DOCSLIB.ORG

An Exploratory Case Study of Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
An Exploratory Case Study of Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur AN EXPLORATORY CASE STUDY OF HUI, TIBETAN, AND UYGHUR COLLEGE STUDENT ACCULTURATION IN A PREDOMINANTLY HAN PUBLIC RESEARCH INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN CENTRAL CHINA A Dissertation by DIEGO JOSE GARCIA Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Yvonna S. Lincoln Co-Chair of Committee, Elsa M. Gonzalez y Gonzalez Committee Members, Christine A. Stanley Antonio C. La Pastina Head of Department, Fredrick Nafukho August 2016 Major Subject: Educational Administration Copyright 2016 Diego Jose Garcia ABSTRACT Even though the People’s Republic of China has instituted national policies to provide greater higher education access to Chinese ethnic minorities and facilitate greater maintenance of ethnic minority cultures, limited research exists that examines acculturation and stress coping processes of ethnic minority college students, particularly Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur students, as they transition from their native communities and autonomous regions to predominantly Han public research institutions of higher education located in urban areas of Central China. The purpose of the study is to deconstruct the acculturation experiences of Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur college students enrolled in a predominantly Han public research university in Central China. A discourse on acculturation experiences of ethnic minority college students in predominantly Han universities is critical to developing institutional policies that embrace cultural sensitivity of ethnic minority students in China; adequately represent the heritage of ethnic minorities and help them preserve their cultural integrity; link the content of the education to ethnic minorities’ values and worldviews; and ensure that ethnic minorities have the academic and social support in their institutions of higher learning. The methodological framework that informed the study is a contructivist, naturalistic perspective. The sample consisted of 29 respondents of which 22 were Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur Xi’an Jiaotong University students, and seven Xi’an Jiaotong University staff. Data was derived primarily from two sources: interviews with ii respondents; and observations of participants and campus of Xi’an Jiaotong University prior to, during, and after interview sessions. Salient conclusions of the researcher included: Cultural distance is a significant moderating factor impacting how Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur respondents adapt to a predominantly Han university in Central China; the narratives of most Tibetan and Uyghur respondents portrayed a campus climate that is indifferent to their feelings of isolation and loneliness, and where Uyghur students, in particular, prominently encountered microagressions, passive discrimination and exclusion; Uyghur and Tibetan students have lost confidence in their academic abilities and experience dejection due to rigorous academic demands, partly due to their lack of English and Mandarin proficiency; Xi’an Jiaotong University does not provide sufficient academic and social support to Tibetan and Uyghur students. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this study to my wife and daughter whose untiring encouragement and loving support kept my eyes fixed on the grand summit of the doctoral journey. I am eternally indebted to my mother and father for their unconditional love from which I mustered the strength to embark on this journey. I honor my grandparents, especially my grandfather, Papuli, who knew the importance of lifelong learning, and whose words, “put your head down and learn something”, have resonated with me since my teenage years. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to recognize my dissertation committee Co-Chairs, Dr. Yvonna S. Lincoln and Dr. Elsa Gonzalez y Gonzalez, whose advice, guidance and mentorship aided the writing of this study in immeasurable ways. I also wish to thank my dissertation committee members, Dr. Christine A. Stanley and Dr. Antonio C. La Pastina, for their unwavering support while I pursued a PhD degree at Texas A&M University. I acknowledge my dear colleague, Dr. Marisa Suhm, for her insightful comments and valuable contributions during the making of this dissertation. I extend my most profound gratitude to the Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur participants of this study, whose voices will give courage and hope to other shao shu minzu students in China. I offer my sincere appreciation to the students, staff, and leaders of Xi’an Jiaotong University, particularly Dr. Gong Hui, who generously supported my dissertation over the last three years. Agradezco inmensamente el amor que me han brindado mis hermanos (Mickey, Niza y Monica), y doy gracias por la amistad de los Bros (Mike Apel, Francisco Cuadros, Santiago Garcés, Gabriel Montenegro, Práxedes Rivera y Oswaldo Voysest), Felipe Errázuriz y Kevin Rhodes, quienes me han apoyado desde mi juventud y han compartido conmigo los momentos más felices de mi vida. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................. ii DEDICATION ......................................................................................................... iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................ v TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................... x LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................. 5 Purpose of the Study .................................................................................... 6 Conceptual Framework ................................................................................. 8 Research Questions ....................................................................................... 13 Significance of the Study, and Objectives .................................................... 14 Contents of the Study .................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................ 17 Ethnic Minority Acculturation Research in Higher Education in China ....................................................................................... 