Hijacked Prejudice

The Uyghurs who live in China's forbidden province are an ancient civilization that has developed in isolation for nearly 4000 years. Although little has changed in nearly 1000 years, the CCP has actively tried to suppress the Uyghurs since 1949 by using strong-arm tactics and strong-arm policies that marginalize Uyghurs and threaten their way of life.

Uyghurs live primarily in Xinjiang, which is closed to all outside media. Those reports that have traveled beyond the wall of silence are alarming. Over 10,000 political arrests and over 1000 executions underscore the preferred method of suppression. The suppression is a clear example of terrorist-style authoritarianism which relies on fear to dominate the Uyghers.

Public executions are used both to punish, and as a warning. In one example, five men were executed for hanging the Turkistan flag on a statue of Mao Zedong, an extreme punishment for what most would consider a minor offense. In another example, a woman explains how a large tub was filled with water and brought to boil. Several Uyghurs were executed by being dropped into the scalding water. The Uyghurs are genuinely afraid.

Violence is used squash even the slightest infraction. In addition to strong-arm authoritarianism, economic pressures and mass migrations have further disrupted the Uyghurs way of life.

They are China's poorest people. Very few houses have running water or any modern facilities. Traditional mud homes still house many Uyghurs. Migrations to the area have caused additional strife leaving fewer opportunities to earn a living. As a result, many are now homeless.

Adding to their difficulties, oppressive pricing structures cause widespread misery. In a region where farmers earn less than $100/year, the excessive pricing means many families are denied basic subsidence. The current price for a bag of flour is 60 to 70 yuan (U.S. $10). Recent riots have resulted from the soaring prices of commodities.

The Uyghur's primitive way of life has become a target. China wants to assimilate the Uyghurs to the Chinese way of life. Mass migrations, economic pressure and the threat of physical violence are employed to destabilize, erode and breed-out the Uyghur culture entirely.

Much of the interest in this region is because of the oil reserves near Xinjiang which produce approx. 10-million gallons of oil annually.

Chine mutes international pressure by exploiting cultural prejudice against Muslims. For instance, after the 9/11 attack in the United States, Beijing took the position that Uyghur groups were connected with al-Qaeda, asserting that one group, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, was a “major component of the terrorist network headed by Osama bin Laden," although there is no hard evidence to support this claim.