Xinjiang Needs Indigenous Prosperity
- By Yao Xinyong
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E-mail CRI, April 9, 2012
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has been a multi-ethnic region since ancient times.
It was after the founding of the PRC that a large number of Han people, China's majority ethnic group, went to Xinjiang to develop the nation's western regions together with the local people.
Now the number of Han people in Xinjiang has reached more than 8.7 million, making up 40 percent of the local population.
In the 1980s, the local Han's sense that Xinjiang was their homeland was high. The reason was that most Han people believed that they were carrying out a solemn task, which was to safeguard the country's border regions.
As Xinjiang was then in need of talent and labor, Han migrants could easily find places there.
Meanwhile, due to the cultural differences with local ethnic minorities, the Han people, coming from different parts of China, formed their own united identity.
However, in the past 30 years, this sense of identity has shrunk.
The economic gap between Xinjiang and inland cities has been growing, and the stressed relations between Han people and local ethnic minorities, especially the Uyghur, make more and more Han people feel insecure and want to leave Xinjiang.
How can we reassure them and make Xinjiang a harmonious home for all ethnic groups? The basic tools for dealing with this problem are narrowing the economic gap between Xinjiang and inland cities, strengthening anti-terrorist efforts, and enhancing the harmonious relationship between the Han and other ethnic minorities, especially the Uyghur.
First of all, economic development shouldn't be the only priority. We shouldn't over-stress the speed of Xinjiang's economic development.
We should recognize that support from other cities is only the external force for Xinjiang's development.
The main part and driving forces must be every region of Xinjiang and people of all ethnic groups. The achievement of economic development should be the result of active participation by all people and be shared by them. People from inland cities shouldn't see themselves as saviors and impose the inland development experience on Xinjiang.
As for the strengthening of anti-terrorism, it is vital to mobilize local people but meanwhile avoid prejudice in the name of national security and stability.
In recent years, there have been occasions when, after Xinjiang people checked into hotels, they were either refused service or faced more checks. They also face the same situation during on-board flight checks.
Besides, while government officials stress the importance of properly addressing ethnic issues, there's a lack of interaction between the government and the people.
The government doesn't have to do much on superficial publicity, but should create an open space for discussions of sensitive topics.
For example, intellectuals from different ethnic groups should be encouraged to research issues in Xinjiang. Different opinions or even disputes should be welcomed.
Now some argue that more Han people should migrate to Xinjiang so that different ethnic groups can be "integrated."
However, I'm afraid in such circumstances, the government may be urged to implement compulsory cultural assimilation operations, which may make Han people bear the brunt of ethnic discrimination and hurt the feelings of minority groups, thus the relationship between different ethnic groups will become tenser and may be exploited by terrorists and separatists.
Only by the overall development of economy, politics and culture can people of all ethnic groups live together normally. To best promote these, we should realize that the insecurity and the lost sense of belonging of Han people, and the depression and feelings of exclusion among the Uyghur, are a shared dilemma that all ethnic groups in Xinjiang face.
The author is a professor at Jinan University in Guangdong Province who was born in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and lived there for over 30 years.
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