17 Educational Context: Relevant Ethnic Minority Research in Primary and Secondary Schools in China ................................................ 22 Cultural Context: Hui, Tibetan, Uyghur Culture .......................................... 26 Historical Context: Overview of Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur Socioeconomic Conditions ....................................................... 33 Religious Context: Significance of Religion among Hui, Uyghur, and Tibetan Populations ......................................................... 35 Political Context: China’s Policies toward Ethnic Minority Populations Post-World War II ......................................... 39 Higher Education Context: Brief History of Higher Education in China Prior to 1911 ................................................................. 48 Higher Education in China Post-1911 and Ethnic Minority College Enrollment ....................................................................... 49 Higher Education Financing in China since 1978 ........................................ 55 vi College Access and Affordability Barriers for Minorities in China ....................................................................................... 57 CHAPTER III METHODOLOGY ........................................................................... 62 Employing Naturalistic Inquiry .................................................................... 62 Research Design ........................................................................................... 66 Site selection, respondents, and sampling ........................................ 69 Introducing the study to respondents and developing interview questions ........................................................ 74 Data Collection ............................................................................................. 75 Interviews ......................................................................................... 76 Observations ..................................................................................... 78 Records and documents .................................................................... 79 Researcher reflexivity ...................................................................... 79 Member checking ............................................................................. 80 Peer debriefing ................................................................................. 81 Assurance of confidentiality ............................................................. 82 Data Analysis ............................................................................................... 82 Unitizing data ................................................................................... 83 Coding .............................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Trapped in a Virtual Cage: Chinese State Repression of Uyghurs Online
    Trapped in a Virtual Cage: Chinese State Repression of Uyghurs Online Table of Contents I. Executive Summary..................................................................................................................... 2 II. Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 5 III. Background............................................................................................................................... 6 IV. Legislation .............................................................................................................................. 17 V. Ten Month Shutdown............................................................................................................... 33 VI. Detentions............................................................................................................................... 44 VII. Online Freedom for Uyghurs Before and After the Shutdown ............................................ 61 VIII. Recommendations................................................................................................................ 84 IX. Acknowledgements................................................................................................................. 88 Cover image: Composite of 9 Uyghurs imprisoned for their online activity assembled by the Uyghur Human Rights Project. Image credits: Top left: Memetjan Abdullah, courtesy of Radio Free Asia Top center: Mehbube Ablesh, courtesy of
    [Show full text]
  • Resisting Chinese Linguistic Imperialism
    UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT SPECIAL REPORT Resisting Chinese Linguistic Imperialism: Abduweli Ayup and the Movement for Uyghur Mother Tongue-Based Education Rustem Shir, Research Associate Logo of the Ana Til Balilar Baghchisi (Mother Tongue Children’s Garden) May 2019 Contents Acknowledgement 4 Introduction 5 1. CCP language policy on education in East Turkestan 6 Foundations of CCP ethnic minority policy 6 Eras of minority language tolerance 9 Primary and secondary school ‘bilingual’ education policy 12 The Xinjiang Class 20 Mandarin as the language of instruction at Xinjiang University 22 Preschool and kindergarten ‘bilingual’ education policy 23 Suppression of the Movement for Uyghur Mother Tongue-Based Education 26 The Hotan Prefecture and Ghulja County Department of Education directives 28 Internment camps 29 Discussion 32 2. ABduweli Ayup and the Movement for Uyghur Mother Tongue-Based Education 36 Upal: Why couldn’t we study Kashgari? 36 Toquzaq: Oyghan! (Wake Up!) 38 Beijing: Our campus felt like a minority region 41 Doletbagh: My sad history repeating in front of me 50 Urumchi: Education for assimilation 55 Lanzhou: Are you bin Laden? 60 Ankara: Ethno-nationalism and a counterbalance 67 Urumchi: For the love of community 72 Lawrence: Disconnected 77 Kashgar: Rise of the Movement for Uyghur Mother Tongue-Based Education 81 Urumchi: Just keep silent 89 Kashgar: You’re going to be arrested 93 Doletbagh Detention Center: No choice, brother 98 Urumchi Tengritagh Detention Center: Qorqma (Don’t be afraid) 104 Urumchi Liudaowan Prison: Every color had disappeared 109 Urumchi Koktagh Prison: Do you want to defend yourself? 124 2 Urumchi/Kashgar: Release and return 127 Kashgar: Open-air prison 131 Ankara: Stateless and stranded 138 Paris: A new beginning 146 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Religion in China BKGA 85 Religion Inchina and Bernhard Scheid Edited by Max Deeg Major Concepts and Minority Positions MAX DEEG, BERNHARD SCHEID (EDS.)
