China – Urumqi – Uighurs – Muslims – Rebiya Kadeer

Refugee Review Tribunal AUSTRALIA

RRT RESEARCH RESPONSE

Research Response Number: CHN33604 Country: China Date: 25 August 2008

Keywords: China – Urumqi – Uighurs – Muslims – Rebiya Kadeer

This response was prepared by the Research & Information Services Section of the Refugee Review Tribunal (RRT) after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the RRT within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. This research response may not, under any circumstance, be cited in a decision or any other document. Anyone wishing to use this information may only cite the primary source material contained herein.

Questions

1. What is the current social, political and economic situation for Islamic Uighurs in Urumqi? 2. Please provide concise information concerning Rabiya Kadeer, and her visit to Sydney in early 2008.

RESPONSE

1. What is the current social, political and economic situation for Islamic Uighurs in Urumqi?

[Note: Uighurs may also be spelt as Uyghurs or Uygurs].

Urumqi has been described as the prosperous capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR). In recent decades the ethnic Uighur community in Urumqi has decreased from 80% of the population to some 20%. This population movement, together with economic disparity, discriminatory work practices and dilution of cultural identity, has caused resentment among the Uighurs. In light of recent incidents reportedly involving Uighurs and the Beijing Olympics, security has increased in Urumqi.

Captions under photographs from BBC News note that Urumqi is the economic centre of Xinjiang province. Although Xinjiang has a degree of autonomy, there is “still a sense of dissatisfaction”. Occasional “violent” Uighur campaigns continue to call for greater independence (‘In pictures: Life in Urumqi’ 2008, BBC News, 16 June http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7457294.stm – Accessed 15 August 2008 – Attachment 1).

Radio Free Asia reported that:

According to Chinese government statistics, the Han Chinese population of Xinjiang increased from just six percent of the total in 1949 to 40 percent in 2005, with Han Chinese benefiting disproportionately from government schemes to boost the economy.

In the relatively prosperous regional capital, Urumqi, ethnic Uyghurs have gone from comprising 80 percent of the population to just 20 percent over recent decades, which has spurred further resentment among Uyghurs.

Experts say official data underestimate the Han population by excluding thousands of “temporary” Han workers on long-term assignments in the region (‘Chinese curbs leave Uyghur youth in crisis’ 2008, Radio Free Asia, 6 February http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2008/02/06/uyghur_youth/ – Accessed 8 February 2008 – Attachment 2).

The US State Department, in its human rights report for the year 2007, stated that the Han- Uighur ratio in Urumqi has moved from 20:80 to 80:20 and “was a deep source of Uighur resentment”. The report noted that discriminatory employment practices gave preference to the Han, discouraging job opportunities for ethnic minorities (US Department of State 2008, ‘National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities’ in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 – China, 11 March – Attachment 3).

A recent August 2008 news article in The Hindu describes Urumqi as “prosperous”; however, unemployment among the Uighur youth is “high”. Uighurs reportedly dominate lower income jobs and “there is a palpable difference between Uighur and Han neighbourhoods in Urumqi”. Many Uighurs leave their homes in search of jobs in other provinces (Krishnan, Ananth 2008, ‘China’s Xinjiang problem’, The Hindu, 12 August – Attachment 4).

According to a Sydney Morning Herald article, dated 10 May 2008, young Uyghurs say it is difficult to find work after graduation. Although the official unemployment rate is 4%, it is said to be “much higher outside Urumqi”. Rural incomes are about 4,500 yuan ($683) per annum – four times lower than those of urban residents. The news article cites the director of an Islamic network involved in assisting unemployed youth conceding that “life is good for the urban middle-class” of Urumqi. The director explained, however, Uyghurs seeking independence are motivated by the loss of cultural identity, social inequality and the lack of religious freedom (Needham, Kirsty 2008, ‘Circle of steel around the silk road’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 May – Attachment 5).

On cultural identity of Uighurs more generally in the XUAR, the US State Department has reported that the government “has tightened measures that diluted expressions of Uighur identity”. This included measures to reduce education in ethnic minority languages and to have language requirements disadvantaging ethnic minority teachers (US Department of State 2008, ‘National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities’ in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 – China, 11 March – Attachment 3).

