Khotan Painted Orange by Sandstorms [Video]

On Friday morning, March 12, an orange tsunami of sand came rolling in from Xinjiang's Taklamakan Desert toward Khotan (Hotan) county.  Now, three days later, the city is still painted orange and according to Chinese meteorologist it might not let up until Tuesday.

This CCTV news clip shows the unbelievable lack of visibility that a sandstorm can cause and how it was able cripple a city for an entire weekend:

Some of the comments from the video translated:

• "I haven't seen a wind this strong for decades"
• "Today's winds were terribly violent making driving a car difficult.  We all have to turn on our lights on the road and move slowly.  I went from the airport earlier and it took me a whole hour" [note: the airport is only 10km outside town].

According to the "Worst Case Scenario", the best ways to survive a sandstorm are to:

1. Wear a bandanna over your face
2. Stay in a group
3. Pull your car off the road

Interestingly, not only are all of these suggestions not present in the video, the news anchor actually stands in the middle of the road to report!   If only the residents of Hotan had access to the internet they would be able to read how to stay safe.

Sources:
  Xinhua:  新疆和田地区发生强沙尘暴 (Chinese)
  PressTV: Zero Visibility Storm Hits Western China

Xinjiang Crippled by Urumqi Riots; Curfew Set

On Sunday, July 5th at around 9:30pm Beijing time, a riot began which has crippled Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang province.  As with any such event here in China, reports are sketchy and numbers vary drastically.  Misleading photos and estimations are already circulating all over the web.  Reliable details won't be available for at least another 24 hours, but here is a list of what can be confirmed:

• Many Uyghurs have taken to the streets of Urumqi, overturning vehicles and breaking store windows.
• Deaths have occurred (reports of three as of this writing, but not confirmed) SEE UPDATE BELOW
  
• A curfew has been set for all residents of Urumqi (official government-issued announcement)
  
• Most videos and pictures about this riot are being blocked in the mainland as soon as they appear on the internet.

What is not clearly known at this time is the reason for the riots.  Most people speculate that it has something to do with the incident in Shaoguan in which a toy factory brawl left 2 Uyghurs dead and many more injured.  Blame for the Urumqi riot will most likely land on the shoulders of Rabiya Kadeer, one of the most prominent Uyghur leaders who had called for the Uyghurs to protest this incident.

If you are planning on traveling to Xinjiang anytime this week it might be wise to reconsider your plans.  Security will definitely be tight and police on high alert at this time. 

An update will be made once further information is gathered, but until then you can read more here:

  The New Dominion: Riots in Urumqi - Videos
  ESWN - The Urumqi Mass Incident (New Roundup)
  Reuters - Riot Strikes China's Xinjiang Region Capital

Update 7/6:  The internet has now been cut as well as all international phone lines.  Communication outside of Xinjiang has become extremely difficult, rendering regular updates to this article impossible.


Update 7/31: The China Daily reports that the riots left 197 people dead and over 1700 injured.  Over the past month over 1,600 people have been detained in connection to the riots with trials to begin in mid-August.

Xinjiang Attacked by Caterpillar Army

FAKE NEWS ALERT:

Xinjiang residents are on full alert this week after news leaked of the most recent attempt to sabotage regional stability.  Although tensions have been high following a few explosive incidents in early 2008, Xinjiang officials are now scrambling to find countermeasures for this novel form of attack...a destructive army of caterpillars.

The attack originated in the small town of Wusu (乌苏), 280km west of the capital of Urumqi, a city most well-known for its creatively named beer - "Wusu Beer".  Officials who were called in from both the provincial and national levels to assess the situation were first given a tour of the beer manufacturing plant before heading to the pastureland.  When asked their thoughts about this latest attack, one official commented, "At least the caterpillars didn't get the beer factory."

The massive offensive was unleashed by unidentified enemies on the Wusu grasslands where the legions of caterpillars numbering 3,000 per square meter marched forward.  Adopting military tactics similar to those used in World War II they have left nothing in their wake but barren waste land forcing more than 50 families and 20,000 of their livestock to run for greener pastures.

Said one local woman who refused to flee the devestation, "They just ravaged through out land without a care for who was living here.  We're just innocent civilians caught in the middle of this ordeal."

Unlike previously similar attacks, Xinjiang's own army of chickens and ducks - which normally demolish rogue worm battalions - ran away unsure of what to make of these odd-looking creatures.  Instead, a division of Beijing's best pesticide tanks were sent to the front lines where over the past 9 days they have valiantly been reclaiming the territory for the motherland.  A total of over 8,000 hectares had been destroyed.

Further research on the deceased bodies of the invaders will be necessary to decide exactly who they were and where they came from.