    Religions of foreign origin have shaped Chinese cultural history much stronger than generally assumed and continue to have impact on Chinese society in varying regional degrees. The essays collected in the present volume put a special emphasis on these “foreign” and less familiar aspects of Chinese religion. Apart from an introductory article on Daoism (the BKGA 85 BKGA Religion in China proto­typical autochthonous religion of China), the volume reflects China’s encounter with religions of the so-called Western Regions, starting from the adoption of Indian Buddhism to early settlements of religious minorities from the Near East (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) and the early modern debates between Confucians and Christian missionaries. Contemporary Major Concepts and religious minorities, their specific social problems, and their regional diversities are discussed in the cases of Abrahamitic traditions in China. The volume therefore contributes to our understanding of most recent and Minority Positions potentially violent religio-political phenomena such as, for instance, Islamist movements in the People’s Republic of China. Religion in China Religion ∙ Max DEEG is Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Cardiff. His research interests include in particular Buddhist narratives and their roles for the construction of identity in premodern Buddhist communities. Bernhard SCHEID is a senior research fellow at the Austrian Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on the history of Japanese religions and the interaction of Buddhism with local religions, in particular with Japanese Shintō. Max Deeg, Bernhard Scheid (eds.) Deeg, Max Bernhard ISBN 978-3-7001-7759-3 Edited by Max Deeg and Bernhard Scheid Printed and bound in the EU SBph 862 MAX DEEG, BERNHARD SCHEID (EDS.) RELIGION IN CHINA: MAJOR CONCEPTS AND MINORITY POSITIONS ÖSTERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN PHILOSOPHISCH-HISTORISCHE KLASSE SITZUNGSBERICHTE, 862.
    [Show full text]
  • Confessional Peculiarity of Chinese Islam Nurzat M
    INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL & SCIENCE EDUCATION 2016, VOL. 11, NO. 15, 7906-7915 OPEN ACCESS Confessional Peculiarity of Chinese Islam Nurzat M. Mukana, Sagadi B. Bulekbayeva, Ainura D. Kurmanaliyevaa, Sultanmurat U. Abzhalova and Bekzhan B. Meirbayeva aAl-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, KAZAKHSTAN ABSTRACT This paper considers features of Islam among Muslim peoples in China. Along with the traditional religions of China - Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam influenced noticeable impact on the formation of Chinese civilization. The followers of Islam have a significant impact on ethno-religious, political, economic and cultural relations of the Chinese society. Ethno-cultural heterogeneity of Chinese Islam has defined its confessional identity. The peculiarity of Chinese Islam is determined, firstly, with its religious heterogeneity. In China there all three main branches of Islam: Sunnism, Shiism, and Sufism. Secondly, the unique nature of Chinese Islam is defined by close relationship with the traditional religions of China (Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism) and Chinese population folk beliefs. Chinese Islam has incorporated many specific feat ures of the traditional religious culture of China, which heavily influenced on the religious consciousness and religious activities of Chinese Muslims. KEYWORDS ARTICLE HISTORY Chinese Muslims, history of Islam, confessional Received 21 March 2016 heterogeneity, Islamic branches, religions of China Revised 05 June 2016 Accepted 19 June 2016 Introduction Political and ethno-cultural processes taking place in contemporary Chinese society lead us to a deeper study of the religious history of China (Ho et al., 2014). Along with the traditional religions of China - Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam influenced noticeable impact on the formation of Chinese civilization (Tsin, 2009; Erie & Carlson, 2014; Gulfiia, Parfilova & Karimova, 2016).
