Social Commentary 2

I stared at the television screen as scenes of tear gas canisters exploding through the alleyways, angry mobs armed with knives roaming the streets, and clashes with the police flashed on. Then, the terrible truth struck me: this was 21st century Xinjiang, China. In the month of July 2009, Xinjiang was the battleground between the ethnic Uyghurs and Han Chinese, in the form of the Ürümqi riots. The Ürümqi riots had started out as a peaceful demonstration of 1000-3000 protestors, but sadly, it soon escalated into attacks on Hans after confrontations with the police. The riots left at least 197 people dead, and 1721 injured.
I feel that the Ürümqi riots is a reflection of two major issues plaguing not just China, but the world as a whole; that racial and ethnic conflicts are still present today, and that our governments have not developed sufficiently efficient methods to deal with them.

Firstly, this incident has served as a stark reminder that ethnic issues are still present today. Tensions between Uyghurs and Han have existed in the area for several decades, especially in recent years. Over the years, with the increasing pace of influx of Han, the Uyghurs’ culture is whittling away. Government authorities have limited the Uyghurs’ rights to practice religion as well as the teaching of the Uyghur language in the Arabic script. The Hans are also starting to dominate the economy, and Han companies are reportedly practicing discrimination against Uyghurs. The Uyghurs believe that they are gradually being squeezed out, both economically and politically, and the result is resentment, unrest, and animosity. As a minority group, the Uyghurs are furious at the Han’s encroachment as this makes them second-class citizens. Furthermore, the restrictions of freedom, religion, and culture have fuelled the flame of discontent and ethnic tensions. This oppression of Uyghurs is a reflection of the bigger picture of the world’s multiethnic landscape; such conflicts are common and have deep impacts on distinct communities with differences that are difficult to settle. Clearly, if we allow these differences to propagate, our world would be an extremely volatile place. If left unchecked, these differences would lead us to separation, and eventually, a spiralling descend to anarchy.

Secondly, this incident has echoed the inability of our government to effectively sort out ethnic and racial differences in society. The protests started out as peaceful demonstrations; however, it is suspected that the police have resorted to baton-charging and forceful means to disperse the crowds. As for the ongoing ethnic tensions between the Han majority and Uyghur minority, the Beijing government has only been willing to contemplate severe punishment and tighter control on the Uyghurs as plausible solutions. This strategy leaves the Uyghurs even more trapped and desperate for a way out. The government has also mounted an aggressive campaign that has led to the arrest of Uyghurs on charges of 'terrorism, separatism and religious extremism', when all they were doing was peacefully exercising their human rights. The government has also shown a lack of care for the Uyghurs, by failing to protect them from employment discrimination and forced labour. This presents a picture of hopelessness and despair to the Uyghurs, as they struggle for survival, and will go all way out for self-preservation. In this case, the government has failed to look at the situation from the point of view of the Uyghurs, and sympathize with them. Quite the contrary, they have prevented them from exercising their rights, and to speak out and voice their problems. In consequence, the Uyghurs resent the Han and government even more, and the problem has failed to be resolved.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the points that ethnic and racial tensions are still present in our world, and that we have yet to display competency in resolving them. Now, whenever I witness ethnic clashes on television, I can only sigh and look on helplessly as scenes of violence unfold before my eyes. I sincerely hope that we can resolve our ethnic issues, for the sake of world peace and harmony.