Before the attack

After the attack

Special thanks to Saku Uzala at "This is Xinjiang" for the attack details.

Sources:
  Xinhuanet: Scientists move to identify caterpillars plaguing NW China pastureland
  Reuters:  Mystery worms turn on northwest China herdsmen
  Tianshannet: BBS forum photos

Party Secretary Indicted, part of Spain's "Universal Jurisdiction"

Last Tuesday Spanish Judge Santiago Pedráz requested authorization from the Chinese Ministry of Justice to investigate eight Chinese leaders, including the Party Secretary of both Xinjiang and Tibet, on charges of mistreatment of minorities, a charge that involves not a single Spanish citizen.  In addition to questioning the leaders the judge also wants to visit detention centers and major protest sites within the country to find if the accusation made by certain special interest groups could be proven.  All of this is part of Spain's recent efforts to fix the world's problems, an effort known simply as "Universal Jurisdiction".

Xinjiang's Party Secretary Wang Luquan, leader since 1994 and member of China's Politburo, probably won't take much notice to this news.  It's not the first international case brought by Spain and a few other countries who have enacted the idea of universal jurisdiction into their law.  It matters not if the crimes were committed within their borders or involved their own citizens, in the case of certain types of crimes these courts make an effort to reach beyond their jurisdiction.

Everybody with the exception of the judge himself seems to realize these requests are in vain.  Says Pedráz, "Given the cordial relations between our two respective countries, I hope that you will respond favorably to my request." Highly unlikely, my friend, and the more you ask, the less cordial those relations will be.  China usually doesn't take kindly to people meddling in "internal affairs".

Spain is also in the process of taking on another high-profile case.  The New York Times reported back in March that Spanish courts were beginning to open an investigation against 6 high-profile Bush administration officials, one which also touches on Xinjiang a bit.  The allegations?  Providing the legal framework to justify Guantanamo Bay where a few of Xinjiang's ethnic Uyghur minority are being held until they can somehow find a home.

I'm glad to see there are countries who care about people outside their own borders but considering these requests and any future rulings have absolutely no effect on the people here in Xinjiang or its leader, what is the reasoning behind universal jurisdiction?  Accountability is necessary, for sure, but one country can't do this alone and if the idea is to initiate change then there has to be a better way.

Further Reading:
  The Standard in Hong Kong: Judge Aims at Mainland Leadership
  AFP (Spanish): Juiz espanhol quer interrogar dirigentes chineses por repressão no Tibete

China's Gender Gap Not a Problem in Xinjiang

News has been making its rounds recently about the incredible gender gap that exists in China today.  A British Medical Journal study concluded that currently there are over 32 million more boys than girls in this country, a situation made possible thanks to the one-child policy, selective abortion, and what the AFP calls China's "obsession with a male heir".  For those who live in China this is hardly news.  One look inside any elementary school could have saved these researchers a whole lot of time and money.

There's one part of the story, however, that is quite interesting, a part which has gone unnoticed by the likes of the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.  In the midst of all this gender imbalance there are only two provinces in China which have a normal sex-ratio.  Tibet...and Xinjiang.

Why is that?  According to the AFP it is because we are "the most permissive in terms of the one-child policy", but as I've pointed out before that is not always true.  There are still (vague) rules for all ethnic groups who want big families and even those are often just treated as guidelines.

You might find this odd, but if you ask most foreigners living in Xinjiang if there are more boys than girls within the province the answer would most certainly be a "Yes".  I am one of them, and I would like to suggest a couple of reasons for this confusing contradiction:

• Within the Han Chinese group a gender gap still exists in Xinjiang like it does in every other province in China.  It's the minorities who balance it all out.  Most foreigners live in areas which are dominated by Han population, therefore our perception is skewed by what we see most often.
• Foreigners usually reside in the wealthiest parts of the province (i.e. Urumqi or the surrounding oil cities).  The most lax child policies exist in the rural areas where farming is a way of life and sonogram machines aren't even accessible.
• I recently read that a Chinese census like the one used by this study does not include military personnel as a part of its provincial population.  This male-dominated group has a strong and very visible presence in all parts of Xinjiang.

Sooner or later I believe the daily immigration of Han Chinese from inner provinces will ensure that Xinjiang doesn't hold this balanced distinction for long.  For now though, despite what it looks like to the casual observer, it must not be a problem.

Bomb Detonated in Urumqi NOT Terrorism

Today, a bomb was detonated in an office building in the capital city of Urumqi at about 2:10pm.  Initial police reports reveal that the explosion killed the man who was carrying the bomb while injuring two others in the building.