    [Show full text]
  • Growth and Decline of Muslim Hui Enclaves in Beijing
    EG1402.fm Page 104 Thursday, June 21, 2007 12:59 PM Growth and Decline of Muslim Hui Enclaves in Beijing Wenfei Wang, Shangyi Zhou, and C. Cindy Fan1 Abstract: The Hui people are a distinct ethnic group in China in terms of their diet and Islamic religion. In this paper, we examine the divergent residential and economic develop- ment of Niujie and Madian, two Hui enclaves in the city of Beijing. Our analysis is based on archival and historical materials, census data, and information collected from recent field work. We show that in addition to social perspectives, geographic factors—location relative to the northward urban expansion of Beijing, and the character of urban administrative geog- raphy in China—are important for understanding the evolution of ethnic enclaves. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O10, I31, J15. 3 figures, 2 tables, 60 refer- ences. INTRODUCTION esearch on ethnic enclaves has focused on their residential and economic functions and Ron the social explanations for their existence and persistence. Most studies do not address the role of geography or the evolution of ethnic enclaves, including their decline. In this paper, we examine Niujie and Madian, two Muslim Hui enclaves in Beijing, their his- tory, and recent divergent paths of development. While Niujie continues to thrive as a major residential area of the Hui people in Beijing and as a prominent supplier of Hui foods and services for the entire city, both the Islamic character and the proportion of Hui residents in Madian have declined. We argue that Madian’s location with respect to recent urban expan- sion in Beijing and the administrative geography of the area have contributed to the enclave’s decline.
    [Show full text]
  • Rise of the Veil: Islamic Modernity and the Hui Woman Zainab Khalid SIT Study Abroad
    SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad SIT Digital Collections Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection SIT Study Abroad Spring 2011 Rise of the Veil: Islamic Modernity and the Hui Woman Zainab Khalid SIT Study Abroad Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection Part of the Asian Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons, Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, and the Women's Studies Commons Recommended Citation Khalid, Zainab, "Rise of the Veil: Islamic Modernity and the Hui Woman" (2011). Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. 1074. https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/1074 This Unpublished Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the SIT Study Abroad at SIT Digital Collections. It has been accepted for inclusion in Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection by an authorized administrator of SIT Digital Collections. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rise of the Veil: Islamic Modernity and the Hui Woman Zainab Khalid SIT FALL 2011 5/1/2011 1 Introduction: Assimilation/Dissimilation The Hui are a familiar sight in most cities in China; famed for their qingzhen restaurants and their business acumen. Known usually as the “Chinese speaking Muslims,” they are separated from the nine other Muslim xiaoshu minzu by a reputation for assimilation and adaptability that is a matter of pride for Hui in urban areas. A conversation with Hui women at Nancheng Mosque in Kunming revealed that they believed Hui to be at an advantage compared to other xiaoshu minzu because of their abilities to adapt and assimilate, “we are intelligent; we know what to do in order to survive in any environment.” Yet, the Hui of Yunnan also have a history of dissimilation- the Panthay Rebellion of 1856 took the shape of a Sultanate in Dali as Hui forces led a province-wide revolt against the Qing Empire.
    [Show full text]
  • Comprehensive Encirclement
    COMPREHENSIVE ENCIRCLEMENT: THE CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY’S STRATEGY IN XINJIANG GARTH FALLON A thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy School of Humanities and Social Sciences International and Political Studies July 2018 1 THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW SOUTH WALES Thesis/Dissertation Sheet Surname or Family name: FALLON First name: Garth Other name/s: Nil Abbreviation for degree as given in the University calendar: MPhil School: Humanitiesand Social Sciences Faculty: UNSW Canberraat ADFA Title: Comprehensive encirclement: the Chinese Communist Party's strategy in Xinjiang Abstract 350 words maximum: (PLEASETYPE) This thesis argues that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a strategy for securing Xinjiang - its far-flung predominantly Muslim most north-western province - through a planned program of Sinicisation. Securing Xinjiang would turna weakly defended 'back door' to China into a strategic strongpointfrom which Beijing canproject influence into Central Asia. The CCP's strategy is to comprehensively encircle Xinjiang with Han people and institutions, a Han­ dominated economy, and supporting infrastructure emanatingfrom inner China A successful program of Sinicisation would transform Xinjiang from a Turkic-language-speaking, largely Muslim, physically remote, economically under-developed region- one that is vulnerable to separation from the PRC - into one that will be substantially more culturally similar to, and physically connected with, the traditional Han-dominated heartland of inner China. Once achieved, complete Sinicisation would mean Xinjiang would be extremely difficult to separate from China. In Xinjiang, the CCP enacts policies in support of Sinication across all areas of statecraft. This thesis categorises these activities across three dimensions: the economic and demographic dimension, the political and cultural dimension, and the security and international cooperationdimension.
