Urumchi is not Zhengzhou. I lived there for several years, observing and interviewing around many protests. I want to add some overlooked background to #UrumqiProtest conversation. Many dominant voices on the subject have never been there. 🧵
#Xinjiang #ZeroCovidChina #Uyghurs
1.
@guardian / @Reuters quoted 1 respected political scientist but who does not research the region. Alternatively, many foreign and Uyghur experts who know the city are available, sharing videos and analysis on the capital city of their homeland.
theguardian.com/world/2022/nov…
2.
Bypassing experts guarantees ideological framings (“Chinese protest” & “civil society”), ignoring local dynamics where Han protestors often describe themselves as “vanguard” and Uyghurs died in a building fire under ethnically targeting and excessive covid controls.
3.
The @BBC did not mention who died or why, overlooking the very story they are reporting on. This is of course an emerging story and I hope more details are offered in coming days.
bbc.co.uk/news/world-asi…
4.
#Uyghurs are sharing videos of fire that may have killed many more than officially announced and images of Uyghur homes bolted shut from the outside. Some like @RayhanAsat have shared official announcements censoring discussion of the subject.
5.
@AbduwelA shares images of real people who died in the fire. This is Qemernisa Abdurahman with her children, all of whom died. Reporting on the subject is intellectually bound to include these images to explain the story and the racist implementation of #ZeroCOVIDpolicy.
6.
Uyghurs are sharing multiple, yet-to-be confirmed videos of gunshots in Uyghur populated districts not heard in videos of Han protests. These must be investigated by reporters.
7.
Racist policing by People's Armed Police and SWAT is to be expected in a city that treats violence by Uyghurs as a threat to China and violence by Han as a reasonable symptom in response.
#Xinjiang #china #Uyghurs
cambridge.org/core/journals/…
8.
#UrumqiProtest has been sparked by strict #ZeroCOVIDpolicy lockdowns lasting more than 100 days. But Urumchi needs analysis on its own terms to understand who is allowed to protest in what ways and how the party-state will respond.
9.
Urumchi is described as a “frontier city” by the party and many Han residents. The Uyghur population see it as colonised.
amazon.co.uk/Securing-China…
10.
Many Han in the city do not intend to stay permanently, moving there for work in precarious circumstances. This is why we see videos of traffic jams as Han leave the region by car. Everyone must apply for a permit (出疆申报) to be allowed to leave.
11.
It is long established in the literature that the region's Han population are viewed as a “source of stability” by the party-state. This means handling Han-led protests has historically been an especially uncomfortable affair for the party-state.
eastwestcenter.org/publications/a…
12.
For example, In September 2009, the People’s Armed Police only intervened with teargas against hundreds of Han protestors at Nanmen (Urumchi city centre) when they began to try to reach the Uyghur district chanting “kill the Uyghurs”.
tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.108…
13.
Using Han population to secure the region against supposed Uyghur threat, while generating anxiety that they may want more autonomy themselves, is not a new dynamic. It shaped street protests during Cultural Revolution and party leadership choices.
journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.2307/21…
14.
Urumchi's Han residents are more accustomed to contact w/ military & police, aware their presence is to monitor Uyghurs. Partly explains why you hear people casually mention “it’s military police”. A tense standoff is fairly relaxed given the stakes.
15.
These racist dynamics in Urumchi are why I would expect party to back down against Han protest and crackdown against Uyghurs. Han have little input into their representation but are officially considered vanguard of China’s settler culture 屯垦文化.
shu.ac.uk/helena-kennedy…
16.
There's no evidence that #UrumqiProtest is democracy movement or advocates greater rights for all. It’s a reflex action to be allowed outside in fear they may die. Many viral posts suggest fear not empathy for those who died or why.
17.
There are thoughtful comments on Chinese social media. This thread does not criticise Han protest. It critiques abstract analysis overlooking racist governance & social dynamics. Also, political change can emerge from spiraling self-oriented action.
18.
Teacher Li’s account shares remarkable material. They do not place it in ideological framework or claim authoritative knowledge. They share videos from friends on the ground & ask questions. Many videos show how much leeway Han protestors are given.
END.
I hope in coming days that reporters will consult Han in the city, Uyghur diaspora, and experts w/ fieldwork experience in Urumchi itself. It's essential to understand story's context & facts. I'm available and @j_smithfinley @JimMillward @dtbyler have much to contribute.
Online Roundtable (20th Dec)
@ShefUniSEAS @UniShefAH
Hopes & Fears: Potential for Solidarity between Uyghur & Chinese Diasporas after 'Zero-Covid' Protests
Speakers: @MahmutRahima @wuerkaixi @tingguowrites @chenchenzh @KabirQurban WeAreAllChainedWomen
eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-potentia…
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