Unfortunately, when the word "bomb" and anything having to do with Xinjiang are used in the same sentence, it's easy to jump to conclusions.  The police report shows, however, that this was not an act of terrorism or minority aggression.  Rather, this was the desperate act of a 42 year-old Han Chinese man, not a Muslim Uyghur, who was owed back wages amounting to around 4,500 RMB (US$660).

Apparently the man arrived at his office at 1pm today carrying a black bag with explosives, demanding that his back wages be paid or he would detonate the device.  The building was evacuated while two men, possibly co-workers, were trapped behind and tried to deal and negotiate with the bomber.  At 2:10pm, when all negotiations were exhausted, the two men ran and the bomber detonated his device, killing himself and injuring the two fleeing.  According to the report, the two men were not seriously injured.
 

While international news sources love to quote all the unrest that happened in Xinjiang last year (see BBC article below for an example), this does not qualify as "unrest".  Economic woes have hit even the deepest parts of China, as evidenced by this man, but hopefully it won't push ethnic tensions over the edge.  For now everybody can breathe a sigh of relief, especially our friends and family, knowing that the tragic death of this man does not indicate a threat to anyone's safety.

Sources:
  ChinaNews (Chinese): 乌鲁木齐发生一起爆炸案 2人受伤施爆者当场死亡
  BBC News: Bomb Hits China's Xinjiang Region
  (h/t This is Xinjiang)

Fake Goods + Flamethrowers = a Xinjiang Party

It's no secret that when you come to visit China you're gonna run into a bunch of fake goods.  The Silk Road Market in Beijing (well-known for its fake goods and rip-off prices) is sometimes the first stop for visitors instead of the Great Wall.  I admit I've bought my fair share out here in Xinjiang - clothes, DVD's, books, and even a cell phone.  I knew when I bought them that they weren't good quality and wouldn't last very long, but the price was too good to pass up.  The Chinese know this too - on average most consumers buy a new cellphone every 9-12 months.  Until yesterday it never really occurred to me to ask what happens to all the used cell phones and fake goods that have run their short-term course.

Last Friday officials from various government bureaus in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi organized a campaign to destroy fake and low-quality products.  I gotta give them some credit, though, cause they didn't just destroy the goods, they had some fun doing it...I'm talking about gasoline, flame throwers, and steamrollers here!  Not a bad way to celebrate World Consumer Rights Day last March 15th.

They divided the doomed goods into 15 different categories ranging from clothes, hats, and shoes to electrical appliances and scrap building materials.  It took a total of 19 military vehicles to transport all of this stuff to the Dongshan City Dump in Urumqi where it was then doused with gasoline and ignited with a flamethrower.  I can feel the men of the world uniting right now with a collective grin.  How I wish I could have been there myself to see it! 

 

Nearby, another campaign was underway to get rid of fake cell phones.  Over 12,000 cell phones representing 168 different "shanzai" brands were lined up and run over by a steamroller.  I'm happy to say that I didn't have to donate my cell phone to the cause...although I gladly would have switched mine with some of those newer-looking phones in the picture below.

 

They estimated the value of all these goods destroyed at just around 32 million RMB (US$4.68 million).  I was pretty impressed until I realized the one item I didn't see in this whole campaign: the pirated DVD.  It's not like Xinjiang doesn't have any, I promise you that! They could have used the discs as target practice for skeet shooting or something, but I guess when the leaders just saw all the good flicks that were going to be destroyed they scooped it up for themselves.

This whole thing made me wonder, though, as a foreign resident of China: if officials went through my apartment and burned everything that was fake, how big would the party outside my apartment be?  How big would yours be?

Anyway, just wanted to wish everybody a Happy World Consumer Rights Day from Xinjiang, China!

Source:
  iyaxin.com: 新疆查处全国假劣手机第一案 涉案1.2万部手机 (Chinese)
  (h/t CRIEnglish.com)

Why Set Yourself on Fire? Story of the Self-Immolating Uyghurs (or Uzbeks?)

A week and a half ago a family of three Xinjiang Uyghurs - a mom, dad, and son - set themselves on fire in Beijing as an act of protest over a housing dispute.  At the time of the actual event, much speculation made its way around the internet as to the reason for this self-immolation but very few actual facts were known. Now, a week later, the details emerge.
 

In order to make way for the building of a new school back in 2002, government officials in a Xinjiang town informed this family that their home would be destroyed.  According to local officials, the family was offered two new houses (that's right...2), medical expenses for a mentally disabled daughter, and 400,000 yuan ($58,800) as compensation for their relocation.  I don't know about elsewhere in China, but here in Xinjiang that's a small fortune.

