who are the uyghurs?
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Who are the Uyghurs?Understanding China’s Silk Road Today
Photos by Tese Wintz Neighbor
A Resource Packet for EducatorsRESOURCES COMPILED BY:
MARYANNA BROWN & NICOLE GLASGOWTESE WINTZ NEIGHBORWORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
May 12, 2010
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
1
USING THIS RESOURCE GUIDE ...........................................................................................1 GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES ON XINJIANG .......................................................4 MEET THE UIGHURS ........................................................................................................9
JONATHAN LIPMAN ON ETHNIC TENSION IN CHINA ........................................................... 10 THE URUMQI RIOTS OF JULY 2009 ................................................................................ 16 THE CHINESE PERSPECTIVE.......................................................................................... 19 TERRORISM AND SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS .................................................................... 21 HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UYGHURS ............................... 24
OTHER ISSUES FACING XINJIANG TODAY ............................................................................ 29 RESOURCES ON XINJIANG CULTURE & ARTS ....................................................................... 32 NGOS WORKING IN XINJIANG .......................................................................................... 34 CURRICULUM MATERIALS ............................................................................................... 38
BOOKS.................................................................................................................... 42 BLOGS ....................................................................................................................46
ISLAM IN CHINA ............................................................................................................ 47 GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES .................................................................... 47 MUSLIMS IN CHINA TODAY .......................................................................................... 50 THE SILK ROAD ......................................................................................................... 58 ARTICLE: ISLAM IN CHINA ............................................................................................ 60 SILK ROAD MAPS ...................................................................................................... 64 SILK ROAD FOUNDATION SILK ROAD TIMELINE ................................................................ 65 SILK ROAD OVERVIEW ................................................................................................69 THE NEW SILK ROAD.................................................................................................. 70 SILK ROAD CURRICULUM MATERIALS ............................................................................. 71 SILK ROAD BOOKS FOR ADULTS ................................................................................... 74 SILK ROAD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN................................................................................. 76
USING THIS RESOURCE GUIDE
Please note: many description were excerpted directly from the websites
Packet published: 05/08/2010; Websites checked: 05/05/2010
Lesson Plans/ Educational Resources
Educational Games
Charts and Graphs Recommended Resources
Audio
Photo Slideshows
Video Chinese Source
Science and Technology Maps
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION
Available for educational use at
www.johomaps.com (2007)
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XINJIANG FACT SHEET
Official Name: Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
Capital: Urumqi
Official Language: Mandarin
Other Languages Spoken: Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Mongol
Currency: Renminbi (RMB); literally “People’s Currency”
Area: 1,600,000 square kilometers; about the size of Iran
Founded: 1955
Total Population: 21 million (2007)
Natural Population Growth Rate: 10.8 per thousand (2003)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Ethnic Groups: Uyghur (45%), Han (41%), Kazak (7%), Hui (5%), Kyrgyz (0.9%), Mongol (0.8%),
Dongxiang (0.3 %), Pamiris (East Iranian language variations, Tajik - 0.2%), Xibe (0.2%)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 71 years; in 1949 it was only 31 years
Total Fertility Rate: 16.0 per thousand (2003)
Morality Rate: 5.2 per thousand (2003)
___________________________________________________________________________________
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): 301.9 billion
GDP Per Capita: RMB 14871 (US$1894)
GDP Composition: Agriculture 17.6%, Industry 47.7%, Services 34.7%
Per Capita Disposable Income of Urban Residents: RMB 9120 (US$1162)
Per Capita Annual Net Income of Rural Residents: RMB 2737 (US$349)
Urban Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (2008)
___________________________________________________________________________________
Industries: Raw and refined oil, iron and steel, metallurgy, machinery, chemicals, and power
generation
Services: Telecommunications, tourism
Exports: Tomato jam, casings, cotton yarn, shoes and TV sets
Major Export Markets: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Russia
Imports: Rolled steel, crude oil, oil products and fertilizers
Agriculture Products: Yili apples, Korla pears, seedless white grapes, Hami melons, cotton,
lavender, hops, sugar beets, sheep farming, fine-wool production, milk
Table Compiled From: http://www.xinjiang.gov.cn/10018/index.htm, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-
07/07/content_11668365.htm , http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0005394.html
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GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES ON XINJIANG
XINJIANG/ UYGHURS RESOURCES – CONGRESSIONAL-EXECUTIVE COMMISSION ON
CHINA: VIRTUAL ACADEMY
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/uighur/index.php
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China was created by Congress in October 2000
with the legislative mandate to monitor human rights and the development of the rule of law in
China, and to submit an annual report to the President and the Congress. The Commission
consists of nine Senators, nine Members of the House of Representatives, and five senior
Administration officials appointed by the President. The current Chairman is Senator Byron L.
Dorgan (D-ND) and the Cochairman is Representative Sander M. Levin (D-MI).
TRUE XINJIANG
http://www.truexinjiang.com/
TrueXinjiang.com is maintained by dedicated editors and correspondents of the Global Times
website (www.globaltimes.cn). Approaching a true Xinjiang - the site is the largest portal on
Xinjiang in English language and aims to present everyone a true picture of this autonomous
region in Northwest China. Through this portal, aspects of Xinjiang rarely known to the outside
world have a chance to highlight their charms. It covers culture, religion, travel and latest
developments in Xinjiang with voices from both authorities and individuals. Features like
"Xinjiang in my eyes" and "Xinjiang, my hometown"are designed to reflect Xinjiang’s local life.
You are also welcome to join Xinjiang-related issues on the forum.
REGIONS AND TERRITORIES: XINJIANG PROFILE – BBC NEWS 11.03.09
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/8152132.stm
Full profiles provide an instant guide to history, politics and economic background of countries
and territories, and background on key institutions. They also include audio and video clips
from BBC archives.
URUMQI: CHINA’S ECONOMIC HUB IN CENTRAL ASIA - EURASIANET
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav071307.shtml
EurasiaNet provides information and analysis about political, economic, environmental and
social developments in the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus, as well as in Russia, the
Middle East, and Southwest Asia. Based in New York, EurasiaNet advocates open and informed
discussion of issues that concern countries in the region. The web site presents a variety of
perspectives on contemporary developments, utilizing a network of correspondents based both
in the West and in the region. The aim of EurasiaNet is to promote informed decision making
among policy makers, as well as broadening interest in the region among the general public.
EurasiaNet is operated by the Central Eurasia Project of the Open Society Institute.
WHITE PAPER ON DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS IN XINJIANG – CHINA HUMAN
RIGHTS
http://www.chinahumanrights.org/Messages/China/t20090922_494890.htm
The Information Office of the State Council, or China's cabinet, published a white paper on the
development and progress in Xinjiang on September 21, 2009.
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES ON XINJIANG
CHINA’S WILD WEST – CURRENT MEDIA 08.20.2008
http://current.com/items/89221794_chinas-wild-west.htm
Current Media is an award-winning multiplatform company dedicated to the in-depth
investigation and exploration of the world's most important, interesting, and entertaining
stories. With a fully integrated broadcast and online platform, Current connects its audience
with what's going on in their world through its unique blend of original productions and viewer
created media. In this Vanguard report, Laura Ling travels to the wild-west frontier in China's
Gobi Desert, an area the Chinese named Xinjiang, or New Land, but a place many Uyghurs
believe should be an independent Uighur nation.
TURKIC AND CENTRAL EURASIAN STUDIES PROGRAM – UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
http://depts.washington.edu/centasia/index.htm
Founded in 1949, the Turkic and Central Eurasian Studies Program at the University of
Washington is one of the oldest and most distinguished programs in the United States. At the
core of the Program is language learning. It offers courses at all language levels (elementary,
intermediate, and advanced) in Uzbek, Kazak, Kyrgyz, and Uyghur.
CENTRAL ASIA-CAUCASUS ANALYST- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
http://www.cacianalyst.org/
The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst is a globally leading periodical for analysis and information
on the region, freely accessible online. Established in 1999 and edited by Svante E. Cornell, the
Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst has established itself among the world's most authoritative
sources of analysis and information on the region.
EAST-WEST CENTER
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/
The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and
nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and
dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for
information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to
exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center is an independent,
public, nonprofit organization with funding from the U.S. government, and additional support
provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments in the
region.
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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THE UYGHURS – GENERAL RESOURCES A Note on Spelling
Is it Uygur, Uigur, Uighur, Uyghur, or Weiwuer? (pronounced Wee-ger)
For the Uygur/Uigur/Uighur/Uyghur/Weiwuer problem (which is actually worse than it looks,
because the word "Hui" or "Huihui" also derives from an old word for Uygur, namely Huihe), there's
no handy-dandy guide. It doesn’t really matter which Romanization you use. I find Uyghur to be
the most accurate of all the inaccurate Romanization. It's actually pronounced wee (or way) goor,
with the "g" as a growl in the throat, so it can't really be Romanized. Most Uyghurs couldn't care
less how it's Romanized since they read it either in Arabic script (which also doesn't have a
growling g so they had to make up a new letter for it) or in Chinese, where it's wei-wu-er (though it
used to be hui-hu or hui-he, back in the Ming dynasty). JL
Note: When quoting directly from the source we have kept the spelling that was used. TN
PHOTO ESSAY: WHO ARE THE UIGHURS? – FOREIGN POLICY 07.09.2009
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/09/photo_essay_who_are_the_uighurs?page=f
ull
The Uighur independence movement has received far less attention in the Western media than
has neighboring Tibet, but its profile has been growing in recent years, thanks largely to actions
by the Uighur diaspora. (The Chinese government has blamed the current unrest on Uighur-
American activist Rebiya Kadeer.)
THE OTHER TIBET: CHINA’S UIGHURS – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 12.01.2009
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/12/uygurs/teague-text
The Uygurs, Muslim people of China’s resource-rich far west, are becoming strangers in their
own land as Han Chinese pour in. Like the Tibetans, who face similar pressures, some Uygurs
see a chance for a better life, but others protest the disintegration of their culture, even at the
risk of death.
CHINA AND THE ENDURING UIGHURS – STRATFOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE 08.06.2008
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/china_and_enduring_uighurs
STRATFOR’s global team of intelligence professionals provides an audience of decision-makers
and sophisticated news consumers in the U.S. and around the world with unique insights into
political, economic, and military developments. Uighur ethnic nationalists and Islamist
separatists have risen several times to challenge Chinese control over Xinjiang, but the Uighur
independence movement remains fractured and frequently at odds with itself. However, recent
evolutions within the Islamist militant Uighur movement, including growing links with
transnational jihadist groups in Central and Southwest Asia, may represent a renewed threat to
security in China.
RUMBLES ON THE RIM OF CHINA’S EMPIRE – NEW YORK TIMES 7.11.2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/12/weekinreview/12wong.html
For centuries, the rulers of China have sought to control and shape Xinjiang, much as the dry
winds of the vast deserts there sculpt the rocks.
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THE UYGHURS – GENERAL RESOURCES
UIGHUR NEWS – NEW YORK TIMES
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/u/uighurs_chinese_ethnic_group
/index.html
An archive of news stories featuring the Uighurs from the NYT.
SELF DETERMINATION CONFLICT PROFILE: THE UIGHURS – FOREIGN POLICY IN FOCUS
http://presentdanger.irc-online.org/conflicts/uighur_body.html
FPIF is a "Think Tank Without Walls" connecting the research and action of more than 600
scholars, advocates, and activists seeking to make the United States a more responsible global
partner. Two episodes at the turn of the 1990s spurred Uighur nationalists into their current
state of militancy. First, the ignominious Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan suggested that a
lone Muslim people struggling against an infidel invader could emerge victorious. The Afghan
experience intensely influenced many young Uighur political entrepreneurs, and its symbolic
power was eclipsed only by the second event--the serendipitous rise to statehood of the Central
Asian republics after the Soviet collapse; seeing that their fellow Turkic Muslims of Central Asia
now had their own sovereign lands, Uighur proto-separatists now brandished archetypes for
their own prospective nation-state.
SINO-PAKISTAN RELATIONS AND XINJIANG’S UYGHURS – ZIAD HAIDER 08.01.2005
http://www.stimson.org/southasia/pdf/XINJIANG.pdf
China’s Muslim Uighurs have recently proven to be an unusual source of friction in the stalwart
Sino-Pakistan friendship. This essay analyzes how politics in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous
Region and trade and movement along the Karakoram Highway linking Xinjiang with Pakistan
have affected the relationships among Beijing, Islamabad, the Uyghurs, and the Pakistani
traders operating in Xinjiang.
AMERICAN MEDIA PORTRAYALS OF THE UIGHUR MINORITY PRE AND POST 9/11 –
ANNA FILE 2009
http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/respublica/vol14/iss1/13/
The Muslim Uighur ethnic minority in China has long been repressed by the Chinese Central
Government in a way not dissimilar from the Tibetan ethnic minority. While policy decisions,
assimilation projects, and systematic restriction of freedoms support this claim, Americans with
interest in the area have a more complex relationship with opinion on Uyghurs.
THE XINJIANG CONFLICT: UYGHUR IDENTITY, LANGUAGE AND POLITICAL DISCOURSE
– ARIENNE M. DWYER
This study explores Chinese language policy and language use in Inner Asia, as well as the
relation of language policy to the politics of Uyghur identity. Language is central to ethnic
identity, and official language policies are often overlooked as critical factors in conflict over
ethnic nationalism. In Chinese Inner Asia, any solution to ethnic conflict will include real
linguistic and cultural autonomy for major ethnic groups.
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THE UYGHURS – GENERAL RESOURCES
ETHNO-DIPLOMACY: THE UYGHURS HITCH IN SINO-TURKISH RELATIONS – YITZHAK
SHICHOR 2009
http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/10349/1/ps053.pdf
Beginning in 1949, China considered, and dealt with, so-called Uyghur separatism and the
quest for East Turkestan (Xinjiang) independence as a domestic problem. Since the early
1990s, however, Beijing has begun to recognize the international aspects of this problem and to
deal with its external manifestations. This new policy has affected China’s relations with
Turkey, which had ideologically inspired Uyghur nationalism, offered sanctuary to Uyghur
refugees, and provided moral and material support to Eastern Turkestan movements,
organizations, and activities.
UYGHUR NEWS
http://www.uyghurnews.com/
Uyghur News.com is a news article collection website on Uighur people from East Turkistan
(Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China) and Tibetan People from Tibet. [The site is}
designed to keep all media releases about Uyghur People in one place and help researchers on
Uyghur people or East Turkistan and Tibet.
