I need to be up front about a recent change in my life that might affect how many of you view this website. As of three days ago my wife and I have officially relocated to the US for a while. We weren't kicked out, we weren't asked to leave and we didn't run away...we just needed a break after 4 years of living in Xinjiang. The good news is that this internet site will continue to post regularly and will soon get a much-needed facelift now that I have full access to the internet.
Some of you, however, may feel that my authority on Xinjiang has diminished now that I no longer reside in the province, but I hope to prove otherwise. I now have the opportunity to read and research with a freedom that I never had while living in far west China. I still have quite a few contacts in Xinjiang that I communicate with regularly and will use their input to keep all of you continually updated on current events.
With that said I'd like to clear up a few things about the state of the communications in Xinjiang as of February 26, 2010.
Is the Internet Open?
No, the internet is still not completely opened. Everything has remained the same since earlier this month when 27 more sites were made available. Sites hosted within the province are still open and online banking has resumed. Email is available through Sina.com, but since this new development wasn't well publicized within the province not many people are aware of it and using it. (China Daily ran a VERY short article on this huge news)
Some readers have emailed me and I've read a few articles floating around the blogosphere saying that internet has been restored, but sadly that isn't true.
Counting the Days...
On the flip side there is one twit who keeps counting the days that internet isn't accessible in Xinjiang and I can't help but wonder if it's a pointless venture. Things will open up, for sure, but I suspect that it will never be the same. At what point should he stop counting?
Texting Crackdown
Even though text messaging was restored last January, people are still getting in a bit of trouble. News broke yesterday that "hundreds" of people have been "punished" for spreading rumors via text messages. (see one such article here) The number and the type of punishment are pretty vague, but the government has sent the message that they won't tolerate any dissent - even if it is only a joke (as some of those punished insisted).
4 Comments:
Issues relating to XinJiang are too complex. As a foreign, you can never understand the culture, history, and people. We don’t need you to teach us what to do. Using double standard makes you even hypocritical.
I would like to point out the following facts: (a) Your country started the war and used military force to invade Iraq and Afghanistan. Your country still kills Iraq and Afghanistan people directly and indirectly until now.
(b) Your country started the war and used military force to invade Falkland Islands that is part of Argentina.
(c) Your country still occupies Northern Ireland that should belong to the Republic of Ireland.
I understand why you would be so defensive - there are quite a few people who blindly attack the situation in Xinjiang.
I am not one of them.
If you read this post again you'll find that I haven't articulated any sort of opinion for or against a person/organization/government. This was purely an update. Also, you're correct that I can't FULLY understand the situation as a foreigner, but I believe that my 4 years in the province allow me a little room for commentary.
Stick around and keep reading...I think you'll find a lot less controversy and hypocrisy in my writing than you realize.
Josh,
Good luck with your "relocation". Hope to see you couple sometime later in China again, perhaps somewhere else other than XJ?
The other anony,
there is no need to attack Josh like this. I understand where you are coming from. However, Josh has demonstrated that he (his wife included?) is willing to listen to different voices (including views that are not politically correct in the west, I guess?). I don't think he is particularly hostile to China and Chinese people (he and his wife wouldn't have spent 4 years in China otherwise). He is entitled to his view/opinion, even though his views might be different from ours, SO LONG AS it is based on well informed facts, rather than prejudice and arrogance.
I dare to say that his view on XJ affairs (China to some extent too perhaps?) must have changed from what he might have had , if any, 4 year ago when his main source of information was those "always knowledgable" journalists and reporters parroting the political correct(and selling?) story lines over and over again (Correct me Josh, if otherwise).
We shouldn't take a blanket-covering attitude towards people from the west and their opinions. Vice versa I hope.
Welcome back to the US temporarily. Let me know if you're on the east coast on this trip.
I understand the need for a break after living in the same place for 4 years...I wish I could afford a break from living in New Jersey again.
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