The official story states that the family didn't think this was quite enough.  They proceeded to make "unreasonable demands" for new jobs (Uyghur unemployment is among the highest in the world), an open apology, and fees covering their appealing visits to the government.  When these demands weren't met, they drove down to Wangfujing street in Beijing and set themselves on fire.  I mean, that's the logical next step in a minor appeals process like this, right?

If you're like me, you're thinking that something doesn't quite add up.  To make things even more confusing, these people were given first-class tickets to fly back to Urumqi on March 1st paid for by Urumqi's own government and are currently receiving burn treatment at a local hospital also on the government's dime.

I can't imagine anybody would willing set their entire family on fire over a job and an apology, so I'm tempted to believe the compensatory terms weren't originally that generous.  On the other hand, doesn't this send a message to would-be protesters that all they have to do to get attention is just set themselves on fire?

 

Two weeks ago these people were most likely poor and homeless.  Now they just took what might have been their first trip on an airplane, first class no less, back to two new houses and 400,000 yuan.

 
Update: It looks as if this story has another twist in store for us - the family might not have been Uyghur after all, but possibly Uzbek.  This doesn't really change the dynamics of the story much as both groups face similar obstacles here, but it's worth a note.  Thanks to Tim from McClatchy Newspapers for pointing this out to me.  He credited this original finding to the South China Morning Post which is hidden behind a pay wall.

Sources:
   The Straights Times: Set on Fire over Lost Home
   Xinhuanet: Three People in Beijing Self-Immolation Bid Have "Unreasonable Demands"
   RFA: Uyghur Moderate Speaks Out

Xinjiang Lake is Shrinking

Bezdomny ex Patria just posted a translation for a Beijing News article that talks about the shrinking of the Aibi Lake here in Xinjiang (Chinese article here).  Good stuff.

Unfortunately, Xinjiang doesn't have a good track record with lakes, the most recent extinction being the Lop Nor lake near the Taklamakan Desert.  Hopefully things will fare better with Aibi.

 You can see Urumqi (Wulumuqi) on the right and Karamay above.  The lake is near the Yili district marked by the "A".

New Kashgar Dress-Code Requires "All-Chinese" Look

I used to work at a summer sports camp years ago named Kanakuk that required strict dress code for its employees, a code which they referred to as the "All-American Look".  Clean shaven, managed hair, no jewelry for men...you get the picture.  Now I know that there are plenty of people who would find that discriminating, however I was aware of their requirements when I sought employment and I was perfectly content complying.  It was just part of the job.

I thought about that camp today while reading the news.  An article on RFA highlights a new point of contention in the always restless (although not necessarily dangerous) region of Kashgar.  Here are the hairy details (pun...intended):

"Authorities in China’s westernmost city of Kashgar are stepping up pressure on government employees to go clean-shaven, and the city’s large ethnic Uyghur population, whose adult males overwhelmingly sport moustaches, aren’t happy about it, residents say."

In other words, the Kashgar government has instituted a strict "All-Chinese Look" in an area where minorities are actually the majority.  Not everybody has to shave, mind you, just the state employees.  It might be good to note that Chinese are notorious for being unable to grow good facial hair. 

I admit I'm having to take some time to think about this one!  It seems unfair and discriminatory, yet I didn't blink an eye when it was happening in America.  What's the difference and do these people have a right to complain?

Here's my quick take on it all: there are quite a few people who wouldn't want to be subjected to the dress code enforced by the camp I worked at, but I would venture to guess that most of those people aren't the types that should be working there anyway.  It sounds unfair, but some people have to go to work in a tie and suit or they get fired.  As long as these requirements are outlined and agreed upon beforehand, what's the difference?

Along that same train of thought, I have no problem with a city government asking for a specific dress code to be upheld - as long as it is outlined and agreed upon by all parties beforehand.  I can't make a judgment on whether or not that is the case here, as the person interviewed in the RFA article has a distinctly Uyghur name ("Tohti"), but I do have my doubts.  Controls have obviously been put in place in this area for a while now, and while this could be another one, it could just as easily be a government that wants its employees to look clean shaven.

What do you think?  Is this a fair or unfair requirement?

Source:
  RFA: Kashgar Uyghurs Pressured to Shave

Bird Flu Outbreak in Xinjiang: What Does This Mean?

Until now, I've never lived in a place where words like "outbreak", "epidemic", or "H5N1" made me shudder.  Now I'm not sure what to think.  China has now officially reported the first bird flu outbreak this year which began with the death of 519 chickens here in Xinjiang and has already claimed the life of a 31-year old woman who lived not far from the capital city of Urumqi.

Preventative measures have been taken which included the killing of 13,000 more fowl and I now read that China's agricultural ministry has announced that everything is under control.
 

 
But is everything really "under control"?  The reported outbreak on Tuesday was over 1,000 km from where this woman died of confirmed bird flu.  I'm sorry, but I just don't yet feel comforted by these assuring words.

