in the past who easily outnumbered Mongolian women during the height of the cold war.
True Mongolian culture exist only in China today.
@T1000
The oppposite is true: Mongolians in Mongolia speak Mongolian, and Mongolia is a dynamic and vybrant democracy in Asia that has one of the highest GDP growth rates in Asia and the world. The Mongolian culture is an interesting mix of steppe nomadism, Altaic culture, Eurasian cultures and influences of modern Western cultures. Mongolia is the only former communist country in Asia (the current communist ones are China, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, and Laos) that successfully build a democratic political system and high-growth market economy.
In Chinese controlled Inner Mongolia, there are 22 million Han Chinese colonizers. Therefofe, tt is the Inner Mongolians who are suffering under the brutal Chinese colonization and forced assimilationinto Han Chinese. Inner Mongolia, 30 percent of ethnic Mongolians DO NOT speak Mongolian. They have been assimilated into Han Chinese by force. The situation in Tibet and East Turkestan is not better. This is why Tibetans and Uighurs want to kick out Chinese colonizers from their countries!
In my view, think twice. why millions of chinese people wish imigraton, why people want to separate from china such as successful country. why texas dont even try it from USA. YES, there is obviuos reason to separate from china, no base human right, no democracy.... its horroble part of world. every country around china deeply hate them, coz of historical reason and also their current holding strategic policy.
Now they can kill, murder, rape and do what ever they want. but I am sure the time will be came and people get freedom.
Personally, I just like to hit out against what illit-poet said, Even one mongol man never think about to be in under same roof with china although they offer tonns of gold.
@Lesterliu
"and most mongolians in Hohhot dont even speak mongolian languages, except for those who mainly works in tourism resort, or in show bizness."
Yes, many Mongols in Huhhot do not speak Mongolian because they have been thoroughly assimilated by force. They did not have a choice because 90 percent of Huhhot's population are Han Chinese peasant-immigrants, and there are no environment to speak Mongolian, and there are no schools whete they can leanr proper Mongolian.
Lesterliu described well the situation in Inner Mongolia. The same is happenning in Tibet and East Turkestan. Thank youl lesterliu for addmitting the colonial assimilation policies of the Chinese in Inner Mongolia. And I remind that this is THE REASON why Tibetans, Uighurs and Southern Mongols are struggling against the Chinese colonization and occupation!