MEAT ON A STICK – DANWEI TV 6 04.20.2006
http://www.danwei.org/danwei_tv/danwei_tv_6_meat_on_a_stick.php
In this show, Danwei TV interviews several Uighurs in Beijing selling lamb kebabs (yang rou
chuan'r) and Uighur candy, and shows their working conditions. Interviews were conducted in
Mandarin, which is not the Uighur's native tongue: they speak their own language, which is
related to Turkish.
UIGHUR STREET EATS – UNCORNERED MARKET 2008
http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/photos/set/72157603488447039/page1/
When we first entered China from Kyrgyzstan, we weren't that excited about the food. It
sounded very similar to Central Asian food (i.e., lots of mutton), which we'd already overdosed
on. Our expectations were far exceeded, however and we were pleasantly surprised by the new
flavors we encountered in Uighur food - particularly at the Kashgar night market. And, our first
tastes of more traditional "Chinese food" in Urumqi was also exceptional.
TOP TEN XINJIANG DISHES – UNCORNERED MARKET 2008
http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2008/09/top-10-xinjiang-dishes/
We begin our Chinese food series in the same place we entered China: in the city of Kashgar in
China’s western frontier province of Xinjiang. Like the native Uighur people and their culture,
food in Xinjiang province resembles Central Asian and Turkic cuisine more than stereotypical
Chinese food. Thankfully, however, Xinjiang’s food scene did not feature a culinary repeat of
Central Asia. Instead, the food of the Uighurs proved a diverse and tasty introduction to the
broader Chinese table.
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MEET THE UIGHURS
The majority of Uighurs live in Xinjiang, the massive western "autonomous region" that accounts for
nearly a sixth of China's land area. At its height in the ninth century, the Uighur empire stretched from
the Caspian Sea into eastern China. The Uighurs also managed to establish independent republics twice
during the 20th century before being annexed by the People's Republic of China in 1949. The Chinese
government has actively promoted the migration of Han Chinese to Xinjiang, and since the 1950s, the
region's Han community has grown from 5 to 40 percent of the region's total population. Although recent
years have seen enormous economic growth in the region, local Uighurs have become increasingly
resentful of control from Beijing. After a Uighur uprising in 1990, the Communist Party took steps to
accelerate the integration of Xinjiang into China by stepping up migration and increasing the security
presence and control over religion in the region.
Most Uighurs practice Sunni or Sufi Islam, infused with a fair amount of local folklore and tradition.
Uighur Islam is traditionally extremely moderate on social issues, though in recent decades, more
fundamentalist traditions were introduced by students who studied abroad in Central Asian and Pakistani
madrasas. The Uighur independence movement has had a strongly Islamic character since the 1980s.
Until recently, there was almost no tradition of Islamist militancy in Xinjiang, but there have been reports
that the Central Asian jihadist group Hizb ut-Tahrir has made inroads in the region. The government
tightly regulates the practice of Islam and accreditation of clerics.
Uighurs have resented being forced to attend Chinese schools, where classes are taught in Chinese rather
than their own Turkic-derived language. Uighur cities, particularly Kashgar, have been important trade
outposts along the Silk Road for more than 2,000 years. But in recent decades, many Uighurs have felt
economically marginalized and shut out of Xinjiang’s rising prosperity as they’ve been forced to compete
for jobs and agricultural land with the rising Han population.
After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Chinese government switched its official position from
denying the existence of unrest among Xinjiang's Muslim population to actively linking the region's
separatist movement to global terrorism. International human rights groups say China is exaggerating
the extent of Uighur terrorism and that many of the incidents labeled "terrorist attacks" are actually
spontaneous civil unrest. The world's best known Uighurs may be the 22 detainees that the United States
detained at Guantánamo Bay as "enemy combatants." The detainees have since been cleared of
terrorism charges by the U.S. military. Beijing has demanded that the detainees be remanded to China,
but the United States fears they would be abused in custody or executed. The Bush and Obama
administrations have subsequently worked to arrange for other countries and territories -- including
Albania, Bermuda, and Palau -- to take them in.
The Uighur independence movement has received far less attention in the Western media than has
neighboring Tibet, but its profile has been growing in recent years, thanks largely to actions by the
Uighur diaspora. (The Chinese government has blamed the current unrest on Uighur-American activist
Rebiya Kadeer.)
Taken from:
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/09/photo_essay_who_are_the_uighurs?page=full
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JONATHAN LIPMAN ON ETHNIC TENSION IN CHINA
Jonathan Lipman on Ethnic Tension in China Posted July 16, 2009, Mount Holyoke Website
Questioning Authority asked Jonathan Lipman, Felicia Gressitt Bock Professor of Asian
Studies and professor of history, to explain the recent violence against the Uyghur
people in China. Author of Familiar Strangers: A History of Muslims in Northwest China
(1998), he has studied this subject for many years. It’s a long and fascinating tale…
QA: Who are the Uyghur and Han people of China?
JL: To start with, "the Han people" and "the Uyghur people" do not really exist. They
are constructions that we (and the Chinese state and the folks in question) all use to try
and make generalizations about groups of people who are actually quite diverse and
internally contradictory.
Uyghurs range from intellectuals with Ph.D. degrees to illiterate farmers, from
engineers to chefs to stall keepers in the bazaar. Would you expect all those folks to
agree about anything? Probably not. How much less so "the Han people," supposedly a
"unified ethnic group,” living from Siberia to the tropics, from dire poverty to
ostentatious wealth? All news stories using these constructions contain, by definition,
serious falsehood and overgeneralization.
The conventional definitions are roughly these: the approximately 11 million Uyghur
people live in the oases around the Taklamakhan desert, and more recently in northern
Xinjiang. They are Muslims, speak a version of eastern Turkic (now called “Uyghur”),
and live primarily by agriculture and small-scale commerce. Their culture and language
appear very similar to those of Uzbeks, who live on the other (western) side of the
Pamir mountains. The Han are the “culturally Chinese,” a vast amalgam of over one
billion people who live all over the world but trace their ancestry to “the Chinese culture
area,” which now stretches from the Mongolian steppe in the north to the South China
Sea. Though they speak many mutually incomprehensible languages (“dialects”),
literate Han all use the same nonphonetic ideographs (“characters”) to write, creating a
common literary heritage of great depth.
QA: What is the history of the Xinjiang area, where much of the Uyghur population
lives?
JL: China currently claims that the area now called the "Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous
Region" has been part of China for 2,000 years and that its inhabitants, about 45
percent of them now called "Uyghurs" (or Uighurs, in the People's Republic of China
spelling), are members of "ethnic groups," all of which are "Chinese" by virtue of living
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in China. There is very limited truth in these claims. Xinjiang did not exist as a unified or
China-ruled entity until 1759, when that huge part of Central Asia, then ruled by a
Mongolian people called Zunghars, was conquered by the Manchu-ruled Qing dynasty
and incorporated into their empire. The region--which included one of the world's worst
deserts, some of the world's highest mountains, and a thinly scattered population
mostly Muslim and Turkic-speaking--had never been entirely incorporated into a China-
based state before, and its political connections lay primarily over some very high
mountains (the Pamirs) in Ferghana and the rest of Muslim Central Asia. For scale:
Xinjiang is three times the size of France and has a population of 20-25 million.
After a series of rebellions, and a Muslim state, separated Xinjiang (which means "New
Dominion" or "New Frontier") from the Qing in the 1860s and 1870s, a reconquest gave
the Qing another opportunity to govern there. They made Xinjiang a regular province
of the empire, which they ruled (badly) until the dynasty fell in 1912.
For the first half of the twentieth century, Xinjiang did not belong to any Chinese
central government that could rule it effectively. Rather, a series of warlords, all
culturally Chinese, ruled over a rebellious, violent, seething society--mostly Turkic-
speaking and Muslim--pieces of which broke away from their control sometimes,
usually to meet with brutal suppression and reunification. The Soviet Union took a hand
in much of this turmoil, as (occasionally) did Great Britain. Few culturally Chinese
people (most of whom would now be called "Han") went to live there, and those who
did tended to stay in the northern part of Xinjiang. The armies that enabled these
warlords to rule the region consisted primarily of Chinese-speaking Muslims (now called
"Hui"), an intermediate group who partake of both Muslim and Chinese cultures and
may be found all over China.
QA: What has been the relationship between China and Xinjiang since the People’s
Republic of China was formed in 1949?
JL: Since 1949, a much more intrusive, modern state--the People's Republic of China
(PRC)--has incorporated Xinjiang much more effectively, a state ruled from Beijing and
tolerating much less local autonomy (despite the name "Autonomous Region") than its
predecessors. For example, all of the PRC, which is as large as the U.S., constitutes a
single time zone. When the sun rises in Beijing at 7 am, it's officially 7 am in Xinjiang,
though the sun will not rise there for another three hours. Folks in Xinjiang hate that,
because it means that their children have to go to school in the dark (all Chinese schools
must open at the same time) and government offices open before dawn. Some
adjustments have been made, but decisions made in distant Beijing have much more
power in Xinjiang than they ever have before.
The most obvious change in Xinjiang since 1949 has been demographic. When the PRC
was founded, Xinjiang's population was 95 percent Turkic-speaking and Muslim
(including people now called Uyghur, Qazaq, Tatar, Uzbek, and some others). The
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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population now, many times larger, is about 45 percent Chinese ("Han"). That feels, to
many Uyghurs, like an invasion, a colonial enterprise designed to deprive them of their
homeland. To some other Uyghurs, it represents modernity, a way out of poverty and
backwardness into the world of the Internet, science, and globalization. To some other
Uyghurs, it doesn't matter much, because they continue to farm the land as their
ancestors did. The Uyghurs, no matter what some uninformed reporters say, are not
and never were either nomads or pastoralists. Some do keep flocks, but on farms, not
usually on nomadic pastures. Only in the past 30 or 40 years have some of these oasis-
dwelling folks moved up into the mountains to herd, and their numbers are small.
The demographic change has been accompanied, obviously, by deep and conflictual
cultural change. The languages of opportunity and success in Xinjiang before the
twentieth century were Turkish (indigenous), Persian (literary/religious), and Arabic
(religious). In the nineteenth century, Russian became important, mostly because the
rest of Central Asia came under Russian rule. In the twentieth century, however,
Chinese has become the language of social mobility in Xinjiang, and this is especially
true since the end of the Maoist era in 1978. By cutting off the local populations
(however they are defined ethnically) from contacts across the frontiers, the PRC has
tried to turn Xinjiang decisively eastward, toward cultural China (called the "Central
Plain" or "the interior"). Of course, that "cutting off" can never be complete, since the
PRC wants the profits and markets created by transborder trade with Central Asia,
Russia, and Pakistan. So there has been tension in the region for several decades
regarding who can cross the borders, for what purposes, and what they can and cannot
do while outside the PRC.
Education, too, has been profoundly affected by Beijing's policies, which have
gradually, with many starts and stops, moved toward assimilationist goals--making
sure that local folks learn Chinese before they start learning English, for example, or not
allowing any secondary or college-level courses to be taught in Turkic languages. Here I
would suggest Arienne Dwyer's excellent monograph, The Xinjiang Conflict, published
by the East-West Center, Washington, in its Policy Studies series.
Another important area of cultural conflict lies in the realm of religion. Though all
Uyghurs are Muslims, by definition, their practice of Islam varies tremendously, from
pious and orthopractic imams to atheistic members of the Chinese Communist Party,
who would never go near a mosque. Islam is legal and constitutionally protected in the
PRC, but that has not prevented state authorities (including some Uyghurs) from
surveillance of Islamic activities and harassment of any public sector employees who
practice religion openly. Male schoolteachers, for example, have been prohibited from
wearing mustaches (seen as “Muslim”) or attending prayers, while female students
have been punished for covering their heads or wearing skirts that are “too long.”
Mosque services, especially the Friday congregational prayers, are closely watched to
ensure that children under 18 do not attend. Uyghurs dissatisfied with these policies
have accurately observed that Chinese-speaking Muslims (Hui) have not been subject
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
13
to such stringent state interference in religious life. Some Uyghurs (by no means all)
feel that by constraining Islam and allowing massive Han migration to Xinjiang, the PRC
intends to obliterate their cultural identity.
QA: What has brought about the recent conflict and crackdown against the
Uyghurs?
JL: Obviously, it has a lot to do with the history I've just narrated. The proximate cause,
however, lies outside Xinjiang. Since the beginning of the reform period in 1978,
controls on mobility (which were draconian under the Maoists) have been eased in the
PRC, so many Uyghurs have left Xinjiang and gone to the coastal cities, some to make
kebabs in the marketplace, some to engage in illegal currency exchange businesses,
some to work in factories, some to go to college or university, and more. Some of the
Uyghur factory workers, way down in Guangzhou (about as far from Xinjiang as New
Mexico is from Philadelphia), got into trouble with fellow workers, and a number of
them (according to some stories) were killed. As usual, no arrests, no punishments
(even administrative) for the perpetrators or the officials responsible. So the folks back
home in Xinjiang got understandably upset, and some thousands of them marched in
demonstrations against both the killings in Guangzhou and the government's (lack of)
reaction to them. The armed police opened fire, and hundreds (some say thousands) of
people have been killed and wounded in demonstrations and street brawling. Some
local Han say they had it coming, that they should shut up and enjoy the benefits of the
harmonious society created by the PRC and the Communist Party. Other Han deplore
the violence but consider the Uyghurs to be semi-barbarians, superstitious (that is,
Muslim), and not very bright, who need to be educated into the light of Han culture and
modernity. Others think of all Uyghurs as thieves and drug dealers who should be
locked up in any case. Almost all Han I have ever met (with a few remarkable, eccentric
exceptions) agree that Han have every right to be in Xinjiang, as citizens of the PRC,
and that they "belong" there as much as any Uyghur does.
Some of this should sound very familiar to you. Native Americans, Latinos, and African
Americans have been handled in this way in the U.S. at various times by various levels
of government. Indeed, the best American analogy for the Uyghurs is probably the
Navajo. Imagine a Navajo looking down on Phoenix or Tucson. That's a Uyghur, looking
at Kashgar or Aksu, which used to be "his" and are now "theirs." You can join the Han-
led modern state and society (some do), or you can fight them (some do), but it is
becoming increasingly impossible to ignore them. I once heard a Uyghur greybeard
describe the Han people getting off the train in his native town, to seek work there as
construction laborers or shop assistants, as "a goddam locust plague." So much of the
resentment that boils up--not surprisingly, among young males more than any other
segment of the population--stems from that history.
