China Whitewashes the Historic Reality, Occupation of Eastern Turkistan Options

[AydinKafkaz]

Erkin Devlet

May 26, 2003

China's State Cabinet on today released a white paper called "History and Development of Xinjiang" aimed at perpetuating Beijing's illegitimate occupation of East Turkestan and serving China's contemporary political interests by whitewashing the historic reality of this region. It is clear from the timing of the release and purpose of this document that it is a work of Chinese politicians. This Machiavellian type of white paper, which is full of word games and distorted historical accounts, was probably released to serve the following two purposes:

First, it attempts to convince the international community that the Uyghur people who have been demanding freedom and independence from China do not have a legitimate cause since "Xinjiang" is an "inseparable part of China since the ancient times". This message is sent to mislead foreign governments and those foreigners who support the Uyghur people to believe that the Uyghurs don't have a legitimate ground to demand anything from China, and they should be happy with the status quo. This is aimed at cutting off foreign support and sympathy toward the Uyghur cause and people. This is the way to further isolate Uyghurs in the world and justify Chinese crackdown in the name of fighting against so-called three evils, "separatism, extremism, and terrorism". According to the Chinese government, all of these "evil" labels are applied to the Uyghurs only.

The Uyghurs call their motherland "East Turkestan" because it is the eastern part of ancient Turkestan. It is the land of Turkic peoples, not Chinese. The western part of Turkestan includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. The Uyghurs along with Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, and Turkmens are all Turks by race that share same language, culture, religion and history. They are the offspring of a common Turkic ancestry. They have nothing in common with Chinese neighbor who have always coveted their lands. The Turkic peoples belonged to the western Turkestan became free and independent after the disintegration of Soviet Union in 1991. Today, they are the masters of their territory and destiny. Unfortunately, East Turkestan, which fell prey to communist Chinese designs in 1949 with Soviet support, is still an occupied country. China invaded and occupied the East Turkestan Republic, which existed from 1944 to 1949, in 1949. Now Beijing shamelessly claims it as "part of China since ancient times".

The People's Republic of China changed the name East Turkestan into "Xinjiang" in 1955 after it was designated a Uyghur autonomous region. It is true that during the Great Game period Manchu Qing Dynasty occupied East Turkestan and changed its name into "Xinjiang", which means "new territory" for the first time in 1884. The communist China not only inherited the territories occupied by Manchus, foreign invaders considered by both Chinese people and historians, but also gradually picked up its foreign policy.

According to the white paper, "Xinjiang" means "old territory returned to the motherland". This is a new fabrication that can not be found in any Chinese encyclopedia or historical accounts. In fact, the ancient Chinese called East Turkestan and beyond as "Xiyu" meaning "western regions". According to Chinese historian Zhang Xiaodong, "The Chinese term Xiyu forgotten for more than a hundred years can be used to cover all the regions from the Middle East to South Asia". In simple words, "Xiyu" means foreign territories beyond China. East Turkestan was part of "Xiyu", which was not part of historic China. If East Turkestan was part of China, then, the Chinese government should claim all the regions from the Middle East to South Asia as part of its territories.

Another fact to note is that the Chinese government sources say Qin Shihuang unified China for the first time in history during the Qin Dyansty and built the Great Wall of China to prevent foreign encroachment. The Great Wall of China, which was China's real boundary, crumbles to pieces at Jiayouguan, far from the border of East Turkestan. The Chinese white paper seems to perpetuate the notion that the ancient territories of China have always been as big as the People's Republic of China, or bigger. This is not historically true. The fact is that the ancient China is much smaller consisted of the eastern part of today's China and the Middle Plains. Manchuria, (Inner) Mongolia, East Turkestan, and Tibet were not historic Chinese territories. The communist China simply reoccupied all the territories of Manchu Dynasty and claimed as part of China since "ancient" times. The word "ancient times" is misleading contrary to the historic
facts.

The fact is that China has learned a bitter lesson in the case of Tibetans' freedom struggle. China knows it has lost the public relations war, and as a result, it cannot justify its heavy-handed policies there but has to negotiate with Tibetans under pressure from the United States and other European countries. This is one of the reasons why Dalai Lama's envoys are in Beijing now and meeting with Chinese officials. China doesn't want to lose the public relations war in the case of Uyghurs' freedom struggle and negotiate with them about a settlement as well. This is more a preemptive measure aimed at isolating the Uyghurs and discrediting their interpretation of the historic reality of East Turkestan, the motherland of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples.

