Xinjiang Population Dynamics and Data (September 2021)
Original document link: Click Here Overview This official Chinese government white paper, “Xinjiang Population Dynamics and Data”, highlights key historical and present-day demographic trends from the perspective of the state. The paper is divided into six main sections including: Population Growth in Xinjiang, Latest Demographics of Xinjiang, Demographic Changes in the Uyghur Population, Factors Contributing […]
Respecting and Protecting the Rights of All Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang (July 2021)
Original document link: Click Here Overview This Chinese government “white paper” offers the official view of the state’s efforts to protect the rights of ethnic groups in Xinjiang. It offers a picture of the historical relationship between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the peoples of Xinjiang and presents the various social and political […]
An Analysis of Population Problems and Policies in Xinjiang
Li Xiaoxia, “An Analysis of Population Problems and Policies in Xinjiang,” 2017. 李晓霞〈新疆的人口问题及人口政策分析〉，《中央社会主义学院学报》，2017年第2期，68-78。 Summary This article analyzed how birth-control policies in the past decades had been treating Han and minority nationalities differently, which cause population “problems” in Xinjiang: the overgrowth of minority populations and the concentrated areas with a single nationality, especially Uyghurs in southern […]
In the Past Three Years, What Have I Seen in Kashgar’s Gaotai Neighbourhood?
Introduction Crimes against humanity dehumanise their victims (The Economist 2020). The systemisation of this violence conceals individual identity and personal suffering. Meanwhile and despite best intentions, a certain degree of dissociation inheres in reporting on these crises from afar. At worst, victims are reduced to numbers; at best—so it seems—they become anecdotes. Indeed, the crisis […]
Xinjiang and the Production and Construction Corps: A Han Organisation in a Non-Han Region
Donald H. McMillen, “Xinjiang and the Production and Construction Corps: A Han Organisation in a Non-Han Region,” The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs 6 (1981): 65-96 Summary McMillen argues that, since its establishment in 1954, bingtuan (or the Xinjiang PCC) was instrumental in consolidating Han rule and modernizing the region, and that its status as […]
Issues of Understanding that Need Clarification in Xinjiang “De-radicalization” Work
Zhang Xuan and Du Rong, “Issues of Understanding that Need Clarification in Xinjiang “De-radicalization” Work,” 2020. 张轩和杜蓉：〈新疆“去极端化”工作中亟待厘清的认识问〉，《科学与无神论》，2020年05月18日，41-45。 Summary Zhang and Du maintain that customs should be respected but not positioned above the value of national unity, that religion should exist separately from ethnicity, education, and administration, and that insistence on the observation of religious taboos, […]
How to Deal with Home-Grown Terrorism? A Case Study on “East Turkistan” Violent Terrorist Activities
Xie Guiping and Yang Dongping, “How to Deal with Home-Grown Terrorism? A Case Study on “East Turkistan” Violent Terrorist Activities,” 2015. 谢贵平和杨东平，〈如何应对本土恐怖主义——以“东突”暴恐活动为例〉，《国际展望》，2015年1月1日，118-138。 Summary Xie and Yang argue that combating terrorism in Xinjiang has grown difficult thanks to host of factors, including the work of East Turkestan Liberation Organization members outside of China, the meddling of […]
Employment and Labor Rights in Xinjiang
Original document link: Click Here Overview This paper focuses on current employment statistics and conditions within Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, reviewing labour rights of workers, and presenting the government’s case that China is meeting its commitment to international human rights and labour standards. The paper highlights the increase of workers and job opportunities noting that […]
The Contested Archive
The Contested Archive This first teaching plan was made with contributions from Dr. Eric Schluessel at George Washington University. In conjunction with shahit.biz, students will analyze primary sources to develop their own understanding of the situation based on the evidence at hand. This is a “history of the present” exercise in which students will spend a […]
Testing format (not actual content)
Minzu [ETHNICITY, NATIONALITY] is one of the most important terms to understand ethnic politics in China. THE TERM IS HARD TO TRANSLATE BECAUSE IT DESCRIBES WHAT WESTERNERS GENERALLY CALL ETHNIC GROUPS OR RACES. IN CHINA MINZU MEANS ETHNICITY BUT NOT RACE. PARTY POLICY IN XINJIANG IS BASED ON THESE IDEAS OF MINZU/ETHNICTY. [READ MORE]