Amnesty International noted in its annual report covering the year 2007 that “Non-violent expressions of Uighur cultural identity were criminalized” (Amnesty International 2008, Amnesty International Annual Report 2008 – China, 28 May http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/regions/asia-pacific/china – Accessed 29 May 2008 – Attachment 9).

An article published by the Council of Foreign Relations, an independent US think-tank and publisher, stated that ethnic tension is fanned by economic disparity. According to the article, the Han Chinese in Xinjiang tend to be wealthier than Uighurs; some experts say that discriminatory hiring practices result in a wage gap (Bhattacharji, Preeti 2008, ‘Uighurs and China’s Xinjiang Region’, Backgrounder, 4 August, Council of Foreign Relations website http://www.cfr.org/publication/16870/ – Accessed 14 August 2008 – Attachment 10).

The US State Department also reported:

Since 2001 authorities have increased repression in the XUAR, targeting in particular the region’s ethnic Uighur population. In January XUAR Party Secretary Wang Lequan again urged government organs to crack down on the “three forces” of religious extremism, “splittism,” and terrorism, and to “firmly establish the idea that stability overrides all.” It was sometimes difficult to determine whether raids, detentions, and judicial punishments directed at individuals or organizations suspected of promoting the “three forces,” were instead actually used to target those peacefully seeking to express their political or religious views. The government continued to repress Uighurs expressing peaceful political dissent and independent Muslim religious leaders, sometimes citing counterterrorism as the reason for taking action…(US Department of State 2008, ‘National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities’ in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 – China, 11 March – Attachment 3).

Leading up to the Beijing Olympics (August 2008), and in light of incidents reportedly involving Uyghurs, news articles indicate that security is tight at Xinjiang’s airports and “riot police in open trucks were a daily sight in Urumqi”. An Agence France Presse article noted that “on a recent day at Urumqi airport” only a “handful” of travelling Uighurs were seen queuing for flights (Needham, Kirsty 2008, ‘Circle of steel around the silk road’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 May – Attachment 5; Martin, Dan 2008, ‘Chinese Muslims complain of air travel restrictions’, Agence France Presse, 30 July – Attachment 6; Martin, Dan 2008, ‘China says controls tightened on Muslims in remote west’, Agence France Presse, 8 August – Attachment 7).

There are reports of regular checks on train travel from Kashgar to Urumqi, “almost exclusively on travelling Uighurs”. One Uighur woman was denied a train ticket to Urumqi to commence training for a new job (Krishnan, Ananth 2008, ‘China’s Xinjiang problem’, The Hindu, 12 August – Attachment 4; Martin, Dan 2008, ‘Chinese Muslims complain of air travel restrictions’, Agence France Presse, 30 July – Attachment 6).

Another article also outlines security measures undertaken in Urumqi following recent violent incidents said to involve Uighurs:

Xinjiang’s capital, Urumqi, appeared to be on high alert Thursday [7 August 2008]. Security guards were checking bags at the entrances of hotels, department stores and discos in the busy city, where office towers and apartments (sic) buildings have been shooting up in recent years.

Guards with red arm bands rode on most public buses, watchful for attackers. Small groups of police patrolled the sidewalks of the bustling Muslim quarter, where merchants cooked lamb kebabs and sliced up watermelons at fruit stands.

The officers were largely ignored by the Uighur women in colorful head scarves and the men wearing skull caps decorated with elaborate embroidery or sequins, who haggled over goods or shouted into mobile phones (Foreman, William 2008, ‘Chinese Islamic group issues new Olympic threat’, Associated Press, 7 August http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_fA5bjMZ6-RYv11uLlSCHMCdV6QD92DQ1BG3 – Accessed 19 August 2008 – Attachment 8).

Recent incidents involving Uighurs in Xinjiang include:

• More than 80 Uighurs, alleged terror suspects, have been reportedly arrested during 2008 (Krishnan, Ananth 2008, ‘China’s Xinjiang problem’, The Hindu, 12 August – Attachment 4; Cody, Edward 2008, ‘Across China, Security Instead Of Celebration; Police Crack Down on ‘Hostile Forces,’ Apply New Safety Measures’, The Washington Post, 19 July – Attachment 11).