Second, the white paper seems to perpetuate the notion that the Chinese have always been the ruling class in what is now the People's Republic of China and all the minorities have been their subjects who have no right to rule or separate their countries from China by any means. This is to justify contemporary Chinese chauvinism and create a Chinese nation state, a country of, by, and for the Chinese, not minorities. That is why China claims all the glories of history as exclusively "Chinese". This is not historically true. In fact, most dynasties the Chinese government claims as "Chinese" were not Chinese dynasties. Tang Dynasty was an ethnically mixed dynasty. Yuan Dynasty was a Mongol Dynasty. Qing Dynasty was a Manchu Dynasty. The Mongols and Manchus didn't establish a country for the Chinese but occupied China and established their own empires.

Today's government of People's Republic of China is not a successive inheritor of any previous dynasties or empires established by Han, Yuan, Ming, Qing or any other. To claim all the territories occupied by any dynasty, especially the last Manchu Qing Dynasty, as part of China since "ancient times" is nothing but imperialism. It is not any different from today's Mongolian government claiming all the territories occupied by Ghin-gizkhan, the founder of Mongol Empire, as its own territories since
"ancient times".

The Chinese white paper fails to explain the root causes as to why the Uyghurs have for more than a century wanted to establish an independent East Turkestan and why after Beijing's great development in this region since 1949 still want to separate from China. Why are they sometimes even ready to sacrifice their lives for independence? What is really wrong with the Uyghurs if they have been treated as China claims they are? Apparently, the truth speaks louder than fabricated myths by the Chinese government.

According to the U.S. State Department 2002 Human Rights Report, The People's Republic of China (PRC) is an authoritarian state in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP or Party) is the paramount source of power. The Government severely restricted freedom of assembly and continued to restrict freedom of association and freedom of movement. While the number of religious believers continued to grow, government respect for religious freedom remained poor and crackdowns against Muslim Uyghurs continued".

The report, which was released on March 31, 2003 says, "In Xinjiang, where security remained tight, human rights abuses intensified. Throughout the year, the Government continued a national "strike hard" campaign against crime, characterized by round-ups of suspects who were sometimes sentenced in sports arenas in front of thousands of spectators. At year's end, this campaign, which was originally scheduled to last for 3 months at its inception in April 2001, showed no signs of abating in some areas. Some
dissidents, "separatists," and underground church members were targeted. The campaign has been especially harsh in Xinjiang, where those deemed to be "splittists" by the Government were targeted. As part of the campaign, officials reportedly carried out over 4,000 executions during the year, frequently without due process".

The human rights report notes that "Many observers raised concerns about the Government's use of the international war on terror as a justification for cracking down harshly on suspected Uighur separatists expressing peaceful political dissent and on independent Muslim religious leaders. According to reports from Xinjiang's Uighur community, authorities continued to search out and arrest Uyghurs possessing written or recorded information containing unapproved religious material".

This is one piece of the puzzle why the Uyghurs want to freedom and independence from China. This is only one drop of what the Uyghur people have been suffering under the Chinese rule. Many reports over the years from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and the Laogai Foundation can testify the reality on the plight of Uyghurs.

The fact is that Rabiye Kadir, a prominent Uyghur businesswoman whose only crime was to send publicly available newspapers to her dissident husband in the U.S., is still serving her eight-year prison terms in notorious Chinese prison in Urumchi. The fact is that Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a semi-military unit of nearly three million strong, is fulfilling its historical mission of colonizing East Turkestan and enslaving the Uyghur farmers by depriving their land, water, and agricultural means. The fact is that the Uyghur language still cannot be used at any university as the language of instruction. The fact is that the Uyghur history books are burned at the pleasure of Chinese officials. The fact is that the Uyghur chairman of the "autonomous" region represents the highest interest of the Chinese government by betraying the interest of the Uyghur people. The fact is that the Uyghurs autonomy has become a Chinese colony. These are the hard facts that have driven the Uyghurs to seek separation from China.

