Uyghurs: China’s anti-porn campaign in Xinjiang

UYGHUR: 100-Day Campaign against “Pornographic Publications” (03/17/08)
Reporter: Kurban Wali

RFA: Dear radio listeners, according to the Tangritagh News Web site of China, Mr. Li Yi, head of the propaganda committee of the Chinese Communist Party’s Xinjiang branch, held a teleconference in Urumqi today, March 17, to organize a 100-day campaign against pornography.

李屹在会议上作了重要讲话，他肯定了过去一年“扫黄打非”取得的成绩，并提出了2008年自治区“扫黄打非”工作总的要求是：高举中国特色社会主义伟大旗 帜，以邓小平理论和“三个代表”重要思想为指导，全面贯彻党的十七大精神，深入落实科学发展观，以打击政治性、宗教类非法出版物为重点，加强日常监管，开 展专项行动，打击侵权盗版行为，开展网上“扫黄打非”斗争，查处非法报刊制售活动，扫除淫秽色情等文化垃圾，全力维护国家安定、社会稳定和文化安全，为新 疆改革、发展、稳定营造良好的文化舆论环境。More here…

During the meeting, Li Yi recognized the achievements of last year’s anti-pornography campaign in Xinjiang, saying that the challenges for 2008 were to hold high the glorious banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and taking Deng Xiaoping thought and the “Three Represents” as a guide, to fully implement the spirit of the 17th Party Congress, to put fully into practice the principles of scientific development, and to concentrate efforts towards cracking down on illegal publications containing religious and political material. Day-to-day supervision must be stepped up, together with targeted campaigns developed for specialized areas, with intensified struggle against Internet porn and copyright violations, the sale of illegal publications, as well as cracking down on the cultural trash of pornography. This was for the sake of social stability, cultural safety and national security, he said, and would establish an excellent cultural and ideological framework for reforms and economic development in Xinjiang.

In his speech, he stressed that the drive against anything that has political and religious meaning also has to be strengthened and broadened. According to the news, the total number of participants in this movement in 2007 reached 59,000. During the crackdown, 4,635 such bookstores or street stalls were found, from which 94 bookstores were closed, along with 3 Internet Web sites. About 1.8 million books and journals were confiscated. In addition, 81 cases were handed over to the police to handle. The Chinese government rewarded personnel who participated in the operation, hailing the drive as among the greatest victories in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

According to news sources, such efforts in Uyghur region against pornography by the Chinese government are not new. Under the title of fighting pornography, the Chinese government confiscated many religious books, including the Quran, while searching through the houses of Uyghur people, in violation of their own constitution.

“The Chinese government’s campaign against pornography is mainly focused on Uyghur people,” says Mr. Dilshat Rishit, spokesman of the World Uyghur Congress. According to Mr. Rishit, all the pornographic items found in the Uyghur region are brought in by the Chinese. However, the movement mainly targets the Uyghur people, not the Chinese. The things that they want to outlaw are items that are published by the Uyghur people to protect their human rights, freedom, and the right for self-determination. Currently, the Chinese government is even using its military forces for such activities.

Mr. Rishit: If you look at the streets of Urumqi, all indecent items are brought in by the Chinese. However, the targets of the strikes are primarily the Uyghurs. In this way, they want to collect any items published by the Uyghur people to protect their human rights, freedom, and the right to self-determination. They want to stop the activities of Uyghur people for freedom. That is the main goal. They are calling it ‘wiping out pornographic items’, however, in Kashgar and Hotan regions, they have just increased monitoring of people, not allowing any gatherings, and arresting anyone in a gathering of more than 3 or 4 people for investigation. This is something that is done by the Chinese government on a planned basis.

RFA: According to Mr. Dilshat Rishit, the situation faced by the Uyghurs is similar to that of the Tibetans. Compared to the suppression of Tibetans, the Chinese government is directly using terrorism as an excuse to strike against the Uyghurs. The scale and the intensity of the suppression are even more severe compared to that in Tibet. The main reason behind such strikes, viewed from another angle, is to prevent the awakening of the people and to stop them from holding mass demonstrations, such as those in Tibet.

Mr. Dilshat Rishit: The Chinese government is not honoring the requests of the Tibetan people. The Tibetan people are in the same situation as we Uyghurs are. The condition of the Uyghur people is even worse than that of the Tibetan people. We can say that the strikes against the Uyghur people are several times more severe and terrible. For example, under the name of fighting terror, they can arrest and imprison anyone they want. This is not coming to an end. Under the name of fighting terror, they are trying to wipe out a whole nationality. Our situation is much worse than that of Tibet. Because of this, they are trying to stop anything that may lead to the discontent and mass demonstrations as in Tibet. They do this for fear that the people may be awakened.

RFA: According to Mr. Dilshat Rishit, the Chinese government’s policy towards the Uyghurs is the same as their policy towards Tibetans. They suppress the Uyghur people by cooperating with pro-Chinese-government Uyghurs. Their policy in Tibet is no different.

Mr. Dilshat Rishit: They are suppressing the Uyghur people with the help of other Uyghurs. There are some Uyghurs who would sell the interests of the Uyghur people, such as Nur Bekri. Such people are cooperating with the government in suppressing the Uyghur people. The goal of the Chinese government is to make Uyghur people fight each other, to make us lose trust among each other, and to sow the seeds of discord among people. It is a way of controlling, similar to what they are doing in Tibet. They are doing the same.

RFA: Mr. Dilshat Rishit also stated that Uyghurs are totally different from the Chinese, in terms of culture and religion. He says that the Chinese government has sensed that the Uyghurs will be separate in the future. Therefore, the military forces of the Chinese government to suppress the people are mainly concentrated on Taiwan and East Turkistan regions. The Chinese government also has paramilitary forces, called Production and Construction Corps, which can immediately fight the local Uyghur people.

Mr. Dilshat Rishit: The main forces of the Chinese government are focused on two places. One is Taiwan, and the other is East Turkistan, I mean the People’s Liberation Army. Besides, they have armed forces, and they also have armed divisions of the Production and Construction Corps. In this sense, East Turkistan has the most armed personnel of the Chinese government. The reason is that the Chinese government is afraid that East Turkistan might become independent. They want the natural resources of East Turkistan for their development. Because of the differences in culture and religion between ethnic Uyghur people and the Chinese, the Chinese government is afraid that East Turkistan might be separated. The Chinese government believes that the Uyghur people might eventually become independent. So, they gather their military forces in the region to attack the Uyghur people in case something happens.

RFA: According to Mr. Dilshat Rishit, the Uyghur people are resisting the suppression of the Chinese government and are paying the price.

Dilshat Rishit: The people are resisting. Our people love peace. The Chinese government is attacking in different forms. They are conducting bloody suppressions and are arresting anyone they want. However, the Uyghur people are resisting Chinese oppression and are suffering and paying the price. I believe that we are willing to pay the price until we get our freedom.