QA: Is the Communist Party crackdown on the Uyghur harsher than last year's
crackdown on the Tibetans?
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JL: In terms of numbers of dead, probably. The two regions are structurally similar--a
kind of contiguous colonization of frontier zones by a powerful, modernizing,
overwhelmingly populous state. The differences lie in location (desert vs. high plateau),
economic significance (important trade routes and natural resources vs. isolated
wilderness), and culture (Muslims vs. Buddhists). Uyghur friends have yearned, in my
presence, for a Dalai Lama to lead them ("How come the Tibetans have Richard Gere
and we don't?"), but because they are Muslims and "their" province has transport access
to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Qazaqstan, and Russia,
they get no sympathy or help from "the West." In fact, no one currently cares much
about the Uyghurs, any more than the Europeans cared much about the fate of the
Navajos. The Central Asian Muslim states, who could have been Uyghur allies,
identified by language, religion, and culture, have been effectively and sure-handedly
co-opted by China through the Shanghai Cooperative Organization (SCO). Chinese
diplomacy has very thoroughly neutralized the Uyghur diaspora, and 9/11 (with the
Bush administration's condemnation of a tiny, ineffective Uyghur organization as
"terrorists") gave China plenty of slack to deal brutally with any Uyghur(s) they didn't
like. The U.S. imprisoned almost two dozen Uyghurs, arrested in Afghanistan and
Pakistan for the most part, at Guantanamo Bay but, having decided that they pose no
security threat, currently refuses to repatriate them (as the PRC requests) because they
would almost certainly face dire punishment in China.
The current head of government in Xinjiang, a Han named Wang Lequan, has been
there for a long time and regularly threatens to, then actually does, imprison, torture,
and kill as many people as necessary to make all undesirable political activity by local
folks stop. As one colleague put it many years ago, "Repression works."
QA: The Uyghurs occupy some oil-rich territory. Is this a factor?
JL: Certainly, the natural resources in Xinjiang (some oil, more natural gas, minerals) do
matter. But "the Uyghurs" do not "occupy" them, nor have Uyghurs been "moved" so
that the "Han" could get to the resources. Conflict in this area revolves around some
Uyghurs' perception that the resources of Xinjiang belong to "us," not to "them," and
that "they" are stealing "our" wealth to enrich themselves and China. That the
contemporary Uyghurs somehow have proprietary rights to the mineral wealth of
northern Xinjiang (which was never part of "their" statelets but tended to be ruled by
Mongols or Qazaqs) is a standard argument, but it has little historical validity.
QA: Is there more suspicion of the Uyghurs in the wake of 9/11?
JL: No, the PRC has always been suspicious of the Turkic-speaking Muslims who used
to form the majority of the population of Xinjiang. As noted above, 9/11 gave the state
an opportunity to suppress Uyghur associations and activism, because they seemed to
have been given carte blanche by "the international community" (read, the U.S.) to deal
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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summarily with anyone they felt like identifying as a "terrorist, splittist, or illegal
religious activist."
QA: Is the West responding appropriately? What should Western governments be
doing at this point?
JL: That depends entirely on what you think the U.S. (or Germany or France or Italy or
Japan, all of which somehow belong to "the West") "should" do about the destruction of
indigenous cultures all over the world. We destroyed, and are destroying, a fair number
ourselves, so we can hardly ride a high horse on this issue. China's territorial integrity
(national sovereignty) demands that we keep hands off their domestic conflicts, and
most countries in the world will respect that. Should they? Is this Kosovo, that we
"should" intervene? How? If not, should we boycott Chinese goods, thereby
bankrupting Wal-Mart and Target and raising the prices of our own consumer goods
into the stratosphere? Indigenous peoples generally don't stand a chance against the
large, technologically sophisticated, overwhelmingly numerous societies that rule over
them (think of Cherokee, Australian aborigines, or Inuit). Is that the appropriate
analogy for the Uyghurs? Or the Tibetans? This point depends entirely on one's own
judgment of "appropriate," and I cannot impose mine on you or your readers. With this
question, we enter a realm of moral and political judgment. Both Uyghur activists and
the PRC have created historical narratives justifying their own positions on Xinjiang—
that it belongs to “us Uyghurs” or that it has “always been part of China.” Historians
cannot satisfy you here, for the evidence allows no unambiguous answer. Taken from: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/comm/news/23197.shtml
Copyright © 2009 Mount Holyoke College • 50 College Street • South Hadley, Massachusetts
01075. To contact the College, call 413-538-2000.
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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THE URUMQI RIOTS OF JULY 2009
BEHIND THE CHINA RIOTS: OIL, TERRORISM, AND GREY WOLVES – NEW AMERICAN
MEDIA 07.13.2009
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6dee147021a596f4f22c6
9316977d3f3
New America Media is the country's first and largest national collaboration and advocate of
2000 ethnic news organizations. Over 51 million ethnic adults connect to each other, to home
countries and to America through 3000+ ethnic media, the fastest growing sector of American
journalism. Chinese media reported that the Urumchi riots were sparked by a clash between
migrant workers in a Hong Kong-owned toy factory in southern China. But other evidence
indicates the incident was merely a convenient pretext for a premeditated plan to destabilize
Xinjiang province, the center of China's oil and gas industry.
CHINA: EXAMINING THE ROOT CAUSES OF XINJIANG’S ETHNIC DISCONTENT –
EURASIANET 07.09.2009
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insightb/articles/eav070909b.shtml
The early July inter-ethnic violence that hit China’s western Xinjiang Province may have been
shocking, but it shouldn’t have been surprising. Tension between the Uighur and Han Chinese
communities had been steadily building over the past three decades, and Communist
authorities in Beijing hadn’t been doing much to defuse simmering anger.
ETHNIC TENSIONS IN CHINA – WAMU 88.5 07.09.2009
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/09/07/09.php#26703
For more than 30 years, The Diane Rehm Show has offered listeners thoughtful and lively
conversations on an array of topics with many of the most distinguished people of our times.
The Diane Rehm Show is produced at WAMU 88.5 and distributed by National Public Radio,
NPR Worldwide, and SIRIUS satellite radio. More than one hundred fifty people have died as
ethnic tensions rise in western China. A panel joins Diane to discuss what's behind the violence
and the challenge it presents to China's leadership.
CHINA’S WESTERN FRONT – FOREIGN AFFAIRS 08.14.2009
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65223/christian-le-mi%C3%83%C2%A8re/chinas-
western-front
Since its founding in 1922, Foreign Affairs has been the leading forum for serious discussion of
American foreign policy and international affairs. It is published by the Council on Foreign
Relations (CFR), a non-profit and nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to improving
the understanding of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs through the free exchange of
ideas. Recent violence in China's western provinces shows that the state's dual policy of
migration and development has failed. A political solution for Xinjiang and Tibet, however,
could be closer than Beijing may think.
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THE URUMQI RIOTS OF JULY 2009
CONFUSED ABOUT THE XINJIANG RIOTS? FOLLOW THE MONEY – GLOBALPOST
07.11.2009
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/china-and-its-neighbors/090711/confused-about-the-
xinjiang-riots-follow-the-money?page=0,0
GlobalPost seeks to exploit powerful global demographic, political and economic trends by
being the only Internet journalism site devoted exclusively to international news and related
content. Since the start of its “Go West” campaign in the year 2000, Beijing has invested tens of
billions in Xinjiang in an effort to develop its rich stores of oil (China’s second-largest), uranium,
gold and other minerals. Such investment is described in Chinese state media as a boon to
Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang — a sort of ethnic minority stimulus plan. While the
region’s GDP growth has hovered in the teens, however, the practical benefits to Xinjiang
natives have been meager.
UNREST IN CHINA HIGHLIGHTS THE PLIGHT OF ETHNIC MINORITIES – NPR (ALL THINGS
CONSIDERED) 07.14.2009
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106605925
This is the second year of major ethnic unrest in western China, after riots in Tibet last year. The
events have prompted renewed debate over the treatment of ethnic minorities in China.
Details about the unrest in Xinjiang this year and Tibet last year are still hotly disputed. Why did
the government take hours to stop the violence? Did peaceful protests precede the riots?
XINJIANG RIOTS EXPLODE IN CHINA – CURRENT MEDIA 07.08.2009
http://current.com/items/90369286_xinjiang-riots-explode-in-china.htm
Current Media posted 1.41 minutes of close video footage of the riots.
FUSE OF FEAR, LIT IN CHINA, HAS VICTIMS ON 2 SIDES – NEW YORK TIMES 07.12.2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/world/asia/13uighur.html?_r=1&ref=asia
The bottled frustration of the Uighurs exploded on July 5, when a clash between at least 1,000
Uighur protesters and riot police officers turned into a night of bloodletting in which young
Uighur men rampaged through the streets killing Han civilians. For at least three days after,
Han mobs armed with sticks and knives roamed the city exacting vengeance.
THE REAL STORY OF THE UIGHUR RIOTS – WALL STREET JOURNAL 07.08.2009
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124701252209109027.html
When the Chinese government looks back on its handling of the unrest in Urumqi and East
Turkestan this week, it will most likely tell the world that it acted in the interests of maintaining
stability. It will most likely forget to explain why thousands of Uighurs risked everything to
speak out against injustice, or why hundreds of Uighurs are now dead for exercising their right
to protest. This article was written by Rebiya Kadeer, president of the World Uighur Congress
and author of "Dragon Fighter: One Woman's Epic Struggle for Peace with China" (Kales Press,
2009).
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THE URUMQI RIOTS OF JULY 2009
TENSIONS REMAIN HIGH IN CHINA FOLLOWING DEADLY RIOTS – CARNEGIE
ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE 07.07.2009
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/index.cfm?fa=view&id=23378
The recent clashes between Han Chinese and Uighurs in the restive Xinjiang province have
killed over 150 people and injured well over 800 others. To discuss the sources of the violence,
Carnegie's Minxin Pei joined Alim Seytoff, the spokesperson for the World Uighur Congress, on
PBS' NewsHour. Pei explained that Uighurs have long resented Han Chinese explorations of
Xinjiang's deposits of oil, natural gas, and other natural resources and the central government's
half-century-long effort to encourage Han migration to the province.
“WE ARE AFRAID TO EVEN LOOK FOR THEM” – HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 10.20.2009
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/86103/section/2
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to
defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human
rights are violated, we give voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their
crimes. This 44-page report, "‘We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them': Enforced Disappearances
in the Wake of Xinjiang's Protests," documents the enforced disappearances of 43 Uighur men
and teenage boys who were detained by Chinese security forces in the wake of the protests.
THE WOMAN CHINA BLAMES FOR THE URUMQI UNREST – TIME 07.08.2009
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1909109,00.html
For friend and foe alike, Rebiya Kadeer has become the public face of the Uighur movement. A
successful businesswoman and local leader, she was jailed by the Chinese authorities in 1999 on
charges of betraying state secrets. After her prison term, she was exiled in 2005, and she now
lives in the Washington area, where she leads the World Uyghur Congress. Kadeer spoke with
TIME's Bobby Ghosh via a translator.
CHINA NEWSWEEK REPORTING FROM URUMQI – DANWEI 08.13.2009
http://www.danwei.org/state_media/they_were_full_of_understandin_1.php
Danwei is a website about media, advertising, and urban life in China. With frequent reference
to and translations from Mainland Chinese media, [they] publish fresh information about China
that you won't find anywhere else. Using extensive Chinese language sources, we keep tabs on
a wide variety of subjects including legal and business stories, media and entertainment gossip,
and the environment. Wang Gang (王刚) and Wang Jing (王婧) are two Chinese journalists who
got to Xinjiang the Monday after the riots happened on Sunday July 5 to report for China
Newsweek. Danwei asked the journalists about the ethnic conflict, their own take on media
freedoms during reporting, reactions to Western reports and biases, and their stay in Xinjiang.
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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THE URUMQI ETHNIC RIOTS OF JULY 2009
WHAT SHOULD CHINA DO ABOUT THE UIGHURS? – NEW YORK TIMES 07.08.2009
http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/what-should-china-do-about-the-
uighurs/?pagemode=print
What are the roots of the tensions between the Uighurs and the Han Chinese? As the
government cracks down, what dangers does it face as anger continues to simmer on both
sides, especially from Uighur separatists? This Room for Debate features Chien-peng Chung
(political scientist), Stevan Harrell (anthropologist), Yan Sun (political scientist), and Rohan
Gunaratna from Nayang Technological University.
THE CHINESE PERSPECTIVE
CHINA’S EU AMBASSADOR REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT XINJIANG RIOT – CHINA DAILY
07.26.2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/26/content_8474109.htm
Chinese Ambassador and head of China's mission to the EU Song Zhe recently wrote an article
to reveal the truth about the July 5 Urumqi violence in China's Xinjiang and rebut forcefully
against distorted reports by some European media about the incident. His article, entitled as
"What Europe should understand about the violence in Urumqi" and with a sub-title as
"Behind the brutality in China," was published by the European Voice.
NOTES ON THE HANDLING OF THE URUMQI RIOT IN XINJIANG – SILK ROAD STUDIES
PROGRAM 2009
http://www.chinaeurasia.org/images/stories/isdp-cefq/CEFQ200912/cefq7.4yhl11-15.pdf
The influx of Han migration to Xinjiang from inland China escalated after the PRC was
established in 1949, gradually but drastically changing the ethnic composition of Xinjiang’s
population due to deliberate governmental policies to populate the northwest territories…Such
demographic change is one of the major reasons for the Uygur’s resentment of the Han
population in Xinjiang. They believe their homeland has been taken over and is not controlled
by themselves.
UNITY IS DEEP IN CHINA’S BLOOD – MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS FOR THE
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 07.13.2009
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb/zwjg/zwbd/t572653.htm
Different ethnic groups in Xinjiang have lived side by side for centuries like one big family. The
relationship has been generally amicable, though,as in all families and multi-ethnic
communities, frictions occasionally happen. We call them "problems among the people,"
meaning they can be solved through coordination and are not a life-or-death struggle. That is
why the violence in Urumqi on 5 July, causing more than 180 deaths and a thousand wounded,
came as a shock.