• 12 August 2008: three security officers were killed at a road checkpoint near Kashgar (MacArtney, Jane 2008, ‘Pilots from rebel region grounded over terror fears; China’, The Times, 18 August – Attachment 12; Wong, Edward 2008, ‘Attack in West China Kills 3 Security Officers’, The New York Times, 13 August http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/sports/olympics/13china.html?_r=1&oref=slogi n&pagewanted=print – Accessed 20 August 2008 – Attachment 13).

• 10 August 2008: Uighurs attacked government buildings in Kuqa (MacArtney, Jane 2008, ‘Pilots from rebel region grounded over terror fears; China’, The Times, 18 August – Attachment 12; Wong, Edward 2008, ‘Attack in West China Kills 3 Security Officers’, The New York Times, 13 August http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/sports/olympics/13china.html?_r=1&oref=slogi n&pagewanted=print – Accessed 20 August 2008 – Attachment 13).

• 4 August 2008: 16 policemen were killed in a grenade attack on a border patrol station in Kashgar (the biggest attack on Chinese soil “in recent memory”) (Krishnan, Ananth 2008, ‘China’s Xinjiang problem’, The Hindu, 12 August – Attachment 4; MacArtney, Jane 2008, ‘Pilots from rebel region grounded over terror fears; China’, The Times, 18 August – Attachment 12; Wong, Edward 2008, ‘Attack in West China Kills 3 Security Officers’, The New York Times, 13 August http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/sports/olympics/13china.html?_r=1&oref=slogi n&pagewanted=print – Accessed 20 August 2008 – Attachment 13).

• 9 July 2008: police shot dead five alleged terror suspects in an Urumqi apartment (Krishnan, Ananth 2008, ‘China’s Xinjiang problem’, The Hindu, 12 August – Attachment 4; Cody, Edward 2008, ‘Across China, Security Instead Of Celebration; Police Crack Down on ‘Hostile Forces,’ Apply New Safety Measures’, The Washington Post, 19 July – Attachment 11).

• March 2008: A Uighur woman from Kuqa was said to have slipped through the “less rigorous security checks for business-class travellers” at Urumqi airport. It was said that the woman was found locked in an aircraft toilet with cans filled with petrol in an apparent hijacking attempt. However, doubts have been raised regarding the actual nature of this event (MacArtney, Jane 2008, ‘Pilots from rebel region grounded over terror fears; China’, The Times, 18 August – Attachment 12; de Tarczynski, Stephen 2008, ‘Australia: Experts disagree over terrorism threat to Olympics’, Inter Press Service, 13 June – Attachment 14).

For further information on Uighurs in China, including education, exit and return see: RRT Research & Information 2008, Research Response CHN33052, 3 April – Attachment 15).

2. Please provide concise information concerning Rabiya Kadeer, and her visit to Sydney in early 2008.

Attached is information concerning Rebiya Kadeer:

• ‘Profile: Rebiya Kadeer’ 2005, BBC News, 17 March http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia- pacific/4357607.stm – Accessed 21 August 2008 – Attachment 16.

• ‘Biographical sketch of Rebiya Kadeer’ 2006, Uyghur American Association website, 10 December http://www.uyghuramerican.org/articles/595/1/Biographical-sketch-of- Rebiya-Kadeer/Biographical-sketch-of-Rebiya-Kadeer.html – Accessed 21 August 2008 – Attachment 17. (Note: Rebiya Kadeer is President of the Uyghur American Association).

Definitive information on the dates when Rebiya Kadeer was actually in Sydney was not found in the sources consulted. Kadeer visited the MRT-RRT offices in Sydney on 20 February 2008.