So is it safe to eat chicken?  How about eggs?  I think my wife and I are going to be holding out on eating poultry for a little while although we're not sure how long.  That may seem drastic, but what would you do?  We live less than 3 hours away from Urumqi.  Anybody out there been in this position?

Out of the eight people who have contracted the bird flu in China this year, five have died.  We're not gonna mess around with this stuff.

Update: According to this Xinhua article, a day after the Urumqi woman died China assured everyone that they are stockpiling the bird flu vaccine for a possible outbreak. I'm glad they're taking precautionary measures, but again..."under control"?

Sources:
  The Straights Times:  Bird Flu Outbreak in Xinjiang
  CNN: China Records its Fourth Bird Flu Death this Year

Xinjiang Snow Leopards New Blog Link

Sometimes I am amazed by the variety of animal species that inhabit Xinjiang. This week I learned that more snow leopards call China home than any other country in the world, with the majority of those split between Tibet and Xinjiang.  Heck, we even have a nature reserve for them here in Xinjiang, the Taxkurgan Nature Reserve.

I also know from watching BBC's Planet Earth series that snow leopards have been very difficult to capture on film, especially their hunting habits and techniques.  With this in mind my attention has been caught by a new blog up entitled "Xinjiang Snow Leopards" written by Dr. Philip Riordan, a senior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Oxford's Wildlife Conservation Research Unit.  Right now he is in the process of packing his bags and sending his photo gear ahead of him to Kashgar for this project that aims to monitor, provide population estimates, and identify hotspots for the snow leopard here in Xinjiang.

I'm looking forward to keeping up with his updates while he's here this month and think you might enjoy it too.  You might also want to check out the New Dominion's review of this most intriguing Xinjiang news.  Good luck!

Sources:
  The New Dominion: Xinjiang Snow Leopard Project
  Wikipedia: Snow Leopard

Beijing Fire Brings Censorship in China to the Forefront

Last  night at about 8pm a fire broke out in the northern building of the new CCTV complex in Beijing (see photos on CNReviews or videos and updates on Danwei).  Huge fire.  Most fires burn from the bottom up, but this building was so flammable it actually burned from the top down.  It's just another casualty from the Olympic building boom that has the iconic Bird's Nest being turned into a shopping center.

Blame for the fire has been accepted by CCTV, the nation's central television network, who admitted to ok'ing a fireworks display from the buildings upper floors.  Not the smartest move the network has ever made.  My wife and I watched as the news broke online and were utterly disappointed to find that there was no "breaking news" being shown on any TV station within China.  The fact that this story was stifled by the government officials has actually become more of a story than the fire itself (at least in the China blogosphere).

Censorship is nothing new, especially here in Xinjiang.  China just defended itself in front of the United Nations for its human rights record, but you'd never know it living here in Xinjiang and reading the daily news.

I'm really not quite sure what I think about all of it.  Censorship happens everywhere, in every country to some degree or another, but at what point does it become unacceptable? At what point does covering up an unimportant building fire become a more serious event?

From Mummies to Carpets: Drugs in Xinjiang

Although drugs have most famously made their way into China through its southern ports, Xinjiang has never been immune to its terrible grasp, neither in its history or in the present.  The most recent drug-related news to come from this area was the comic discovery of cannabis alongside ancient mummies, but I just ran across another article detailing a more modern discovery of drugs that I found even funnier. Tourist beware: that wool carpet you just bought here may be worth more than you bargained for.

From the Straights Times:

"A common method for smuggling heroin into Xinjiang has been to weave fine plastic tubes containing the drug into the region's famed wool carpets, it said.

In one case, police seized 48 kilograms of heroin hidden in carpets discovered at the airport in Xinjiang regional capital Urumqi."

Now that's a creative and very region-specific way to smuggle!  In the world of smuggling I would expect that the level of creativity rises exponentially in relation to the consequences for being caught, so it doesn't surprise me to learn that in China the penalty for first-time offenders caught trafficking drugs is often the death penalty.

I've never done drugs in my life but I'm not blind to the fact that it happens even in small cities like mine. Xinjiang's location next to countries that are known as some of the top producers of heroin (Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan) make it a prime target for drug smugglers.

I have, however, bought a wool carpet.  A couple of them, actually.  Now there's no part of me that believes I am in possession of anything I shouldn't be but you have to admit that the storyline sounds like the plot from some movie!

Sources:
  The Straights Times:  "Foreigners nabbed for drugs"

Xinjiang's Run of the Bulls in Urumqi is Just Run of the Mill

File this under "Headlines You'll Only See in Xinjiang". From the China Daily:

"Police shot a rampaging bull on a middle school campus Thursday in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region."