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THE CHINESE PERSPECTIVE
XINJIANG: A VAST CAULDRON OF HUMANITY – CHINA DAILY 07.13.2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009xinjiangriot/2009-07/13/content_8418635.htm
"The cultural and economic exchanges between ancient herding and farming ethnic groups
were natural and that was the economic base for China to become the unified but multi-ethnic
nation," Jiang Yingliang, in his book, History of Nationalities, pointed out. "Although there were
splits during political struggles, eventually the country was united and each union covered
almost the same land territories largely because of the wholeness of its economy and culture."
GOVERNMENT WHITE PAPER ON “REGIONAL AUTONOMY FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES IN
CHINA” – STATE COUNCIL INFORMATION OFFICE OF THE PRC 2.28.2005
http://www.cecc.gov/pages/virtualAcad/uighur/index.php
Regional autonomy for ethnic minorities in China means that, under the unified leadership of
the state, regional autonomy is practiced in areas where people of ethnic minorities live in
compact communities. In these areas, organs of self-government are established for the
exercise of autonomy. The implementation of this policy is critical to enhancing the relationship
of equality, unity and mutual assistance among different ethnic groups, to upholding national
unification, and to accelerating the development of places where regional autonomy is
practiced and promoting their progress.
PIERCING THROUGH REBIYA’S VEIL – CHINA DAILY 07.16.2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009xinjiangriot/2009-07/16/content_8438003.htm
Once again, Rebiya Kadeer is attempting to paint the Chinese government as a cruel repressor
of the Uygurs, who she says suffered "decades of economic, social and religious discrimination,
together with the widespread execution, torture and imprisonment." In an article published by
the British newspaper Guardian, Rebiya compared the Uygurs experience in China in the past
60 years and the experience of African-Americans in the United States before 1955. But these
two are, in Rebiya's own words, "half a world" apart and incomparable.
WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS BEHIND XINJIANG VIOLENCE – CHINA DAILY 07.07.2009
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/07/content_8389647.htm
Evidence showed that World Uyghur Congress had masterminded Sunday's deadly violence in
northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a Chinese counter-terrorism expert told
Xinhua Tuesday. "Judging from what Rebiya Kadeer, leader of the World Uyghur Congress, had
said and done, it is fair to say the organization masterminded the incident," said Li Wei, director
of the Center for Counter-Terrorism Studies with the China Institute of Contemporary
International Relations.
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THE CHINESE PERSPECTIVE
FRIEDMAN: CHINESE BELIEVE TIBETANS, OTHER ETHNIC GROUPS SHOULD BE
INCORPORATED INTO ONE CHINA – COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS 04.23.2008
http://www.cfr.org/publication/16052/friedman.html
Edward Friedman, an expert on Chinese nationalism at the University of Wisconsin, says there
is tremendous difference of opinion among Chinese who are doing well economically and those
that are not. However, there is consensus that “the people who are not Han, who live near the
frontiers [such as Tibetans and Uighurs] should be seen as people who should be incorporated
into the larger Chinese state.”
TERRORISM AND SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS
CHINA’S UIGHUR CONUNDRUM – TRANSNATIONAL INSTITUTE 07.08.2009
http://www.tni.org/article/chinas-uighur-conundrum
The Transnational Institute (TNI) was established in 1974 as an international network of activist
researchers (“scholar activists”) committed to critical analyses of the global problems of today
and tomorrow. It aims to provide intellectual support to movements struggling for a more
democratic, equitable and environmentally sustainable world. Until now, it has been Beijing
that talked up the threat of ethnic separatism in its far north-west region of Xinjiang, while the
attitude of most of the Muslim Uighur population has been one of quiet – though unhappy –
acceptance of Chinese rule. But the latest outbreak of violence in the regional capital of Urumqi
is unprecedented and suggests that Uighur resentment at heavy-handed Chinese policies has
begun to boil over.
CHINA’S ‘WAR ON TERROR’ IN XINJIANG: HUMAN SECURITY AND THE CAUSES OF
VIOLENT UIGHUR SEPARATISM – MICHAEL CLARKE 11.11.2007
http://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/18239/regional-outlook-volume-11.pdf
Due to the diplomatic endeavors of the Chinese government, a number of allegedly terrorist
Uighur organizations have been linked to Central Asian groups such as the Islamic Movement of
Uzbekistan (IMU) and Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network.
SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY – THE NEW REPUBLIC 07.16.2009
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/self-fulfilling-prophecy
The New Republic was founded in 1914, its mission was to provide its readers with an intelligent,
stimulating and rigorous examination of American politics, foreign policy and culture. The eight
million Uighurs who live in Xinjiang province have long chafed at Beijing’s rule. Shortly after the
United States introduced the concept of a global “war on terror,” the local police seized the
opportunity to ratchet up already stringent security measures aimed at Uighurs under the
mantra of cracking down on the “three evils” of “terrorism, separatism, and religious
extremism.”
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TERRORISM AND SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS
EAST TURKESTAN ISLAMIC MOVEMENT – COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS 07.31.2009
http://www.cfr.org/publication/9179/
The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) is a militant Muslim separatist group in Xinjiang
province in northwest China. The U.S. State Department listed the ETIM as a terrorist
organization in 2002 during a period of increased U.S.-Chinese cooperation on antiterrorism
matters in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
AN AL-QAEDA ASSOCIATE GROUP OPERATING IN CHINA? – SILK ROAD STUDIES
PROGRAM 2006
http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/docs/CEF/Quarterly/May_2006/GunaratnaPereire.pdf
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute and the Silk Road Studies Program were designed, in 1996
and 2002 respectively, to respond to the increasing need for information, research and analysis
on these regions with the identical ambition: to help bring these regions out of the shadows of
the American and European consciousness to which fate had consigned them. The threat of
global terrorism has escalated significantly in the last few years. International attention is
naturally focused on countries where terrorist spectaculars have occurred, or where there are
ongoing high profile conflicts. The drama and, corresponding attention often leave little time or
attention to ‘lesser-known conflicts’. The situation in Xinjiang in Western China, an area
bordering Afghanistan is a case in point.
VIOLENT SEPARATISM IN XINJIANG: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT – JAMES MILLWARD
2004
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/fileadmin/stored/pdfs/PS006.pdf
Since the 1990s, concerns about Uyghur separatism have received increasing official and media
attention. These concerns have heightened since the events of 9-11 with the advent of a more
robust U.S. presence in Central Asia and Chinese attempts to link Uyghur separatism to
international jihadist groups.
CYBER-SEPARATISM AND UYGHUR ETHNIC NATIONALISM IN CHINA – DRU GLADNEY
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~dru/articles/cyberseparatism.pdf 07.05.2003
The Uyghur provide an excellent illustration of this process in which a group of oasis-dwelling
Turkic-speaking people shared a general historical experience but did not begin to think of
themselves as a single national identity until the early part of this century, when Soviet and
Chinese states identified them as one of several Turkic nationalities.
THE XINJIANG CONFLICT: UYGHUR IDENTITY, LANGUAGE POLICY, AND POLITICAL
DISCOURSE – ARIENNE M.DWYER 2005
http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/3504
This study explores Chinese language policy and language use in Inner Asia, as well as the
relation of language policy to the politics of Uyghur identity. Language is central to ethnic
identity, and official language policies are often overlooked as critical factors in conflict over
ethnic nationalism. In Chinese Inner Asia, any solution to ethnic conflict will include real
linguistic and cultural autonomy for major ethnic groups. Language policy has been at the heart
of Chinese nation building.
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – Xinjiang
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TERRORISM AND SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS
LET’S NOT MEET THE UIGHURS –WASHINGTON POST 05.15.2009
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Newt-Gingrich/Lets-NOT-meet-the-
Uighurs-45080387.html
Seventeen of the 241 terrorist detainees currently being held at Guantanamo Bay are Chinese
Muslims known as Uighurs. These Uighurs have been allied with and trained by al Qaeda-
affiliated terrorist groups. The goal of the Uighurs is to establish a separate sharia state…At
Guantanamo Bay, the Uighurs are known for picking up television sets on which women with
bared arms appear and hurling them across the room. This article was written by Newt
Gingrich.
UIGHURS FIRE BACK AT GINGRICH FROM GITMO: “WHY DOES HE HATE US SO
MUCH?” – HUFFINGTON POST 05.19.2009
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/19/uighurs-fire-back-at-ging_n_205261.html
The seventeen Uighurs told their translator, Rushan Abbas, how they felt when they
heard Gingrich's remarks…"Why does he hate us so much and say those kinds of
things? He doesn't know us. He should talk to our attorneys if he's curious about our
background," Abbas relates. "How could he speak in such major media with nothing
based in fact? They were very disappointed how Newt Gingrich was linking them to
ETIM which they never even heard of the name ETIM until they came to Guantanamo
Bay."
UYGHURS LANGUISH IN GITMO PRISON AND ALBANIAN EXILE – DEMOCRACY NOW
01.30.2009
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/1/30/long_cleared_of_terrorism_charges_uighurs
Democracy Now! is a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program hosted by
journalists Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Uyghur prisoners at Guantanamo have long been
determined to be not guilty of terrorism. But seventeen of these ethnic Muslim Chinese are still
imprisoned at Guantanamo after almost eight years. Five were forcibly resettled in Albania,
isolated and away from their families. We speak with their lawyer, Sabin Willett, and PBS
FRONTLINE reporter Alexandra Poolos, who has followed their story for a new report.
HOW THE U.S. BETRAYED THE UIGHURS – CBS NEWS 09.04.2009
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/04/opinion/main5288535.shtml
The real story of the Uighur detainees is to be found in the unsavory history of Guantánamo in
the run-up to the Iraq War. There, men who, in their fight against Chinese oppression, had
looked to the United States with hope, fell victim to a cynical diplomatic betrayal, a corruption
of justice that a Bush administration deputy assistant secretary of state has called "nothing
short of ‘tragic' " and for which even a congressman who supports enhanced interrogation has
expressed "deep sadness and regret."
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TERRORISM AND SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS
THE UIGHURS, IN THEIR OWN WORDS – LONG WAR JOURNAL 04.21.2009
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/04/the_uighurs_in_their.php
The Long War Journal is dedicated to providing original and accurate reporting and analysis of
the Long War (also known as the Global War on Terror). This is accomplished through its
programs of embedded reporters, news and news aggregation, maps, podcasts, and other
multimedia formats. The Uighurs frequently professed their innocence, claiming that they were
not targeting Americans and denying that they had anything to do with al Qaeda or the
Taliban. But in the context of their denials the Uighur detainees also admitted to training at a
terrorist camp in the Tora Bora Mountains. That camp was run by Abdul Haq and Hassan
Mahsum, and was most likely supported by al Qaeda and the Taliban.
VICTORY FOR UIGHURS AT GUANTANAMO …BUT NOW WHAT? – POMFRET’S CHINA
10.07.2008
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/10/a_victory_for_the_ui
ghurs_at_g.html
[John Promfet’s] blog will attempt to provide the broadest take on things Chinese -- in politics,
culture, art, society, foreign affairs, economics and business. One of the the strangest cases to
come out of Guantanamo have been those against a group of Chinese Muslims who were
picked up in Afghanistan following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. These men were training or
living in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and were sent to Guantanamo after being turned over to
U.S. authorities apparently by bounty hunters.
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UYGHURS
CHINA SILENCED – PBS FRONTLINE WORLD 01.01.2005
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/china401/map.html
Rimmed by snow-covered mountains, Xinjiang is a mostly desert province in western China that
is home to 8 million Sufi Muslims known as the Uighurs. FRONTLINE/World correspondent
Serene Fang traveled to Xinjiang to see how China treats its Muslim population. But this trip
would also become a reporter's nightmare after a fateful encounter with a Uighur man and a
repressive government.
DEVASTATING BLOWS: RELIGIOUS REPRESSION OF UIGHURS IN XINJIANG – HUMAN
RIGHTS IN CHINA 04.01.2006
http://www.hrichina.org/fs/downloadables/Xinjiang%20Report?revision_id=21519
Documents obtained and interviews conducted by Human Rights Watch reveal a
multitiered system of surveillance, control, and suppression of religious activity aimed at
Xinjiang’s Uighurs.
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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UYGHURS
WHAT ABOUT CHINA’S DIRTY SECRETS? – HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 11.15.2009
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2009/11/17/what-about-chinas-dirty-secrets
Human rights have deteriorated markedly in China since President Obama took office,
particularly for the country's vibrant but beleaguered civil society-journalists, lawyers, health,
human rights and religious advocates.
BEYOND GUANTANAMO: CHINA’S UYGHUR MUSLIM MINORITY – CURRENT MEDIA
06.26.2009
http://current.com/items/90286755_beyond-guantanamo-chinas-uyghur-muslim-minority.htm
This Stanley Foundation video, filmed in November 2008, explores China's treatment of its
Uyghur population through interviews with various experts and a visit to Xinjiang province.
UIGHURS AND CHINA’S XINJIANG REGION – COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
07.06.2009
http://www.cfr.org/publication/16870/
Some Uighurs call China's presence in Xinjiang a form of imperialism, and they stepped up calls
for independence—sometimes violently—in the 1990s through separatist groups like the East
Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM). The Chinese government has reacted by promoting the
migration of China's ethnic majority, the Han, to Xinjiang. Beijing has also strengthened
economic ties with the area and tried to cut off potential sources of separatist support from
neighboring states that are linguistically and ethnically linked with the Uighurs.
UIGHUR ACTIVIST: CHINA IS MAKING "A FRONTAL ATTACK ON OUR ETHNIC IDENTITY"
– EURASIANET 03.07.08
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav030708.shtml
Rebiya Kadeer, a human rights activist for the Uighur people of northwestern China, spent six
years in jail in China for "leaking state secrets" – in fact sending local newspaper articles to her
husband in the US. She was released in 2005 and has since then made her home in the
Washington, D.C. area, where she advocates for Uighur rights and for greater US support of
Uighur issues. In 2006, Ms. Kadeer was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. She sat down for
an interview with EurasiaNet at the offices of the Uighur American Association, just a block
from the White House.
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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UYGHURS
UIGHUR ETHNIC IDENTITY UNDER THREAT IN CHINA – AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
04.01.2009
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA17/010/2009/en/e952496e-57bb-48eb-9741-
e6b7fed2a7d4/asa170102009en.pdf
The ethnic identity of Uighurs in western China is being systematically eroded. Government
policies, including those that limit use of the Uighur language, severe restrictions on freedom of
religion, and a sustained influx of Han Chinese migrants into the region, are destroying customs
and, together with employment discrimination, fuelling discontent and ethnic tensions. The
government has mounted an aggressive campaign that has led to the arrest and arbitrary
detention of thousands of Uighurs on charges of “terrorism, separatism and religious
extremism” for peacefully exercising their human rights.