The fact is that the Uyghurs will struggle for their freedom and independence as long as China continues to deny their fundamental human rights and their right to be the master of their motherland and destiny. China was wrong before and is wrong again. China is wrong to assume that the Uyghurs will simply give up their goals after Beijing deceives the world by portraying them as "terrorists". China has for the past fifty years failed to hide the East Turkestan Question because hiding is not a solution. It is time that China should realistically look at the issue and negotiate with the Uyghurs to find a permanent solution, much like the way it treats the Tibetan Question. China has no choice but sooner or later it has to resolve the question. The fourth generation of Chinese leaders, instead of lying about the Uyghurs and East Turkestan as it lied over SARS, should boldly seize the initiative and resolve the East Turkestan Question as soon as possible for the posterity of both the Uyghur and the Chinese nations.



Copyright © 2000-2002 Uyghur Information Agency. All Rights Reserved

[Ek-ek]

(IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/eek.gif) 2 Well, That's reality. You win some you loose some! Many countries in the world today had boarder dispute. Like China-India border,China -Tibet,China-Russia,China-Vietnam, China-spratleys islands ,Philippine- Sabah, Malaysia-Indonesia,Ethiopia-Eritrea ,Japan-Korea, Japan-Russia ,Spain-Gibraltar ,India -Pakistan issue! That are just some of the issues . (IMG:http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/style_emoticons/default/sure.gif)

[Iron Chef Oi]

We'd have to see more about the issure than from one side. Using only one side's argument is not an effective or reasonable strategy. It is reasonable to say that the reason the Mongol dynasty and Manchu dynasty became part of Chinese history is that they were overtaken by the dominant culture with the passage of time and lost their influence. The same has occurred with many other conquering nations. The Roman empire is an excellent example. Romans were rather more Greeklike than Roman because of the influence of the conquered Greeks. Kublai Khan became more Chinese than Mongol in behavior because of the influence of China. Thus conquering cultures have given way to the dominant culture and history of the more populous and indigenous people. Plus, China has been conquered and ruled over by many hands but it has not been destroyed. The rulers and conquerors of the past ruled China. Thus belong in Chinese history because they affected the history of the land, the culture, and the people of China. There has always been a China and a Chinese people, no matter who ruled. The same cannot be said of many other civilizations.

Is it also not possible for different countries, cultures, and people to share histories? The United States, Spain, France, Great Britain, Mexico, and Canada have had a long and often violent history together. American history claims what happens as part of its past, which is true. Each country has an equal right to claim what happened in its past as its own. To edit out sections of Chinese history, simply because it was conquered by Mongols or Manchus or Westerners would be ludicrous. It is simply a stupid idea. Should the United States cut out its colonial history because it wasn't a country then and it was ruled by the English? Or how about when the Native Americans ruled the land, should that part of the history books be left out as well? Such an idea is absolute anathema.

While I cannot agree with many of the practices of the Peoples Republic of China, I do believe that Chinese history is just that, Chinese history, despite whoever ruled on the throne. But we must look at recent historical accounts and facts as given by the Chinese government with an analytical eye. At times there is seldom truth in the words of the Party.

[IORI]

That's all rubbish just in case you haven't noticed the uighurs are related to the arabs and persian traders that came to china in ancient times so how can it be a country my parents are from xinjiang and all these accusations are bull$hit from the american govt they themselves are guilty of discriminating against arabs so i don't see why they have the right to make somments like that do you honestly believe that gaining independence will make there lives better this accusation of discrimination is 100% bull$hit

[AydinKafkaz]

I am not surprised by your replies in the least bit. It is because of empires like China to why the Eastern hemisphere of the world is in chaos. It is why we all emigrate to the West and not Westerners to the East. It is because of barbaric empires like Russia, Iran and China that cannot accept the fact that this is 2003, not 1583. And I have to say it is a shame. An absolute disgrace... Anything to justify imperialism, ruling other lands for ones own national ego's, corruption, theft and ethnic cleansing racism. The Uygurs used to be 90% in their own land 50 years ago, today they are 50%. My heart goes out to all victims of imperialism, All the different nations in the East who do not have the right to represent their homeland and culture. The United Nations is a joke who does not protect these people in the least bit.

Absolutely pathetic replies...

And please do not re-write history. A mongol dynasty is a Mongol Dynasty, a Japanese dynasty is a Japanese dynasty. Just because they ruled China does not make them a Chinese dynasty. There is no single ethnic group in the world as Chinese, it is the HAN who run the empire of China.

My heart goes out to all Tibetians and Uygurs. They will live to see freedom one day. Empires never last, learn from the former SSR, which is still to fall and remain a backwards country until it stops occupying the some 30 different nations it does today, the same route China is and will be going down in for a long time.

