Originally published by CECC, 07 july 2010

United States Congressional-Executive Commission on China

 Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman | Representative Sander M. Levin, Cochairman

  In the one year since the government suppression of a demonstration by Uyghurs and multi-ethnic riots in Xinjiang starting July 5, 2009, human rights conditions in this far western region of China have worsened. Acts of deadly violence took place during the week of July 5, a time during which both Uyghurs and Han Chinese were reported to have committed violent assaults on each other. At the same time that authorities punish people for violent crimes, official statements also suggest that some July 5 protesters, including organizers of the demonstration, may be subject to criminal punishment or other repercussions based solely on political grounds. In the aftermath of the July events, authorities instituted unprecedented levels of control over the free flow of information, denying Xinjiang residents and the outside world news about conditions in the region and increasing the government’s capacity to control information. Amid this information blackout, authorities strengthened security measures and campaigns to promote “ethnic unity,” using them to quell free speech, curb independent religious activity, and impose controls over the lives of XUAR residents. Authorities have singled out Uyghurs in particular in security campaigns, and the whereabouts of some Uyghurs detained in the aftermath of the July demonstrations and riots remain unknown.
 
·         Authorities continued in the past year to emphasize security concerns, targeting political dissent, and free expression among threats to the region’s security. The government has justified curbs on residents’ civil and political rights in the name of guarding against the “three forces” of terrorism, separatism, and “religious extremism.” The government has characterized those who advocate peacefully for the protection of Uyghurs’ civil and political rights, including Rebiya Kadeer, as “terrorist forces.” The new Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary, Zhang Chunxian, has reiterated official calls to promote the ideology of “stability above all else” and to “strike hard with maximum pressure” against the “three forces.”
 
·         Ten months after blocking the Internet, Xinjiang authorities restored more complete Internet access in May. At the same time, after that date, a number of popular Uyghur-language Web sites remained shut down, and longstanding curbs throughout China over “sensitive” Web sites (China’s “Great Firewall”) remained in place. Authorities accused Uyghur Web sites, some of which reportedly had contained announcements calling for a peaceful demonstration, of contributing to unrest and have taken some Webmasters into detention.
 
·         Central government and Communist Party authorities met in May to formulate central government and Party objectives for Xinjiang’s future economic and political development. Authorities at the meeting defined promoting “development by leaps and bounds” and upholding stability as twin goals for the region and announced a series of initiatives to spur economic growth and support social welfare. While some initiatives could bring economic benefits to the region, others may violate the rights of Uyghurs and other non-Han groups under Chinese and international law to preserve their cultures, languages, and livelihoods.
 
·         Trials held in connection to alleged crimes committed during the July 2009 demonstrations and riots have been marred by violations of Chinese law and international standards for due process. Xinjiang government chairperson Nur Bekri said in March that 198 people involved in 97 cases had been sentenced in Xinjiang for crimes committed in July 2009, but details about many of these cases are unknown.
 
·         Authorities continued to impose harsh controls over religion in the past year, singling out Muslim practices in a number of cases. Measures to curb religion included a regionwide campaign to get women to stop wearing head coverings, wide-scale confiscation of “illegal religious materials,” requiring government officials to pre-approve Friday sermons, and initiatives forbidding students from “believing in a religion,” fasting during religious holidays (such as Ramadan), or “participating in religious activities.”
 
 
CECC Recommendations for Action by the Congress and Administration
·         When discussing events that occurred in July 2009, stress to Chinese officials the importance of: abiding by the guarantees for freedoms of speech, assembly, and association contained in the PRC Constitution and in international law, and of abiding by international standards for due process for people detained and brought to trial in Xinjiang.
 
·         Call for the release of Uyghurs arbitrarily detained following demonstrations and riots in July 2009, and call for the release of other Uyghurs detained or imprisoned for advocating for their rights or for their connection to rights defenders. Click here for a list of representative prisoners.
 
·         Support non-governmental organizations that address human rights issues in Xinjiang to enable them to continue to gather information on conditions in the region and develop programs to help Uyghurs increase their capacity to preserve their rights and protect their culture, language, and heritage. Support the efforts of media outlets that broadcast news to Xinjiang and gather news from the region.
 
·         Support legislation that expands U.S. Government resources for raising awareness of human rights conditions in Xinjiang, for protecting Uyghur culture, and for increasing avenues for Uyghurs to protect their human rights.
 
·         Call on the Chinese government to support development policies in Xinjiang that promote not only economic growth but that also respect the broad civil and political rights of Xinjiang residents and engage these communities in participatory decisionmaking. Ensure development projects take into account the particular needs and input of Uyghurs and other non-Han ethnic groups, who have faced unique challenges protecting their rights and who have not been full beneficiaries of economic growth in the region.
 
For more detailed information on conditions in Xinjiang, including additional recommendations, see the CECC Web siteand Section IV—Xinjiang in the CECC 2009 Annual Report.
 

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