  Photo from Tianshannet.com

 

While a headline like this may make the front page in any major Chinese city or practically any western city, here in Xinjiang it is merely a side blurb - an article barely worth a few paragraphs.  Nobody was killed, bull problem taken care of, folks. Everybody go back home now.

According to a more detailed Chinese article on Tianshannet.com, a man named Maimaiti (a Chinese transliteration of a Uyghur name) bought a bull at a local Urumqi market, used a few ropes to tie him to his three-wheeled motorcyle and led him home.  To his surprise the bull wasn't quite content with this arrangement and proceeded to free himself.

Of the many people who involuntarily participated in this running of the bull, only one woman was injured.  She is in stable condition at the local hospital, which is more than can be said for the bull.  His 15 minutes of fame ended fatally to the sound of police gunfire in the middle of #43 middle school.

Personally, I love the irony of this considering that 2009 is the year of the ox.  I'm surprised that nobody else has caught onto this. I've had fun trying to think of alternate headlines for this crazy story.  Here's two that I've come up with so far:

• "Xinjiang Welcomes "Niu Year" by Killing a Bull ("niu" is the Chinese pinyin meaning cow and is pronounced similarly to "New")
• Xinjiang Bull Mistaken for Terrorist, Given the Death Penalty

Ok, so maybe I'm not that creative.  Use the comments below to give me your best news headline for this story, 'cause I know there's a good pun somewhere there that I'm missing.

 Livestock meandering city streets is not an uncommon sight in Xinjiang

Sources:
   China Daily (English): Police shoot rampaging bull at middle school
   Tianshannet (Chinese):待宰黑牛使性 拽断绳子冲上大街顶路人

Will 2009 be an "Explosive" Year for Xinjiang?

While comfortably sitting in front of a computer screen in the Times Online London offices, columnist Michael Binyon has decided to inform me that my home here in Xinjiang, China is going to be "explosive" in 2009.  While my family back at home may find this to be disconcerting news, I personally just tend to wonder how much he or many other journalist really know about this region.

He asks:

"What in the world will go wrong this year?...It is always the unexpected that has politicians, journalists and the UN Security Council scrambling. It will be the same in 2009. We will suddenly know the names of small towns caught up in a new conflict zone, understand the ethnic balance of warring communities or recapitulate forgotten history to show why the eruption of violence was always on the cards."

He then goes on to make his armchair predictions about places such as Azerbaijan, the Balkans, Thailand, the Phillippines, etc., citing events and "indicators" about which I admit to having no knowledge.  Then he decides to tell me about my home:

"China, too, has ethnic rebellions. There seems little chance that Tibetans will again be able to defy Beijing. But in the remote north west the Uigurs, non-Han Muslims, are fiercely opposed to Chinese rule and further terrorist attacks in Xinjiang could provoke a violent response from the Chinese Government."

I can't speak for all of Xinjiang, I understand, but during my 3 years of living and traveling throughout this province I have never once felt unsafe or subject to attack and this includes my recent travels to Kashgar, the site of last year's terrorist attacks.  Are there hard feelings?  Yes.  Tensions?  Of course.  But are all of these people "fiercely opposed" to China?  Such an absolute statement is absurd.  Today I had lunch at a Uyghur friend's home and during our visit one of his Chinese friends dropped by for a nice chat.  I work with both Uyghur and Han teachers while teaching Uyghur and Han students.  I personally take offense on behalf of all these people when our home gets mentioned alongside the Gaza strip or Georgia.

Maybe I'm ignorantly optimistic, but I'd like to think that I have a better finger on the pulse of this region than Mr. Binyon over there in his London offices.  Just please do me a favor, anybody who reads this, and don't believe everything you hear in the news.

Sources:

    Times Online:  Warning: These Spots Could Be Explosive in 2009

Marco Polo's Xinjiang Lake becomes World's Largest Fertilizer Plant

Lop Nor is not a very well known area here in Xinjiang, primarily because most of the attention is directed to it's larger neighbor the Taklamakan Desert.  It's not a place you'd want to visit, that's for sure.  Although once famous for its "Wandering Lake" mentioned by Marco Polo as his last stop before taking a year-long journey across the Gobi Desert, it has finally made the headlines again in a few very small newspapers here in China's northwest as the world's largest potash fertilizer producer.

In a move that has to make any person who calls Xinjiang their home proud, China's State Development and Investment Corporation has now finished this project that is supposed to ease the country's "severe short supply of fertilizer".

BACK THE TRACTOR UP...we have a fertilizer shortage here?!  That's right, folks, and remember that you heard it here first.  Forget the global financial crisis, please send all of your extra fertilizer here to China because apparently we're in need.