    [Show full text]
  • 6 Pilgrimage and Hui Muslim Identity in the Republican Era
    6 Pilgrimage and Hui Muslim Identity in the Republican Era Yuan-lin Tsai Abstract Pilgrimage (hajj) is the fifth pillar of Islam and the most important symbol of unity of the Muslim ‘Community’ (‘Ummah’). When pan- Islamism and Chinese nationalism met in the early twentieth century, it is interesting to see how the Chinese pilgrims, and the Chinese Muslims as a whole, understood and responded to the Islamic revivalist call to the unity of the Community and the Chinese nationalist voice to build a new nation-state. This chapter explores the relationships between these two forces by researching original official documents, news reports, memoirs, and other biographical materials regarding the Hui Muslims’ pilgrimage experience. It concludes that Hui Muslim pilgrims’ choice is not an either/or question, but a mixture of pan-Islamism and Hui patriotism. Keywords: pilgrimage, Mecca, Hui, Uighur, pan-Islamism, Wahhabi Introduction Islam in China has not yet been a well-explored field despite some ground- breaking books and articles that have been published in Chinese, Japanese, and various Western languages during the last two decades. The scholars in this field have usually made their own efforts in an isolated fashion and have not integrated into the academic communities of either Islamic studies or Chinese studies. This is also true for the studies of the Chinese Muslims’ pilgrimage (hajj). In the two most comprehensive historical works on the pilgrimage – Peters’ The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy Places (1994) and Wolfe’s One Thousand Roads to Mecca: Ten Centuries of Travelers Writing about the Muslim Pilgrimage (1997) – there is no mention of the Chinese Muslims’ pilgrimage journey.
    [Show full text]
  • Religious Beliefs and Environmental Behaviors in China
    religions Article Religious Beliefs and Environmental Behaviors in China Yu Yang 1,* and Shizhi Huang 2 1 Department of Public Administration and Moral Development Institute, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China 2 School of Public Administration, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; yzfl[email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 3 January 2018; Accepted: 5 March 2018; Published: 7 March 2018 Abstract: The role of religion in the environment has yet to be empirically investigated in the country with the largest atheist population across the globe. Using data from the Chinese General Social Survey 2013, we examined the effects of religious beliefs on environmental behaviors in China. Dependent variables of private and public environmental behaviors were identified by factor analysis. The estimation revealed a contradictory result that most religious beliefs had negative effects on private environmental behaviors while having positive effects on public environmental behaviors. The findings suggest a religion–politics interactive mechanism to enhance pro-environmental behavior in China. Keywords: private and public environmental behaviors; Chinese religions; ecological civilization; government 1. Introduction Scholarly interest in studying the role of religion in the environment has received substantial attention for the past half-century. Since historian Lynn White(1967) argued that Judeo-Christianity with a domination ethic over nature had caused the ecological crisis, the consequences of the interactions between religions and the environment have been debated quite extensively in the literature (Berry 2013). With different perspectives and technical details as well as the multidimensional nature of environmental attitudes and actions, researchers have stimulated divergent results. Some researchers have provided empirical support for White’s argument (Dunlap and Van Liere 1984; Eckberg and Blocker 1989; Sherkat and Ellison 2007), while others held evidence with contrasting results (Boyd 1999; Shibley and Wiggins 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Muslim Women in General
    Introduction Huma Ahmed-Ghosh Muslim women’s lives in Asia traverse a terrain of experiences that defy the homogenization of “the Muslim woman.” The articles in this volume reveal the diverse lived experiences of Muslim women in Islamic states as well as in states with substantial Muslim populations in Asia and the North American diaspora.1 The contributions2 reflect upon the plurality of Mus- lim women’s experiences and realities and the complexity of their agency. Muslim women attain selfhood in individual and collective terms, at times through resistance and at other times through conformity. While women are found to resist multilevel patriarchies such as the State, the family, local feudal relations, and global institutions, they also accept some social norms and expectations about their place in society because of their beliefs and faith. Together, this results in women’s experience being shaped by particular structural constraints within different societies that frame their often limited options. One also has to be aware of academic rhetoric on “equality” or at least women’s rights in Islam and in the Quran and the reality of women’s lived experience. In bringing the diverse experiences of Asian women to light, I hope this book will be of social and political value to people who are increasingly curious, particularly post 9/11,3 about Islam and the lives of Muslim women globally. Authors in this collection locate their analysis in the intersectionality of numerous identities. While the focus in each contribution is on Muslim women, they are Muslim in a way framed by their specific context that includes class and ethnicity, and local positionality that is impacted by inter- national and national interests and by the specificities of their geographic locations.