KASHGAR UYGHURS PRESSURED TO SHAVE – RADIO FREE ASIA 02.20.2009
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/hair-02202009174717.html
Authorities in China’s westernmost city of Kashgar are stepping up pressure on government
employees to go clean-shaven, and the city’s large ethnic Uyghur population, whose adult
males overwhelmingly sport moustaches, aren’t happy about it, residents say.
LETTER FROM XINJIANG: REFLECTIONS ON THE XINJIANG PROBLEM – ASIA! 01.20.2010
http://www.theasiamag.com/perspectives/letter-from-xinjiang-%E2%80%93-reflections-on-
the-xinjiang-problem
Asia! is an online and mobile platform for Asian bloggers and other writers. For readers, Asia! is
a place to get a feel for what ordinary Asians are thinking and saying and doing, a glimpse of
the Asia that lies beyond the news headlines.This is a letter written to Ruan Yunfei, a well-
known Chinese writer and blogger, by someone from a very small minority group in Xinjiang
after the Urumqi riots of July 2009. It provides a unique perspective of ethnic relations in the
region. It is unique because the author is neither Han nor Uighur, and the voice from smaller
minority groups in Xinjiang is seldom heard.
CHINA: MINORITY EXCLUSION, MARGINALIZATION, AND RISING TENSIONS – HUMAN
RIGHTS IN CHINA 2007
http://www.hrichina.org/public/PDFs/MRG-HRIC.China.Report.pdf
This report demonstrates how this repression is having a particularly grave impact on Mongols in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (IMAR), Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). It examines how this repression is being exerted under the guise of ‘development’ and ‘security’. China continues to use both its status as a ‘developing’ country and the justification of the United States of America (USA)-led ‘war on terror’ to deter critics of its human rights policies.
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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UYGHURS
MUTE MUSLIMS: WHY DOESN’T THE ISLAMIC WORLD SPEAK UP ABOUT THE UIGHURS-
FOREIGN POLICY 07.13.2009
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/13/mute_muslims
Chinese repression of Uighurs has been going on for a long time. What have Muslim leaders
worldwide said or done so far? Not much. As Foreign Policy has reported, in different countries,
mullahs, imams, and assorted clerics have found the time to issue fatwas condemning among
other practices, Pokémon cartoons, total nudity during sex for married couples, and the use of
vaccines against polio, not to mention Salman Rushdie. They have yet to find the time to say
anything about China's practices toward Uighurs.
CHINA: ACCOUNT FOR UIGHUR REFUGEES FORCIBLY REPATRIATED TO CHINA – HRW
02.28.2010
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/01/28/china-account-uighur-refugees-forcibly-repatriated-
china
On December 19, 2009, the Cambodian government, under Chinese pressure, forcibly
repatriated a group of 20 Uighurs, including two young children, in breach of the UN
Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the UN Convention
Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, to which Cambodia is a
party.
ROUNDTABLE ON REFUGEE ISSUES RELATING TO CHINA – BROOKINGS INSTITUTE
10.19.2007
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/speeches/2007/1019_china/1019_china.pdf
What we really are talking about is China’s emergence as a world power with territorial
ambitions, growing influence in Asia and increasing economic and political impact throughout
the world, all the while demonstrating insufficient commitment to the international refugee
and human rights standards to which it has signed onto. If this situation remains unchecked, it
will be a dangerous regional and international development.
HUMAN RIGHTS TRENDS IN CHINA: TRENDS AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS – CRS REPORT
FOR CONGRESS 07.13.2009
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA503255&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
This report analyzes China’s mixed record on human rights – major human rights problems,
new human rights legislation, and the development of civil society, legal awareness, and social
and political activism.
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HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES AND DISCRIMINATION AGAINST THE UYGHURS
INTERNAL COLONIALISM AND THE UYGHUR NATIONALITY: CHINESE NATIONALISM
AND ITS SUBALTERN SUBJECTS – DRU GLADNEY 2005
http://cemoti.revues.org/document48.html
This article suggests that while China may not have expansionist designs on any of its
neighboring territory that is already considered part of China, policy shifts toward China's
subaltern groups indicate that a rise in Chinese nationalism will have important implications for
China's internal colonialism.
ETHNIC MINORITY ELITES IN CHINA’S PARTY-STATE LEADERSHIP: AN EMPIRICAL
ASSESSMENT - CHINA LEADERSHIP MONITOR 2009
http://media.hoover.org/documents/CLM25CL.pdf
How China handles the “nationalities question” will be a crucial determinant of social stability
going forward. Chinese top leaders have long recognized the value to the Party of having ethnic
minority cadres among the Party- state elites, both for propaganda purposes as well as to
inspire minority peoples to view the system as containing opportunities for their own
advancement. Yet the Party has also maintained a firm grip on power in the ethnic minority-
dominant political units by appointing ethnic Hans to the most important positions.
HOW CHINA WINS AND LOSES XINJIANG – FOREIGN POLICY 07.09.2009
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/07/09/how_china_wins_and_loses_xinjiang
If you visit Xinjiang, the restive province that's home to China's roughly 8 million Uighurs, you'll
realize there's a gap -- often a chasm -- between official intention on minority issues and what
happens in practice. Sometimes the government's missteps appear to be the product of
malevolence, sometimes of ignorance. The results are both tragic and absurd.
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OTHER ISSUES FACING XINJIANG TODAY
DID CHINA’S NUCLEAR TESTS KILL THOUSANDS AND DOOM FUTURE GENERATIONS? –
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 07.01.2009
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=did-chinas-nuclear-tests
A few hundred thousand people may have died as a result of radiation from at least 40 nuclear
explosions carried out between 1964 and 1996 at the Lop Nur site in Xinjiang, which lies on the
Silk Road. Jun Takada, a Japanese physicist, has calculated that the peak radiation dose in
Xinjiang exceeded that measured on the roof of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor after it melted
down in 1986. Most damage to Xinjiang locals came from detonations during the 1960s and
1970s, which rained down a mixture of radioactive material and sand from the surrounding
desert. Some were three-megaton explosions, 200 times larger than the bomb dropped on
Hiroshima, says Takada, who published his findings in a book, Chinese Nuclear Tests.
DEMOGRAPHY OF HIV/ AIDS IN CHINA – CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES 07.01.2007
http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/070724_china_hiv_demography.pdf
A bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, CSIS conducts research
and analysis and develops policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change. The
level and growth of HIV infection will probably not present a major social or economic challenge
to the PRC as a whole, but it will be damaging in certain communities, especially in Guangxi,
Yunnan, southern Sichuan, and western Xinjiang provinces.
HIV/AIDS IN XINJIANG: A GROWING REGIONAL CHALLENGE – SILK ROAD STUDIES
PROGRAM 2006
http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/docs/CEF/Quarterly/August_2006/GillGang.pdf
Neither Beijing nor the international community has focused sufficient attention on the HIV
problem in Xinjiang, and how it relates to broader transnational concerns of drug trafficking,
the spread of infectious disease, and political discontent. To dig deeper into these issues, this
article examines HIV/AIDS in Xinjiang and considers the transnational security threats it may
pose to China and its neighbors in Central Asia.
TACKLING HIV AND AIDS IN CHINA – NPR 01.13.2006
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5156254
By the end of 2004, an estimated 78 million people worldwide were infected with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS. China is not immune to the epidemic. According to 2003 statistics compiled
by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, as many as 1.5 million Chinese were thought
to be infected with HIV. UNAIDS says China has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the
world. Sarah Schlesinger, a research associate professor in the Laboratory of Cellular
Immunology and Physiology at Rockefeller University and Aaron Diamond AIDS Research
Center, talks with NPR.
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OTHER ISSUES FACING XINJIANG TODAY
A CHINA ENVIRONMENT HEALTH PROJECT RESEARCH BRIEF– WILSON CENTER 2008
http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/docs/xinjiang_dec08.pdf
Ecological and human health trends in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are grim. The
growing negative impacts of air and water pollution, desertification, and overall ecological
damage have turned Xinjiang into one of the unhealthiest regions in China. In a comprehensive
assessment of environment and health done by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Xinjiang was rated as having the fifth worst (out of 30 provinces, municipalities, and
autonomous regions) environment and health indices based on indicators relating to
population growth, health status, level of education, natural conditions, environmental
pollution, economics, and health care resources.
CHINESE GROWTH PLANS STOKE FEARS OF CENTRAL ASIAN ECOLOGICAL
CATASTROPHE – EURASIANET 08.17.2007
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081707.shtml
Economic demands aside, environmentalists worry that if the Chinese continue to increase
their diversions from the Ili and Irtysh, the damage to the regional environment will be
irreversible. But as the rows of new apartment houses springing up in Yining and other parts of
Xinjiang attest, China is unlikely to apply the brakes on western development. Most imperiled is
Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan. The 15th largest lake in the world, it has an average depth of less
than 20 feet. That combination of size and shallowness leaves it especially vulnerable to
fluctuations in water supply.
MEAN AND GREEN: HOW CHINA USES THE ENVIRONMENT AS AN EXCUSE TO
TRANSPLANT MINORITY GROUPS – FOREIGN POLICY 12.02.2009
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/11/11/forced_ecological_migrations?page=0,0
Across China's vast northern wilderness, a pattern is repeating itself: Ethnic minority nomads
are being systematically and often forcefully relocated into settled communities as part of a
process known as "ecological migration." The government's ostensible goal is to preserve
fragile ecosystems, but often that's a convenient cover for policies that perpetuate inequality
among the country's 55 official minority groups.
TEARING DOWN OLD KASHGAR: A BLOW TO THE UIGHURS –TIME 07.29.2009
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1913166,00.html
In the latest move, authorities have started to demolish Kashgar's old town — an atmospheric,
mud-brick maze of courtyard homes, winding cobblestone streets plied by donkey carts, and
dozens of centuries-old mosques. By some accounts, at least 85% of Old Kashgar will be
knocked down. Many expect the ancient quarter, considered one of Central Asia's best
preserved sites of Islamic architecture, to disappear almost entirely before the end of the year.
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OTHER ISSUES FACING XINJIANG TODAY
ETHNIC KAZAKHS TO PONDER FUTURE AMID TOURISM BOOM – EURASIANET 10.05.2007
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav100507f.shtml
The Chinese province of Xinjiang is often in the news, with most media reports examining the
independence aspirations of its Uighur population, as well as the Go West policy of populating
the region with Han Chinese. There is another, less reported story in Xinjiang -- the erosion of
ethnic Kazakh culture. Chinese rule and an influx of people from other parts of the country have
forced lifestyle changes upon Xinjiang’s Kazakhs, who have for centuries lived a nomadic
existence.
CHINA’S GO WEST CAMPAIGN RESULTS IN DAMAGE – JENNIFER TURNER 07.22.2007
http://www.wilsoncenter.org/news/docs/chautauquadaily.pdf
Jennifer Turner speaks on the negative impact of the Chinese government’s efforts to develop
the Western part of the country.
DEMOLISHING KASHGAR’S HISTORY – SMITHSONIAN 4.2010
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Demolishing-Kashgars-History.html
…….Now the Chinese government is doing to Kashgar’s Old City what a succession of
conquerors failed to accomplish: leveling it. Early in 2009 the Chinese government announced a
$500 million “Kashgar Dangerous House Reform” program: over the next several years, China
plans to knock down mosques, markets and centuries-old houses—85 percent of the Old City.
Residents will be compensated, then moved—some temporarily, others permanently—to new
cookie-cutter, concrete-block buildings now rising elsewhere in the city. In place of the ancient
mud-brick houses will come modern apartment blocks and office complexes, some adorned
with Islamic-style domes, arches and other flourishes meant to conjure up Kashgar’s glory days.
The government plans to keep a small section of the Old City intact, to preserve “a museumized
version of a living culture,” says Dru Gladney, director of the Pacific Basin Institute at Pomona
College and one of the world’s foremost scholars of Xinjiang and the Uighurs.
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RESOURCES ON XINJIANG CULTURE & ARTS
CHINA: KUNG FU ENGLISH – PBS FRONTLINE WORLD 08.18.2008
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/6642/preview/
Jake Yong, a Han Chinese who grew up in Xinjiang, told Hyun Oh, a producer and director of
photography at KBS America, that the social stigma of being born in the province is a handicap
in China's fast-moving culture, where Western influence continues to spread. Kung Fu English,
which is part of a longer documentary made about Yong, is a testament to his irrepressible can-
do spirit as he converts his own experience into seminars and boot camps for his equally
enthusiastic fans.
XINJIANG ON A REGULAR DAY – CURRENT MEDIA 08.05.2009
http://current.com/items/90613809_xinjiang-on-a-regular-day.htm
Recent riots in Xinjiang have made this far western region of China increasingly inaccessible. An
area that has a predominant Muslim influence on its way of life, Xinjiang looks and feels entirely
different from the rest of China. This is a video diary of a trip to Xinjiang while visiting the
famous tightrope walker and Guiness World Record holder, Adili Wuxor. It provides a glimpse
of the people, food, and culture of this region under normal conditions.
KASHGAR ANIMAL MARKET – UNCORNERED MARKET 2008
http://www.uncorneredmarket.com/2008/10/kashgars-animal-market-video/#more-438
Audrey Scott and Daniel Noll serve up a scatter plot of observations from rapidly changing
countries on their journey around the world. Tune into Uncornered Market for human stories,
engaging travel photography, street food reportage, and insights into personal growth. This
video is features a procession of wooly camels, stubborn donkeys, cowboys, and sheep at an old
world Sunday livestock market in Kashgar.
THE MUSIC OF CHINA’S NOMADS: REVIVING TRADITIONAL MUSIC IN XINJIANG
PROVINCE – EURASIANET 2008
http://www.eurasianet.org/music/intro.shtml
Music has become a main avenue for cultural revival efforts for ethnic Kazakhs and Kyrgyz in
China. The Kazakhs’ musical tradition centers on a two-stringed instrument called the dömbra.
In this photo slideshow, ethnomusicologist, Zhou Ji, a leading expert on the music of Xinjiang
Province’s ethnic communities, discusses the importance of the dömbra for the Kazakh
community.
DANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT: UYGHUR WOMEN IN THE CHINESE DIASPORA CREATING
SELF-EMPOWERMENT THROUGH DANCE – KRISTIE SMITH 2006
http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/3303/1/IGSCwp025.pdf
As performing arts, especially dance, are essential components of Uyghur culture, Uyghur
women employ dance as a reaction to reaffirm cultural identity. Through dance, women send
messages of cultural survival, enabling them to negotiate positions of power for themselves.
Their negotiation through dance has resulted in a unique form of self-empowerment, cultural
revival, and pride. This paper analyzes the dialectics of the dance revealed through interviews
conducted with Uyghur women in the diaspora.
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RESOURCES ON XINJIANG CULTURE & ARTS
FROM LONDON UYGHUR ENSEMBLE: MUSIC OF THE UYGHURS
http://www.uyghurensemble.co.uk/en-html/nf-research-article1.html
Uyghur music embraces several distinct regional styles, product of the geography and complex
history of the region, whose oasis kingdoms, separated by mountains and deserts, have been
subject through the course of history to rule by many different outside forces. The musical
traditions of the southern oasis towns of Khotan and Kashgar are more closely allied to the
classical Central Asian traditions of Bukhara and Samarkand, while the music of the
easternmost oasis town of Qumul has closer links to the music of Northwest China. Each of the
region´s oasis towns have to this day maintained their own distinctive sound and repertoire, but
they are linked by a common language and overarching culture, maintained by constant
communication through trade and movement of peoples. Musically there is much to link these
local traditions, in terms of instruments, genres, styles and contexts. The most prestigious and
well-known genre of Uyghur music are the large-scale suites of sung, instrumental and dance
music known as muqam. In addition to the muqam the Uyghurs maintain popular traditions of
sung epic tales (dastan) and other forms of narrative song (qoshaq, leper, eytshish and maddhi
name), suites of dance music (senem,) instrumental music, musical genres linked to the rituals
of the Sufis, and a large repertoire of folk songs.
UYGHUR ART MUSIC AND THE AMBIGUITIES OF CHINESE SILK ROADISM IN XINJIANG –
THE SILK ROAD FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
http://www.silk-road.com/newsletter/vol3num1/3_uyghur.php
What stirs the greatest global interest in the Silk Road is not so much military exploits or even
commerce along its length, but the cultural exchanges and continuities across vast tracts of
inner Eurasia that it represents. The author, James A. Millward, is Associate Professor of History
and a member of the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. A
specialist on Qing China and Inner Asia, he also teaches courses on “Steppe Empires and Silk
Roads,” and on “The Mongol World.”
GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING AND ENDOWMENT OF XINJIANG – WORLD SECURITY
INSTITUTE
http://www.wsichina.org/%5C13ener.html
The World Security Institute (WSI) is a non-profit organization committed to independent
research and journalism on global affairs and security. Given the extraordinary growth of global
interdependence, the Institute provides innovative approaches to communication, education,
and cooperation on social, economic, environmental, political and military components of
international security. This report covers the geographical setting and natural resource
endowment of Xinjiang.
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NGOS WORKING IN XINJIANG
AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS
http://www.redcross.org.au
The Australian Red Cross (ARC) began operations in China in the mid 1990s delivering a
program through the provision of technical assistance and some financial support to Provincial
Red Cross branches that include the Xinjiang and Yunnan Red Cross.
CARE FOR CHILDREN
http://www.careforchildren.com/
Care for Children exists to relieve hardship, distress and sickness in abandoned and orphaned
children in China by the introduction of strategic initiatives in child care practice, at the request
of, and in cooperation with, the Chinese national and local authorities.
CHINA DEVELOPMENT BRIEF: DIRECTORY OF INTERNATIONAL NGOS
http://www.chinadevelopmentbrief.com/dingo/
China Development Brief offers a database of over two hundred International NGOs operating
in China, organized by province and by sector. Eighteen of those NGOs operate in Xinjiang.
FRIENDS OF NATURE (FON)
http://www.fon.org.cn/channal.php?cid=774
Friends of Nature is a Chinese environmental NGO, formally registered in March 1994 as the
Academy for Green Culture, an affiliate to the non-governmental Academy for Chinese Culture.
FON is the first membership-based non-profit, public welfare NGO in China, and is funded
wholly by membership fees and public support.
GOOD ROCK FOUNDATION
http://www.goodrock.org.uk/
Good Rock Foundation was established by a British woman who had adopted a Chinese
daughter and seeks to assist orphaned, abandoned, and disabled children in China. The
Foundation has so far worked exclusively in Xinjiang, opening an office in Urumqi in 2003.
GREENPEACE
http://www.greenpeace.org/china/en/
China’s phenomenal economic growth in the last two decades has brought unprecedented
environmental threats to the country and to the world. Greenpeace believes that development
should not come at the expense of the environment, and is committed to seeking and building
a green growth pattern, together with the people of China.
HEIFER PROJECT INTERNATIONAL
http://www.hpichina.org/en/index.asp
To the poor farmers in China, poverty does not only mean the lack of money, but also means an
inability of controlling their own destinies and the deprivation of opportunities to make a better
living. Since the implementation of the first project in Turpan Prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, 1,581 poor families in 22 poor communities have become self-reliant and
sustainable over the last 17 years.
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NGOS WORKING IN XINJIANG
HONG KONG SOCIAL WORKERS ASSOCIATION
http://www.hkswa.org.hk/en/node/1
Social workers in Hong Kong extend their help and support to their counterparts in the
Mainland and Taiwan through visits and donation.
HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHINA
http://www.hrichina.org/public/index
Human Rights in China is a New York-based international, Chinese, NGO with a mission to
promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in
the People's Republic of China.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: CHINA
http://china.hrw.org/
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s leading independent organizations dedicated to
defending and protecting human rights. By focusing international attention where human
rights are violated, HRW gives voice to the oppressed and hold oppressors accountable for their
crimes. This database has a current focus on the 2008 Olympics.
INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE
http://www.ifaw.org/
IFAW’s work in China began with a campaign to draw attention to the suffering of Asiatic black
bears -- or ‘moon bears’ – which are farmed for their bile, a substance used in traditional
Chinese medicine. Since then, IFAW’s China programs have expanded to cover a wide range of
animal welfare and conservation issues throughout the country.
INTERNATIONAL UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY FOUNDATION (IUHRDF)
http://www.iuhrdf.org/
IUHRDF was established in 2005 by former political prisoner Rebiya Kadeer and Uyghur
intellectuals in the United States. The main purpose of UHRDF is to promote human rights,
religious freedom, and democracy for the Uyghur people. It places a special focus on the rights
of Uyghur women and children.
ISLAMIC RELIEF
http://www.islamic-relief.org.uk/
Islamic Relief made an exploratory mission to China in 2001 and, the following year, provided
assistance for rehabilitation of communities struck by flooding in Shaanxi Province. It has since
carried out a number of water supply projects in China’s arid northern regions. Work has
included rainwater harvesting in Gansu, and a well digging programme in Xinjiang.
MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES
http://www.msf.org/
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organisation that provides
emergency medical assistance to populations in danger in more than 70 countries. MSF has
advocated to the Chinese government for quality and affordable generic HIV/AIDS medicines.
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NGOS WORKING IN XINJIANG
ORBIS INTERNATIONAL
http://www.orbis.org/
ORBIS works with its local partners to establish comprehensive, affordable and sustainable eye
care in developing countries. ORBIS capacity-building projects in rural China focus on cataract,
childhood blindness, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Two eye care centers are being built,
in Yunnan and Xinjiang, two provinces with a high prevalence of childhood eye diseases.
PACIFIC ENVIRONMENT
http://www.pacificenvironment.org/section.php?id=19
Pacific Environment protects the living environment of the Pacific Rim by promoting grassroots
activism, strengthening communities, and reforming international practices.
PROJECT TRUST
http://www.projecttrust.org.uk/
Project Trust’s projects are education-related and currently are in the rural northwestern
province of Gansu and the most westerly region of China, Xinjiang. Most volunteers work in
state-funded secondary schools teaching spoken English.
UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
http://www.undp.org.cn/
In China, UNDP fosters human development to empower women and men to build better lives.
As the UN’s development network, UNDP draws on a world of experience to assist China in
developing its own solutions to the country’s development challenges.
UYGHUR AMERICAN ASSOCIATION (UAA)
http://www.uyghuramerican.org/
The Uyghur American Association works to promote the preservation and flourishing of a rich,
humanistic and diverse Uyghur culture, and to support the right of the Uyghur people to use
peaceful, democratic means to determine their own political future.
UYGHUR HUMAN RIGHTS PROJECT
http://www.uhrp.org/
UHRP was established by the Uyghur American Association and is dedicated to researching and
exposing human rights abuses committed against the Uyghur people in East Turkistan.
VOLUNTARY SERVICE OVERSEAS
http://www.vso.org.uk/
Since its founding in 1958, VSO has sent more than 30,000 volunteers overseas to work in 70
developing countries, and it is now the world’s largest international volunteer agency. China
has been one of VSO’s largest program countries, with more than 100 volunteers in place at any
one time. The majority of these work in education, notably in training of English language
teachers in colleges that supply teachers to schools in the poorest areas of China.
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NGOS WORKING IN XINJIANG
XINJIANG SNOW LEOPARD PROJECT
http://www.xinjiangsnowleopards.org/
Working closely with the Xinjiang Government and local communities the XSLP is undertaking
a responsive research program, to assess the current status of snow leopards and their prey
within the Taxkurgan area of West Xinjiang.
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CURRICULUM MATERIALS
EAST ASIA RESOURCE CENTER: JACKSON SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL STUDIES –
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
http://jsis.washington.edu/earc/downloads/earc_resource_library.pdf
The East Asia Resource Center invites K-12 educators to explore the wealth of opportunities
available to them to deepen their knowledge of East Asia. There is a 49-page list of resources
available to educators for loan, free of charge.
INTERACTIVE MAP OF MINORITIES IN CHINA – NEW YORK TIMES 07.10.2009
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/10/world/20090711-xinjiang.html
China’s ethnic minority groups are concentrated in inland border regions, far from economically
prosperous areas to the east.
SOUNDSCAPE OF CHINA: INTERACTIVE MAP– PBS
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/865/preview/
Explore China, its diversity and peoples through the extraordinary field audio recordings
captured by sound recordist, Peter Eason with photos taken by filmmaker, Jonathan Lewis.
Listen to over twenty scenes that include busy city streets, musical performances, sounds of
nature, religious ceremonies and people going about their lives inside China.
CHINA’S ETHNIC MINORITIES – YALE UNIVERSITY
http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/resources/lessons/SMaloney.htm
The purpose of this lesson module is to help students understand and become aware of and
sensitive to the many ethnic minority groups that live in China. Students will discover the
geographic conditions that might influence an ethnic minority group’s way of life and their
communication with others.
CULTURAL UNIVERSALS: A LOOK AT ETHNIC MINORITIES IN CHINA – YALE UNIVERSITY
http://eastasianstudies.research.yale.edu//pier_china/Curricular%20Materials/Lesson%20Plans
/Krenicki/krenicki_lesson.pdf/
This lesson is designed to introduce students to cultural universals in the ethnic minority
regions of China. The intent is to focus on groups in various regions, and have students
compare their understanding of universals by examining the customs of several Chinese
groups.
ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS IN CHINA – STANFORD UNIVERSITY SPICE PROGRAM
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/20202/Ethnic_Minority_Group_in_China.pdf
In addition to learning about the variety of conflicts that surround being a minority in China,
students will learn about the geographic distribution, history, language, and culture of various
ethnic minority groups in China. The four minority groups chosen for this unit are the Hui,
Tibetans, Mongols, and Miao. This lesson is available for purchase on the website.
EXPLORING CHINESE MINORITIES – OUTREACH WORLD
http://www.outreachworld.org/resource.asp?curriculumid=210
As a follow-up of a Yale Summer Institute 2002, an online course was offered to all participants
to assist them in completing a final course assignment: designing and publishing lesson plans
on a theme, an area and an ethnic minority of their own choosing.
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CURRICULUM MATERIALS
GUESS WHO? – YALE UNIVERSITY
http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/resources/lessons/ward.htm
This lesson introduces students to the idea that China’s population is rich and varied with many
different minority groups. This study will introduce the top six most populous minority groups
to students and will cover topics such as their geographical location, religious beliefs, customs,
dress, and way of life.
GEOGRAPHIC AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY OF CHINA – CORNELL UNIVERSITY
http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/curriculum/monkey/geographic/
The Monkey King’s quest in “Journey to the West,” with his different stops along the way,
teaches students about the geographic and ethnic diversity in China.
FOOD IN HISTORY: REGIONAL CUISINE PROJECT – GLOBAL ED
http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/lesson1.htm
This lesson consists of a plan for a research, and a reading on the theme of Chinese Cuisine.
There is also a list of supplemental bibliography on the topic. The aim of the research is to
explore how geography affects specific aspects of Chinese culture, such as cuisine. This can be
adapted to focus on Xinjiang cuisine.
HAS GEOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTED MORE TO UNITING OR DISUNITING CHINA? – GLOBAL
ED
http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/silkRoad/docs/lesson1Plan.html
This lesson describes major geographic features of China, determines the effects of geography
on the social, political and economic elements of China, and examines the impact of geography
in uniting and disuniting China up to the present time. It offers a well-structured lesson plan
and follow-up questions.
EYES WORLDWIDE ON THE PRIZE – NEW YORK TIMES
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/05/31/eyes-worldwide-on-the-prize/
In this lesson, students learn about the production of “Passages of Martin Luther King Jr.” at the
National Theater in China, and the ways in which the words of Dr. King have impacted the
Chinese people and government.
LESSON ON ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION – UNITED NATIONS CYBERSCHOOLBUS
http://cyberschoolbus.un.org/discrim/ethnicity1.asp
This lesson explores discrimination based on ethnicity.
ONE FAMILY’S STRUGGLE FOR UIGHUR RIGHTS – PBS NEWSHOUR EXTRA
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/speakout/world/july-dec09/kekenus_07-17.html
Kekenus, 19, was born in the region's capital, Urumqi, and moved to the U.S. at the age of
eight. She writes about her experiences. Her mother is Rebiya Kadeer, a prominent Uighur
democracy leader. A good discussion piece.
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CURRICULUM MATERIALS
HUMAN RIGHTS BASICS – PBS WIDE ANGLE
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/classroom/2lp3.html
This lesson is designed to help children conduct a human rights discussion; understand the
United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to explore both their similarities and
differences.