In all fairness I must point out that potash isn't your typical cow-dung fertilizer, it's actually a potassium compound easily extracted from salt mines which abundantly fill the Lop Nor basin.  It is most commonly used as a fertilizer because it helps plants retain water and increases crop yields.  This new fertilizer production base is just another reason alongside cotton exports and huge oil reserves that Xinjiang is an invaluable part of China.

Interestingly, the development of this fertilizer plant only serves to add to the colorful history of Lop Nor.  For instance:

1. Marco Polo's mention of Lop Nor's lake prompted future explorers to try to find it.  The name "Wandering Lake" is derived from the fact that this inner basin lake would change in both position and size every year depending on rainfall and evaporation.  Although the map you see here dated 1935 shows the lake, it has since largely dried up to be called merely a "salt lake sand marsh".
2. In 1964 Lop Nor was the subject of much attention and speculation when it was secretly used to conduct China's first nuclear bomb test.  Since then more than 45 other tests have been conducted on the site.
3. The Lop Nor basin took the life of famous Chinese explorer Yu Chunshun who was attempting to cross it on foot back in 1996.  At least Wikipedia says he's famous.  I can find no other information on the guy myself.
   

Sources:
      People's Daily Online:  World's largest potash fertilizer project operational in China
      Potash One Inc.:  What is Potash?
      NASA's EarthObservatory:  The Wandering Lake
      Wikipedia:  Lop Nor

Hard Memories Linger from Xinjiang's Worst Fire Disaster

"Everybody keep quiet.  Don't move.  Let the leaders go first."
 

This short phrase, uttered on December 8th, 1994 in Karamay, a small city on the northern edge of Xinjiang, China, still haunts the city.  As the years pass it gets buried further and further back in everyone's memory in hopes that one day it may actually be forgotten but for now the memory lingers.  Fourteen years ago a large fire broke out in a local Karamay theater killing 325 people, 288 of them school children, resulting in one of the worst and most controversial fire disasters in China's history.  It's not a subject many people I've met here like to dwell on, obviously, but it is well known as the one black mark that tarnishes the beautifully short history of this town.
 

It started as a simple performance at the Karamay Friendship Theater, a special bonus for those primary students who had proven themselves to be the best and the brightest in the city.  This event was so special in fact, that many high-ranking city officials and Party members made an appearance.  What began as a happy celebration ended in disaster though when a short-circuit in a light caught the scenery on fire, quickly engulfing the stage with flames.

 

This much of the story everybody agrees with, but from here on is where the controversy lies.  According to survivors, a woman who had either helped organize the performance or was a government official immediately stood up and told everybody to be quiet, sit still, and let the leaders go first.  Unfortunately, by the time the leaders had finished exiting the fire had spread out beyond control.  For some unknown reason the emergency exit doors were never ordered to be unlocked and worst of all the fire station was never alerted.  The lives of 288 children and 36 adults, mostly school teachers, were lost that day and it is a scar this city still bears in the faces of those survivors who were severely burned by the blaze.  They're all in their 20's now and usually don't walk around on the streets much to save their pride, but I have seen them occasionally.
 

A government court reacted immediately from what I understand, convicting 14 people, 4 of them high-ranking officials, and giving them jail time for fleeing the scene and failing to call the fire station.  These details were never made public, of course, and the only noticeable change to the average Chinese citizen was a nationwide safety inspection issued days after the fire requiring all buildings to meet a new fire prevention standard.  All of this wasn't quite enough for the grieving families who lost their children, and although they each received compensation of up to US$8,000 they were never issued a public apology.
 

Not surprisingly, the details of this disaster were never disclosed until May of 2007 when a Chinese reporter for CCTV posted a documentary on his website (translated version here) that censors had banned for public broadcast. International news organizations actually did run the story back in 1994, including this article in the New York Times, but the details there were sketchy and the focus of the article was primarily on the new safety inspections that had been ordered.  After the internet expose, international media again flocked to the story, the most detailed article being written by Michael Sheridan of the UK Times.
 

As a resident of Karamay myself, I can see how it would be easy to forget something like this ever happened here.  There was no moment of silence or official memorial gathering last Monday.  One major complaint with residents here is that no memorial to this disaster has been constructed even though one has been promised for years.  The only reminder of this incident is a white portion of the old theater that still stands on the edge of the People's Square.  You'd never know unless somebody told you, but this white-washed, unused building is actually the site of the darkest moment in this city's history.
 

I wish to accomplish nothing by saying all this than to keep their memory alive.  Not the controversy, but the memory of the 300 students and teachers who lost their lives in this city fourteen years ago.

 

The white building on the lower-right hand corner is the what is left of the theater.