[IORI]

Second, the white paper seems to perpetuate the notion that the Chinese have always been the ruling class in what is now the People's Republic of China and all the minorities have been their subjects who have no right to rule or separate their countries from China by any means. This is to justify contemporary Chinese chauvinism and create a Chinese nation state, a country of, by, and for the Chinese, not minorities. That is why China claims all the glories of history as exclusively "Chinese". This is not historically true. In fact, most dynasties the Chinese government claims as "Chinese" were not Chinese dynasties. Tang Dynasty was an ethnically mixed dynasty. Yuan Dynasty was a Mongol Dynasty. Qing Dynasty was a Manchu Dynasty. The Mongols and Manchus didn't establish a country for the Chinese but occupied China and established their own empires.

The minorities are chinese they are still considered chinese citizens china always mentions its nationalities they don't have to be han to be considered chinese so i think you need to study chiense history more when you make stupid @$$ comments like these it's like saying your not an american just because your black.

[IORI]

I am not surprised by your replies in the least bit. It is because of empires like China to why the Eastern hemisphere of the world is in chaos. It is why we all emigrate to the West and not Westerners to the East. It is because of barbaric empires like Russia, Iran and China that cannot accept the fact that this is 2003, not 1583. And I have to say it is a shame. An absolute disgrace... Anything to justify imperialism, ruling other lands for ones own national ego's, corruption, theft and ethnic cleansing racism. The Uygurs used to be 90% in their own land 50 years ago, today they are 50%. My heart goes out to all victims of imperialism, All the different nations in the East who do not have the right to represent their homeland and culture. The United Nations is a joke who does not protect these people in the least bit.

Absolutely pathetic replies...

And please do not re-write history. A mongol dynasty is a Mongol Dynasty, a Japanese dynasty is a Japanese dynasty. Just because they ruled China does not make them a Chinese dynasty. There is no single ethnic group in the world as Chinese, it is the HAN who run the empire of China.

My heart goes out to all Tibetians and Uygurs. They will live to see freedom one day. Empires never last, learn from the former SSR, which is still to fall and remain a backwards country until it stops occupying the some 30 different nations it does today, the same route China is and will be going down in for a long time.

hhmm an american talk about imperialism and arab oppresion maybe you should take a trip to the middle east and see how they look at you

[Iron Chef Oi]

IORI, please refrain from double posting.

And please do not re-write history. A mongol dynasty is a Mongol Dynasty, a Japanese dynasty is a Japanese dynasty. Just because they ruled China does not make them a Chinese dynasty. There is no single ethnic group in the world as Chinese, it is the HAN who run the empire of China.


That is one of the most asinine things I've ever heard. A ruling class no matter what its nationality still affects the history of the ruled. Thus, the Japanese and Mongol rulers have an effect on Chinese history. It is part of Chinese history that these people ruled China. To say otherwise is to re-write history. The history of all countries would be affected if this stupid idea were allowed to run. Spanish history would become Moorish history, Spanish history, Norman history, German history, Roman History, etc. What about British History? What about the clans that were killed off like the Picts? What about Pictish history? Those clans are lost. Their history is lost. How are we to recover Pictish history? Such an idea would complicate history and leave large gaps of time in the timelines of countries. Surely, AydinKafkaz has to be joking about this idea. No one in their right mind would suggest anything that stupid.
It would be a monumental effort to do edit out entire histories that way. Clans have often mixed and melded together so their history normally would be united would now be separate! The Jutes, the Saxons, the Angles, the Picts, the Britons, the Gauls, the Normans, the Goths, the Visigoths, the Osogoths, the Romans, the Germans, the Teutons, the Anglo-Saxons, etc...all entirely separate histories instead of just one history of a land. That same would happen to China. And Chinese history is much much longer than British history.

[AydinKafkaz]

I am not an American, I am a Tatar. People emigrate to America, America doesn't conquer Iraq and make it a 52th state...... People make the choice, they're not invaded. As evil as the American nation is, it's still a million times better than having China or Russia being the superpower to conquer lands and place them under the their own empire. Hence no one emigrates to your beloved China while you sit 50 thousand miles away defending the empire for your own ego.

Every nation America seems to take over still seems to have their own country, own national anthem, own government internationally recognised.