A document provided by her delegation to the MRT-RRT mentions the dates of her Australian visit as 19 February to 3 March 2008 and that she intended to visit Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra. A Sydney Morning Herald article dated 21 February 2008 states that Kadeer would be in Sydney “this week” (‘Introducing Ms. Rebiya Kadeer of the World Uyghur Congress: 2008 Australian Visit’ (undated), pp.1-2,8,11 – Attachment 18; ‘Exiled voice wants Games to cast light on repression’ 2008, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February http://www.smh.com.au/cgi- bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2008/02/20/1203467183600.html – Accessed 21 August 2008 – Attachment 19).

List of Sources Consulted

Internet Sources: Google search engine http://www.google.com.au/ Asian Development Bank http://www.adb.org/ Minorities at Risk http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/ World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/

Databases: FACTIVA (news database) BACIS (DIAC Country Information database) REFINFO (IRBDC (Canada) Country Information database) ISYS (RRT Research & Information database, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, US Department of State Reports) RRT Library Catalogue

List of Attachments

1. ‘In pictures: Life in Urumqi’ 2008, BBC News, 16 June http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7457294.stm – Accessed 15 August 2008.

2. ‘Chinese curbs leave Uyghur youth in crisis’ 2008, Radio Free Asia, 6 February http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2008/02/06/uyghur_youth/ – Accessed 8 February 2008 – Attachment 2). (CISNET China CX192864)

3. US Department of State 2008, ‘National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities’ in Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 – China, 11 March.

4. Krishnan, Ananth 2008, ‘China’s Xinjiang problem’, The Hindu, 12 August. (FACTIVA)

5. Needham, Kirsty 2008, ‘Circle of steel around the silk road’, Sydney Morning Herald, 10 May. (FACTIVA)

6. Martin, Dan 2008, ‘Chinese Muslims complain of air travel restrictions’, Agence France Presse, 30 July. (FACTIVA)

7. Martin, Dan 2008, ‘China says controls tightened on Muslims in remote west’, Agence France Presse, 8 August. (FACTIVA)

8. Foreman, William 2008, ‘Chinese Islamic group issues new Olympic threat’, Associated Press, 7 August http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h_fA5bjMZ6- RYv11uLlSCHMCdV6QD92DQ1BG3 – Accessed 19 August 2008.

9. Amnesty International 2008, Amnesty International Annual Report 2008 – China, 28 May http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/regions/asia-pacific/china – Accessed 29 May 2008.

10. Bhattacharji, Preeti 2008, ‘Uighurs and China’s Xinjiang Region’, Backgrounder, 4 August, Council of Foreign Relations website http://www.cfr.org/publication/16870/ – Accessed 14 August 2008.

11. Cody, Edward 2008, ‘Across China, Security Instead Of Celebration; Police Crack Down on ‘Hostile Forces,’ Apply New Safety Measures’, The Washington Post, 19 July. (FACTIVA)

12. MacArtney, Jane 2008, ‘Pilots from rebel region grounded over terror fears; China’, The Times, 18 August. (FACTIVA)

13. Wong, Edward 2008, ‘Attack in West China Kills 3 Security Officers’, The New York Times, 13 August http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/13/sports/olympics/13china.html?_r=1&oref=slogi n&pagewanted=print – Accessed 20 August 2008.

14. de Tarczynski, Stephen 2008, ‘Australia: Experts disagree over terrorism threat to Olympics’, Inter Press Service, 13 June. (FACTIVA) 15. RRT Research & Information 2008, Research Response CHN33052, 3 April.

16. ‘Profile: Rebiya Kadeer’ 2005, BBC News, 17 March http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia- pacific/4357607.stm – Accessed 21 August 2008.

17. ‘Biographical sketch of Rebiya Kadeer’ 2006, Uyghur American Association website, 10 December http://www.uyghuramerican.org/articles/595/1/Biographical-sketch-of- Rebiya-Kadeer/Biographical-sketch-of-Rebiya-Kadeer.html – Accessed 21 August 2008.

18. ‘Introducing Ms. Rebiya Kadeer of the World Uyghur Congress: 2008 Australian Visit’ (undated), pp.1-2,8,11.

19. ‘Exiled voice wants Games to cast light on repression’ 2008, Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February http://www.smh.com.au/cgi- bin/common/popupPrintArticle.pl?path=/articles/2008/02/20/1203467183600.html – Accessed 21 August 2008.