Forced Abortion for a Uyghur Woman Rehashes Old Debates

A Xinjiang story involving a pregnant Uyghur woman has made its rounds through the international news community recently. The reason it garnered such attention was because Arzigul Tursun, 6 months pregnant with her third child, had been detained by police and was being forced against her will to undergo a late-term abortion. Due to all the international pressure she has now been released along with the face-saving statement by local police, "She wasn't in good enough health to have an abortion".  Nice try guys, but I don't buy it.

The One-Child Policy for Minorities

Although this effort has saved the life of this one child, it has been more successful in reopening the discussion about the one-child policy in China, a policy that is much more complicated than it may first appear, especially here in Xinjiang. The many rules and exceptions that accompany this policy are enough to make your head spin. For example:

• Han Chinese may have two children if both parents are single children themselves.
• Han Chinese may have a second child if their first child has severe mental or physical disorders
  (decided on by the doctor).
• Ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs (which make up almost half of Xinjiang's population), may have two children.
• Ethnic minorities and even some Han Chinese residing in extremely rural areas (again, a large part of Xinjiang) may even be allowed 3 children.
• People who are willing to pay exorbitant fines can do pretty much whatever they please at the cost of possible public scorn - which is practically nobody here in Xinjiang.  This woman would have had to pay a 45,000 RMB fine ($6,590 US), which is probably a few years' wages for her entire family.
• Some areas in Xinjiang which are populated mostly by Uyghurs offer financial incentives to minorities who stick with only one child.  Uyghur women in Kashgar over the age of 49 with only 1 child will receive a one-time payment of 3,000 yuan ($440) and 600 yuan yearly afterward.  China Xinjiang Web (in Chinese) reports that this year the government projects that it will spend 25.6 million yuan ($3.7 million) in population-control financial incentives!
  

This particular Uyghur woman was interesting because her case fell through the cracks.  She was a city-born Uyghur who is by law allowed two children whereas her husband was from rural country where three children is permitted.  Regardless of this grey-area, though, it seems ridiculous that someone would be forced to go through such a late-term abortion.  Thankfully (at least this time), this disaster was avoided through international intervention, but it makes you wonder how often this happens.

The Debate

Sadly, abortions are a daily occurence here in China - we've known quite a few just in the last year here in Karamay.  Since this one-child policy has been in effect for quite some time, though, it usually never becomes a "forced" abortion.  Everybody knows the rules and for the most part follows them, but sometimes you just can't help accidentally getting pregnant.

So here's the debate, and I would love some comments to see what you think.  The one-child policy, whether you like it or not, has been very successful here in China.  To do away with the law would be detrimental to China's future economy.  But if you - like me - hate to see a woman have to go through an abortion because she already has one child, what's a proper solution?  How can this solution be applied to minorities who want their heritage not just to "survive" the generations, but also to grow?

And here's the kicker question that always seems to divide the Chinese and the West:  since it's not our law, is it even our right to intervene with solutions?

Wild Boar Roam Xinjiang...and Get Shot

One more surprise for those of us who who call Xinjiang our home here in China - apparently we live among wild boar.  What's more, they're actually hunted by some people in Xinjiang's northern cities, in this case near Tacheng City.  The peculiarities of this province never cease to amaze me!

This revelation, although humorous, has made the local news for a much more somber reason.  Sentencing finally came this week for a former Xinjiang government official who accidentally mistook two watermelon growers for wild boar and shot them, killing the wife and servery wounding the husband.  He was convicted of unpremeditated manslaughter and sentenced to 4 years in jail.

I'm not sure what the punishment for a similar crime in America might be, but there's a part of this story that keeps me from reigning down judgment on Lu or the judicial system that sentenced him.  Here is a man who along with 6 of his good friends went hunting in a somewhat remote part of the province like he had probably done before in the past, but this time something went wrong.  They had already shot one boar and in the excitement of searching for another they accidentally shot this poor couple.  Instead of running off or covering up their tracks, they personally took both victims who were in dire need of care to the local hospital.  Compensation amounting to around $100,000 was paid to the surviving husband in September and no documented attempts to evade sentencing have been made.

That may not seem like much to you, but in an age here in China where milk has melamine and money buys silence it seems to speak highly of a man who owns up to his mistakes.  Obviously this doesn't erase the fact that a woman's life was taken, but the justice system here - which normally doesn't get much good press - has worked as it should and punishment was given.

On a more personal note, if I actually do see a wild boar here in Xinjiang I will definitely let you know.  So far, nothing; but if they're being hunted, I'm not sure I want to be around where they live anyway.

 

Lu Dugong and his hunting friends at sentencing this week.

For more information on this story, check out the official story on China Daily.