If there was no America, Australia, Canada ect. you or someone in your family would be rotting away in a Chinese prison. It is typical for Easterners to blame everyone else for their own chauvinism...

[KoRn]

i do'nt get why people just come here to start flame wars. absolutely pointless and useless. ya, u can call this a "discussion" if you want, but in my eyes, i see u as a newbie who just wants to cause some trouble like many others before you. yep this was a useless reply too.i don't give.

This post has been edited by KoRn: Sep 2 2003, 05:15 PM

[Ek-ek]

Second, the white paper seems to perpetuate the notion that the Chinese have always been the ruling class in what is now the People's Republic of China and all the minorities have been their subjects who have no right to rule or separate their countries from China by any means. This is to justify contemporary Chinese chauvinism and create a Chinese nation state, a country of, by, and for the Chinese, not minorities. That is why China claims all the glories of history as exclusively "Chinese". This is not historically true. In fact, most dynasties the Chinese government claims as "Chinese" were not Chinese dynasties. Tang Dynasty was an ethnically mixed dynasty. Yuan Dynasty was a Mongol Dynasty. Qing Dynasty was a Manchu Dynasty. The Mongols and Manchus didn't establish a country for the Chinese but occupied China and established their own empires.

The minorities are chinese they are still considered chinese citizens china always mentions its nationalities they don't have to be han to be considered chinese so i think you need to study chiense history more when you make stupid @$$ comments like these it's like saying your not an american just because your black.

I think both sides had a very good point here. First living in a country whether China, US etc.. doesn't always mean that you should be in the majority of the race! Like US, which had different people and ethnic groups that make it up as a nation. second- It is always a natural desire of every ethnic minorities to have an independent nation of their own just like the Muslims in China or Philippines.

[Iron Chef Oi]

Whether Manchus or Mongols ruled China is not important, it's the fact that these people affected Chinese history by ruling the country and land of China and by ruling the people of China. The history of a land is of its people, its past, and its rulers. While the ruling class may not have been Chinese, it is rather dim-witted and illogical to think they are not a past of the history of China. For the foreign rulers have had an effect up on the people, the culture, and the history of that society and land. These dynasties or periods when foreign rule was in power in China are part of the history of China and the respective country of each dynasty. It is possible for two or more countries to share a history. That is a very plausible solution. What AydinKafkaz suggests is the heavy editing and re-writing of history into a mockery of what it is and should be. History is shared by all who experience it.

[Ek-ek]

Yes, that's why it is called history you get at least two or more side of the story.

[Ivana B. Anonymo...]

IMO.....history is biased.....no matter how much u argue over it...its not going to be true. It's a fault made by BOTH sides of the nations and no one is entirely right...
But i have to admit tho.....more people immigrate to america than to china....why?? becus yes, china is corrupted...and the presidents likes to control their people too much....its such ego-tistic/selfish motives...

[Inferia]

I am not an American, I am a Tatar. People emigrate to America, America doesn't conquer Iraq and make it a 52th state...... People make the choice, they're not invaded. As evil as the American nation is, it's still a million times better than having China or Russia being the superpower to conquer lands and place them under the their own empire. Hence no one emigrates to your beloved China while you sit 50 thousand miles away defending the empire for your own ego.

Every nation America seems to take over still seems to have their own country, own national anthem, own government internationally recognised.

If there was no America, Australia, Canada ect. you or someone in your family would be rotting away in a Chinese prison. It is typical for Easterners to blame everyone else for their own chauvinism...

HAHA, it's true, America doesn't conquer country like iraq and make them as the 52th state, that would be too good for iraq and people would talk behind the US's back (like they're not already)... but instead, the US likes to conquer the country and set up a puppet government, like guam, is it a nation by it self? no, its US terroritory, ever heard of the Cuba revolution against Batista (a dicatator supported by the US who did everything that the US wanted), hence now we have Castro. To think that the US is all perfect and fair is just naive, the US just does a better job at cover it's @$$ and brainwashing than the rest of the world.

Also it's wrong to think that everyone who's not in China is trying to get away from an opprseive government. I know countless number of people who live in the US are here for other things, like a better education, more money, and the US is still believe to be the land of milk and honey. I, for one, might go back to China to work. I like people's attitude better there. If anything, people are much more chauvinist here in the US...

[KaeSaeKee]

>.>

This post has been edited by Jaimu-Jaimu: Sep 1 2007, 03:35 AM