    [Show full text]
  • Treatment of the Uyghur Ethnic Group in the People's Republic of China
    Report for U.S. Department of Justice LL File No. 2015-011997 Treatment of the Uyghur Ethnic Group in the People’s Republic of China March 2015 The Law Library of Congress, Global Legal Research Center (202) 707-6462 (phone) • (866) 550-0442 (fax) • [email protected] • http://www.law.gov Treatment of the Uyghur Ethnic Group in the People’s Republic of China Staff of the Global Legal Research Center SUMMARY Members of the Uyghur ethnic group in China are identifiable by their Islamic religion, cultural heritage, traditional clothing, diet, language, and appearance. Uyghurs primarily reside in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of northwestern China. However, a 2010 population census found a total of 68,000 Uyghurs living in other areas of China as well. Despite legal protections for freedom of religion, speech, publication, assembly, association, procession, and demonstration, central and regional authorities are reportedly combating “religious extremism” in the XUAR as a means of maintaining stability, leading to concerns that the exercise of lawful rights is being restricted. Similarly, protections for ethnic minority languages and cultural identities are provided by the Constitution and a series of laws and regulations, and government authorities have been promoting “bilingual education” in the XUAR. However, some Uyghurs fear that the policy aims at assimilating young Uyghurs into Han Chinese society at the expense of their Uyghur identity. Violent clashes involving political or ethnic tensions in the XUAR or involving Uyghurs outside of the XUAR reportedly included attacks committed by Uyghurs, with attackers convicted in court of terror-related crimes. Rights advocates and analysts located outside of China, however, have raised concerns that authorities are using excessive force against Uyghur protesters and that officials fail to distinguish between violence and terrorism versus peaceful dissent.
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 International Religious Freedom Report
    CHINA (INCLUDES TIBET, XINJIANG, HONG KONG, AND MACAU) 2020 INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM REPORT Executive Summary Reports on Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet, and Xinjiang are appended at the end of this report. The constitution of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which cites the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), states that citizens “enjoy freedom of religious belief” but limits protections for religious practice to “normal religious activities” without defining “normal.” CCP members and members of the armed forces are required to be atheists and are forbidden from engaging in religious practices. National law prohibits organizations or individuals from interfering with the state educational system for minors younger than the age of 18, effectively barring them from participating in most religious activities or receiving religious education. Some provinces have additional laws on minors’ participation in religious activities. The government continued to assert control over religion and restrict the activities and personal freedom of religious adherents that it perceived as threatening state or CCP interests, according to religious groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and international media reports. The government recognizes five official religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Protestantism, and Catholicism. Only religious groups belonging to one of the five state-sanctioned “patriotic religious associations” representing these religions are permitted to register with the government and officially permitted to hold worship services. There continued to be reports of deaths in custody and that the government tortured, physically abused, arrested, detained, sentenced to prison, subjected to forced indoctrination in CCP ideology, or harassed adherents of both registered and unregistered religious groups for activities related to their religious beliefs and practices.
    [Show full text]