INTRODUCTION TO DIASPORAS IN THE UNITED STATES – STANFORD UNIVERSITY
SPICE PROGRAM
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/pubs/20130/Diasporas_.pdf
This unit introduces students to the topics of diasporas, migration, and the role and experience
of diasporic communities in the United States. Students learn about five diasporas in the United
States - the Armenian, Chinese, Cuban, Iris, and Yoruban - from their development as diasporas
to their contemporary identities, roles, and remaining homeland ties.
PERCEPTIONS OF MINORITY CULTURES IN CHINA AND THE U.S. – GLOBAL ED
http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/teachingmaterials/lesson_64_china.php
Using a single, simple artifact from contemporary China, students will be asked to speculate
about what can be learned about a large and complex culture.
REPRESENTATION OF CHINESE MINORITY GROUPS IN PROPAGANDA ART – GLOBAL
ED
http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/teachingmaterials/lesson_57_china.php
How have Chinese minorities been represented through propaganda art?
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS IN ASIA – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/10/g68/religion.html
In this lesson, students will conduct an in-depth review of one of the major world religions by
focusing on its origins, beliefs, and history. They will then explore reasons for the spread or
decline in Asia of each of the major world religions. Finally, students will predict the continued
spread of religions based on current events in Asia.
RELIGIONS ALONG THE SILK ROAD – CHINA INSTITUTE
http://www.chinainstitute.org/_data/n_0002/resources/live/fromsilktooil_pdf6.pdf
Students will learn about (1) the life of the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570-632) and the
establishment of the Muslim community, and (2) the 'Five Pillars' which comprise the basic
religious practices of Islam."
MUSLIM HISTORY AND THE SPREAD OF ISLAM – ISLAM PROJECT
http://www.islamproject.org/education/B04_SpreadofIslam.htm
The purpose of this activity is to provide students with knowledge of how and when Islam
spread to various regions, and to locate regions where Muslims form a demographic majority or
significant minorities, from the 7th to the 21st centuries.
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CURRICULUM MATERIALS
ART ALONG THE SILK ROADS: MOSQUES IN THE ISLAMIC WORLD AND CHINA – CHINA
INSITUTE
http://www.chinainstitute.org/_data/n_0002/resources/live/fromsilktooil_pdf7.pdf
"Students will look at mosques in Central Asia, Iran, and North Africa, and study some of their
basic architectural features. They will also compare them with two mosques, one ancient and
one modern, in Xi’an, China. They will see how the appearance of a mosque can reflect
changing views of what it means to be a Muslim in contemporary China."
DRAGON SCIENCE: TIME TRAVELERS – PBS
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/2220/preview/
Scientists were astonished when they realized that mummies found in Xinjiang Province might
be of Caucasian origin and not ethnic Chinese. In this activity, students will build a 3-D
representation of a human skull that teachers can use to teach skull anatomy.
XINJIANG: A BI-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE – YALE UNIVERSITY
http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/resources/lessons/strelau.htm
Students will develop an understanding of how the Chinese nuclear testing program and the
environment and health of the Uighur minority are interrelated.
TRAVELS OF IBN BATTUTA – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/10/g35/tgbattuta.html
In this lesson, students will work in groups to research the different areas that the 14th century
Islamic traveler Ibn Battuta visited. They will review some of the basics of Islam, and create
posters illustrating what they have learned about Ibn Battuta.
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BOOKS
MUSLIMS ON THE EDGE OF CHINA: RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE AND AUTHORITY
AMONGST THE UYGHURS OF XINJIANG – EDMUND WAITE (2010)
http://www.amazon.com/Muslims-Edge-China-Religious-
Knowledge/dp/0415480744/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267552173&sr=1-1
This book fills a gap in the literature by offering a detailed understanding of how Islam is
enacted on the ground. Based on long-term anthropological fieldwork, the author explores the
interplay between state policies and the enactment of religion at the local level.
THE UYGHURS: STRANGERS IN THEIR OWN LAND – GARDNER BOVINGDON (July 2010)
http://www.politicos.co.uk/books/459480/Gardner-Bovingdon/The-Uyghurs/
For close to half a century, the Uyghur people of Xinjiang, in northwestern China, have
struggled to achieve autonomy and independence. As reflected by recent events, however,
their efforts have been met mostly with violent resistance, matched by a sophisticated strategy
of state-sanctioned propaganda, dissident broadsides, and viral ethnonational rhetoric.
Nevertheless, this Muslim minority remains passionate about establishing and expanding its
power within government, and China's leaders continue to push back, refusing to concede any
physical and political ground. Beginning with the history of Xinjiang and its unique population
of Chinese Muslims, Gardner Bovingdon follows fifty years of Uyghur discontent, particularly
the development of individual and collective acts of resistance since 1949, and the role of
various transnational organizations in cultivating dissent. Bovingdon's work provides fresh
insight into practices of nation-building and nation-challenging, not only in relation to Xinjiang
but also in reference to other regions of conflict, highlighting the influence of international
institutions on growing regional autonomy. He takes on the function of representation in
nationalist politics and the local, regional, and global implications of the "War on Terror" on
antistate movements. While both the Chinese state and foreign analysts have portrayed
Uyghur activists as Muslim terrorists, situating them within global terrorist networks,
Bovingdon argues that these assumptions are weak, drawing a clear line between Islamist
ideology and Uyghur nationhood.
CHINA, XINJIANG, AND CENTRAL ASIA: HISTORY, TRANSITION, AND CROSS-BORDER
INTERACTION IN THE 21ST CENTURY – COLIN MACKERRAS (2009)
http://www.amazon.com/China-Xinjiang-Central-Asia-
Contemporary/dp/0415453178/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267552031&sr=1-2
This book explores the effect of global and local dynamics across the region: global influences
include the ‘War on Terror’ and international competition for energy resources; local dynamics
include Islamic revival, Central Asian nationalism, drugs trafficking; economic development and
integration.
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BOOKS
DOWN A NARROW ROAD: IDENTITY AND MASCULINITY IN A UYGHUR COMMUNITY IN
XINJIANG, CHINA – JAY DAUTCHER (2009)
http://downanarrowroad.com/
The best way to read Down a Narrow Road is as a vindication of the value of ethnography for
cross-cultural understanding. So much of the anthropology done in the People's Republic,
particularly in minority communities, is rather thinner description than most of us authors
would like to admit. Doing real ethnography in China is a challenge. Neither the state nor the
academic establishment is very comfortable with the "intensive hanging out," the year-long or
longer residence in a community observing and participating in everything one can, taking
notes on home life, street life, work, play, and all else that crosses one's consciousness. Most
research is much more directed, both by the requirements of visas and academic affiliations
and by the dictates of doctoral committees and granting agencies. But Jay Dautcher somehow
managed to combine the scholarly and the quotidian, to make the quotidian the basis of the
scholarly, not to separate analysis from real life, but to make real life the basis of analysis. This
is the first real ethnography of a Uyghur community, and we learn so much while entertaining
ourselves with the account. The reader is, without doubt, "taken on a journey of discovery." Bon
Voyage! (Excerpted from the Forward by Stevan Harrell)
See a music video of the Uyghur song Narrow Road, written by Yasin Muhpul.
http://downanarrowroad.com/
DISLOCATING CHINA: MUSLIMS, MINORITIES, AND OTHER SUBALTERN SUBJECTS –
DRU GLADNEY 2004
http://www.amazon.com/Dislocating-China-Minorities-Subaltern-
Subjects/dp/0226297756/ref=pd_sim_b_3
Until quite recently, Western scholars have tended to accept the Chinese representation of
non-Han groups as marginalized minorities. Dru C. Gladney challenges this simplistic view,
arguing instead that the very oppositions of majority and minority, primitive and modern, are
historically constructed and are belied by examination of such disenfranchised groups as
Muslims, minorities, or gendered others...In the end, Gladney argues that just as peoples in the
West have defined themselves against ethnic others, so too have the Chinese defined
themselves against marginalized groups in their own society.
INVISIBLE CHINA: A JOURNEY THROUGH ETHNIC BORDERLANDS – COLIN LEGERTON
(2009)
http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-China-Journey-Through-
Borderlands/dp/1556528140/ref=pd_cp_b_1
Students of Chinese and other Asian languages, Legerton and Rawson took their linguistic skills
to the geographic periphery of China in 2006 and again in 2007. They sought members of the
country’s non-Han minorities to learn about their lives, paying attention to their attitudes
toward the majority Han.
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BOOKS
COMMUNITY MATTERS IN XINJIANG – ILDIKO BELLER-HANN (2008)
http://www.amazon.com/Community-Matters-Xinjiang-1880-1949-
Anthropology/dp/9004166750/ref=pd_sim_b_4
Based on a wide range of Western and local materials, this book offers an introduction to the
historical anthropology of the Muslim Uyghur of Xinjiang from the late 19th century to 1949.
The author argues that social relations in this era were shaped at all levels by the principles of
reciprocity and community.
SITUATING THE UYGHURS BETWEEN CHINA AND CENTRAL ASIA – ILDIKO BELLER-
HANN (2007)
http://www.amazon.com/Situating-Uyghurs-Anthropology-Cultural-Indo-
Pacific/dp/0754670414
This volume offers a unique insight into the social and cultural hybridity of the Uyghurs, an
officially recognized minority mainly inhabiting the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the
People's Republic of China, with significant populations also living in the Central Asian states.
UNDER THE HEEL OF THE DRAGON: ISLAM, RACISM, AND THE UIGHUR IN CHINA –
BLAINE KALTMAN (2007)
http://www.amazon.com/Under-Heel-Dragon-Racism-Uighur/dp/089680254X/ref=pd_cp_b_2
Under the Heel of the Dragon: Islam, Racism, Crime, and the Uighur in China offers a unique
insight into current conflicts resulting from the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and the Chinese
government’s oppression of religious minorities that have heightened the degree of
polarization between the Uighur and the dominant Chinese ethnic group, the Han.
EURASIAN CROSSROADS – JAMES MILLWARD (2007)
http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-13924-3/eurasian-crossroads
Eurasian Crossroads is the first comprehensive history of Xinjiang. Drawing on primary sources
in several Asian and European languages, James Millward presents a thorough study of
Xinjiang's history and people from antiquity to the present and takes a balanced look at the
position of Turkic Muslims within the PRC today.
GOVERNING CHINA’S MULTIETHNIC FRONTIERS – MORRIS ROSSABI (2004)
http://www.washington.edu/uwpress/search/books/ROSGOV.html
Seven essays focus on the Muslim Hui, multiethnic southwest China, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang,
and Tibet. Together these studies provide an overview of government relations with key
minority populations, against which one can view evolving dialogues and disputes.
CHINA’S MUSLIM BORDERLAND – FREDERICK STARR (2004)
http://www.amazon.com/Xinjiang-Borderland-Studies-Central-Caucasus/dp/0765613182
The volume surveys the region's geography; its history of military and political subjugation to
China; economic, social, and commercial conditions; demography, public health, and ecology;
and patterns of adaption, resistance, opposition, and evolving identities.
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BOOKS
WILD WILD WEST CHINA: THE TAMING OF XINJIANG – CHRISTIAN TYLER (2004)
http://www.amazon.com/Wild-West-China-Taming-Xinjiang/dp/0813535336/ref=pd_sim_b_2
"Following in the footsteps of Peter Fleming, Tyler paints a vivid portrait of Xinjiang and
reminds us of another of the immense problems facing China’s new leadership. A fascinating
book."—Chris Patten, former governor of Hong Kong.
MUSLIM CHINESE: ETHNIC NATIONALISM IN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC – DRU GLADNEY
(1996)
http://www.amazon.com/Muslim-Chinese-Nationalism-Republic-
Monographs/dp/0674594975/ref=pd_sim_b_7
"Gladney locates the significance of the Hui (and the study of minorities) in their challenge to
the dominant Chinese and Western perceptions of China...[A] fine, pioneering work." -- Journal
of Asian Studies
CHINA’S MUSLIMS: IMAGES OF ASIA – MICHAEL DILLON (1996)
http://www.amazon.com/Chinas-Muslims-Images-Michael-
Dillon/dp/0195875044/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265404191&sr=1-32
Muslim communities are found in every Chinese province and Muslims play a prominent part in
the modern Chinese state. In an illustrated book directed at scholars and travelers alike, Dillon
examines each of the country's ten Muslim group: he sketches the history of its arrival in China,
explains its languages and customs, and describes the work and daily life of its members.
DRAGON FIGHTER: ONE WOMAN'S EPIC STRUGGLE FOR PEACE WITH CHINA – REBIYA
KADEER
http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Fighter-Womans-Struggle-Peace/dp/0979845610
A remarkable autobiographical journey from humble beginnings to a position as a powerful
world figure fighting for her nation’s self-determination. Along the ancient Silk Road where
Europe, Asia, and Russia converge stands the four-thousand-year-old homeland of a peaceful
people, the Uyghurs. Their culture is filled with music, dance, family, and love of tradition
passed down by storytelling through the ages.
For millennia, they have survived clashes in the shadow of China, Russia, and Central Asia.
Rebiya Kadeer’s courage, intellect, morality, and sacrifice give hope to the nearly eleven million
Uyghurs worldwide on whose behalf she speaks as an indomitable world leader for the freedom
of her people and the sovereignty of her nation.
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BLOGS
FAR WEST CHINA
http://www.farwestchina.com/
It all boils down to the fact that I have come to love this province and want desperately to help
overcome the misunderstanding that both China and the world have of Xinjiang and it's
people. Most news that makes it out of China about this area is negative, so I want to use
FarWestChina to present a side of western China that is (mostly) free from political
commentary and focused on the lighter, more common side of surviving out here in the land of
huge mountains and vast deserts.
ISLAM IN CHINA
http://islaminchina.wordpress.com/
Islam in China is a blog that seeks to cover all things Chinese and Islamic. Additionally my aim is
also dispel some myths about Islam and also about China.
THIS IS XINJIANG
http://blogs.princeton.edu/pia/personal/xinjiang/
"This is Xinjiang" chronicles a year of adventures by a foreign university teacher in China's
western frontier. I am not an expert on Xinjiang, nor on China, though I hope my blog can
address some of the misrepresentations and realities of this supposedly restive region. I left
Xinjiang in July 2009 to pursue graduate work in East Asian history, but I plan to return soon.
Since my departure, the blog has evolved into a site devoted to the history and culture of
Xinjiang and its surrounding regions.
UYGHUR BLOG
http://uyghurblog.com/
This site is the result of years of academic research, which has culminated in frustration, hope,
and the desire to do more. The design is simple, it will serve as a place where you can come and
catch up on all things Uyghur.
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ISLAM IN CHINA
GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES
CHINA’S MUSLIM MINORITIES: UPRISING FROM THE ASHES OF HISTORY – RADIO
CANADA 08.11.2008
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/08/11/f-china-islam.html
Travelers in today's China are often surprised to discover that the country has a sizeable Muslim
population. According to the Chinese government, there are more than 20 million Muslims who
live in all parts of the country. Others say the number may even be higher...Muslims have lived
in the Middle Kingdom from just after the death of the Prophet Muhammed in 632 AD. They
came as traders and missionaries from Arab states, and later from Islamic Persia and Ottoman
Turkey.
CENTRAL ASIA: REGION RETURNS TO MUSLIM ROOTS – RADIO FREE EUROPE 08.04.2005
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1060413.html
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Central Asian republics have seen a revival of Islam.
The process kicked off quickly as Islam has always had deep roots in the region and missionaries
and funds arrived from other Muslim countries to help rebuild schools and mosques. Nowadays,
most Central Asians consider themselves Muslims. Still, many observers say that there are
differences between the identity and religious practices of Muslims in Central Asia and those in
other parts of the Islamic world. In the first part of a four-part series on Islam in Central Asia,
RFE/RL looks at how Muslims in the region view themselves.
ISLAM IN CHINA – AL JAZEERA ENGLISH 08.09.2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUSIsjrCyC0
Islam is still establishing itself in China under Beijing's watchful eye and decades have been
spent building a fragile trust between the country's Muslims and the Communist central
government. People & Power profiles two key Chinese imams who walk a fine line between
their followers and the political authorities.
ISLAM AND MUSLIMS IN CHINA – ISLAM AWARENESS
http://www.islamawareness.net/Asia/China/
The Islam Awareness Homepage is the home of the fastest growing religion worldwide. This is
an endeavor at a comprehensive but not complex information resource for Dawah and Islah.
The objectives of the Homepage are simply to counteract the many lies and defamations that
Islamophobes have polluted the Net with and arm Da`ees with knowledge and understanding.
May Allah forgive our mistakes and make us successful in our good intentions.
A GUIDE TO CHINA’S ETHNIC GROUPS – WASHINGTON POST 07.08.2009
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/08/AR2009070802718.html
Since the Communists gained power in 1949, minority ethnic groups have repeatedly come to
odds with the dominant Han Chinese, which compose more than 90 percent of the Chinese
population. Here's a look into some of the largest of the 56 ethnic groups that populate the
biggest country in the world.
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GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES
FAMILY PORTRAITS OF ALL 56 ETHNIC GROUPS IN CHINA – CHINA HUSH 12.06.2009
http://www.chinahush.com/2009/12/06/family-portraits-of-all-56-ethnic-groups-in-china/
This is a “Family Portrait” of China’s 56 ethnic groups. Chen Haiwen, a photographer, recently
lead a team of 14 photographers to create a book entitled, “Harmonious China: A Sketch of
China’s 56 Ethnicities.” The team spent one year travelling all over China to complete the
project. They ended up taking over 5.7 million photographs.
CHINA’S TWO VERY DIFFERENT MUSLIM MINORITIES – AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
08.16.2008
http://www.amnesty.org.au/china/comments/16885/
Al Jazeera English has put out a new short documentary about the Hui and Uighur. It includes
interviews with exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer, as well as Professor Charles Burton, a
former Canadian diplomat who had several postings in China.
IT’S ONLY A RELIGION, SAY ‘THE OTHER’ CHINESE MUSLIMS – NEW AMERICAN MEDIA
08.30.2005
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=f0ca791eb07721774d858
0f3f8bdb74c
At a time when Islamic populations around the world are under increased scrutiny, the Chinese
Hui are often confused in the Western media with China's second-largest Muslim minority, the
restive Uighurs, an ethnically distinct group concentrated in China's Central-Asian Xinjiang
province. Chafing under Chinese rule, the Uighurs have given the Chinese government the
opportunity to claim its own front in the War on Terror. It is the relationship between the
Uighurs and the Chinese state that has dominated most international coverage of Chinese
Islam. By contrast, the Hui, although no strangers to political unrest, have maintained a
relatively balanced relationship with the secular Chinese state. With the hurtling pace of change
in China today, the question now is whether the Hui's relationship with Beijing will remain
stable.
ISLAM IN XINJIANG: AN ANCIENT RIVAL FOR YOUNG CHINA – THE GUARDIAN 07.14.2009
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/jul/14/uighur-china-islam
Historically, Islam has provided the framework for countless social and political movements in
Xinjiang since it came to the region in the 10th century. Islamic institutions have provided
education, morality, community cohesion, and political legitimacy. Friday prayers have been
the site of sermons that have inspired rebellions and revolutions. Islam is an integral part of
Uighur life in Xinjiang. Today, even the most secular Uighur, who do not adhere at all strictly to
Islamic law, identify strongly as Muslims.
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GENERAL AND INTRODUCTORY RESOURCES
ISLAM’S PATH EAST: CHINA – ISLAMICITY 04.15.2008
http://www.islamicity.com/Articles/Articles.asp?ref=SW0206-1661
Contacts between Muslims and Chinese began very early. Arab merchants traded in silk even
before the advent of Islam, and tradition has it that the new religion was brought to their port-
city trading colonies by Muslim missionaries in the seventh century.
IN THE ARMS OF ALLAH – TIME ASIA
http://www.time.com/time/asia/covers/501030310/
Left on the margins of economic development, forced to confront their own piety in the face of
backlash against the Sept. 11 attacks and Bali bombings, and threatened by the seemingly
unstoppable onslaught of Western culture, many Muslims are turning to Islam for both political
and religious answers.
ISLAM IN CHINA: BEIJING’S HUI AND UIGHUR CHALLENGE – DRU GLADNEY 2007
http://www.worlddialogue.org/content.php?id=403
Since the First World War, China has been engaged in an unremitting nationalist project that
includes emancipation from its imperial past, engagement with Western political institutions,
and the establishment of its sovereignty over its bounded territory. One recent challenge to this
nationalist project, with roots in the early twentieth century, is a widespread separatist
movement among a Muslim group known as the Uighurs, an ethnic Turkic people that inhabits
China’s vast western province of Xinjiang. That the largest Muslim group in China, the Hui, have
neither participated in nor been sympathetic to such a movement speaks volumes regarding
the diversity of Islamic identity and practice in China
ISLAM, RELIGIOUS REVIVAL, AND THE SOVEREIGN STATE – BRYAN TURNER 2007
http://www.insct.syr.edu/Projects/islam-
ihl/research/Turner,%20BS.Islam,%20Religious%20Revival,%20and%20Soverign%20State..pd
f
“Globalized Islam” creates a situation where Muslims have to live in many secular societies as
minority groups, but they also live in a world where the non-Muslim minority populations are on
the rise. The globalization of religion is producing a “marbling effect” that creates conditions
conducive to interreligious conflict and civil strife.
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MUSLIMS IN CHINA TODAY
HUI By the middle of the seventh century, Arab and Persian traders and merchants traveled to China in
search of riches. In addition, in the thirteenth century the Mongols turned people into mobile armies
during their Central Asian conquests and sent them to China. These civilians were expected to settle
down at various locations to farm while maintaining combat readiness. As artisans, scholars, officials,
and religious leaders, they spread throughout China. These people are the ancestors of today's Hui. One
of the worst cases of genocide in history took place against the Hui in Yunnan from 1855 to 1873. One
million Hui people were massacred.
To outsiders the Hui are virtually indistinguishable from Han Chinese, although many Han will say they
can spot a Hui and Hui say they can recognize each other. Unlike the Turkic communities, the Hui are not
concentrated in one part of the country but are spread throughout the whole of the PRC with substantial
communities in the major cities. Although they are so numerous and accessible, they have been the
subject of considerable controversy and it is still not possible to say with any degree of certainty precisely
how many Hui there are in China. There has been much dispute over whether the Hui are simply Han
Chinese who adhere to the Islamic faith. The Hui are also found in Myanmar, Taiwan, Kyrgyzstan,
Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Thailand. In these countries, they are known by different names such as
Dungan, Pathay and Khotan.1
Map source: www.joshuaproject.net
HUI OF CHINA – JOSHUA PROJECT
http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=103896&rog3=CH
Joshua Project is a research initiative seeking to highlight the ethnic people groups of the world
with the least followers of Christ. Accurate, regularly updated ethnic people group information
is critical for understanding and completing the Great Commission.
1 http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php
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SALAR Although the Salar hold the distinction of being one of China's official nationalities, they are very similar
to the Uygurs of Xinjiang. Their language is virtually the same as Uygur. One expert lists Salar as a Uygur
dialect, and notes that "The main difference between the Salar and the Uygurs of Xinjiang is
geographical."
The Salar have a colorful tale of their history. They say they originated in the famous city of Sarmarkand,
located in today's Uzbekistan. In the eleventh century a tribe known as the Salor fled persecution in their
homeland. They were forced to migrate across the mountains of Central Asia. Not knowing where they
were going, the Salar strapped a Qur'an to a camel's head and asked Allah to guide them to wherever he
wanted them to settle. After many months of travel, a Salar Imam had a vivid dream of a beautiful
waterfall. The next day the travelers came to the same waterfall. The camel stopped to drink and turned
into a large white stone. Taking it as a divine sign, the tribe stopped there and began to build a
community. In 1781 the Qing armies crushed a Salar uprising. The Salar suffered massive losses. As many
as 40% of their entire population were obliterated in the battle.2
SALAR ETHNIC MINORITY – CHINA.ORG
http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-salar.htm
There have been different theories put forward on the origin of the Salars. The prevalent view
held at the moment is that the ancestors of the Salars came from the region of Samarkand in
Central Asia during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).
SALAR PROFILE – ASIA HARVEST
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/S/Salar.pdf
Asia Harvest is an inter-denominational Christian ministry working in various countries
throughout Asia to see effective churches planted among unreached people groups. We work
alongside Asian church leaders, helping and equipping them to focus on reaching the lost. Our
main focus is China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Bhutan, and northern India.
Within these seven countries are approximately 1,000 unreached tribes and ethnic groups.
2 http://www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php
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TAJIKS The Tajik nationality in China speaks two distinct languages: Sarikoli and Wakhi. The Tajik are probably
the one group in China most unlike the Han Chinese. They are a Caucasian people with light skin. Many
have green or blue eyes and fair hair. They speak a Persian (Iranian) language which is part of the Indo-
European language group. The term Tajik is applied to various Iranianspeaking groups of Central Asia in
differing ways.
Three quarters of China's Tajiks speak Sarikoli. It is described as "a language entirely different from the
majority language spoken in Tajikistan." The Tajik in China do not have their own written script, but some
use the Uygur orthography. The two Tajik languages in China are reportedly different enough that
speakers from each group must use Uygur to communicate.3
TAJIKS – CHINA.ORG
http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-tajik.htm
Standing at China's west gate in the eastern part of the Pamirs on the "roof of the world" is the
Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in Xinjiang, a town built up since 1950s. It is the place
where the ancient Tajik ethnic group has lived generation after generation.
TAJIK PROFILE – ASIA HARVEST
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/T/TajikSarikoli.pdf
3 http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php
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UZBEKS
The Uzbek are one of China's 55 official minority groups. Their numbers have varied greatly over the
course of recent decades. In 1953 there were more than 13,600 Uzbeks in China. By the 1964 census,
however, their numbers had dwindled to only 7,700: many Uzbeks chose to flee to the Soviet Union to
escape from Mao Zedong's extreme policies.
Uzbek history in China dates back to the time of the Mongol hordes who dominated Central Asia and
China in the thirteenth century. The Uzbek in China are descended from traders who traveled along the
Silk Road. Others arrived in the 1750s after the Chinese armies defeated the Jungars. The name Uzbek
probably came from Ozbeg Khan, a Mongol ruler of the Golden Horde who spread Islam throughout
many parts of the Empire in the fourteenth century. Those who remained in the area under Ozbeg Khan's
rule became known as Uzbeks. Previously, they were called Kazaks.
The Uzbek's Islamic faith permeates every area of their daily lives. Funerals are major events in Uzbek
society. The dead person's children stay in mourning for a full seven days. Forty, 70, and 100 days after a
death, Muslim priests are called to chant portions of the Qur'an inside the home of the grieving family.
For centuries the Muslim clergy have been responsible for the religious and secular education of Uzbek
children. When the Chinese announced that all children in China were required to attend a state school,
the Uzbek were outraged and refused to send their children to be educated by an atheistic regime. The
Uzbek are committed Muslims, perhaps more so than any of the other Muslim peoples in Xinjiang.. 4
UZBEK PROFILE, ASIA HARVEST
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/U/Uzbek.pdf
4 http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php
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KAZAKHS The Kazaks are one of China's official minority groups. The name Kazak means "the breakaways" or
"secessionists". Chinese publications, however, not wanting to flame the Kazaks desire for
independence, claim their name means "white swan".
Over the centuries the various Islamic groups in northwest China have attempted to establish their own
homeland. Several brutal massacres have reinforced Chinese rule and the deep hatred the Kazaks have
for the Han. At least 100,000 Kazaks migrated into China from Russia between 1916 and 1920, after the
Tsarist government imposed conscription on them.9 In the early 1950s the Kazaks in China were forced
into a communal society and were forbidden to enjoy the nomadic lifestyle their ancestors had enjoyed
for over a thousand years. In 1962, 60,000 Kazaks decided to cross back into the Soviet Union. The
massive migration represented more than one tenth of the entire Kazak population in China at the time.5
THE LAST HERDSMEN, CHINA’S KAZAKHS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYjrxiAQhw8
This is a video about the herding culture of the Kazakhs.
KAZAKH PROFILE, ASIA HARVEST
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/K/Kazak.pdf
5 http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php
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KIRGIZ In the 1950s the Kirgiz were granted status as one of China's official minority groups. The name Kirgiz
means "44 lasses." The Kirgiz believe they are descended from 44 maidens. The Kirgiz in China still retain
their tribal identities. "To this day one can distinguish the following tribes: Kipchak, Naiman, Taiyit,
Kaisaik, Chongbash, Qielik, Kuqu, Salu, Salbash, Mengduzi, Mengguldar, Ketay, Buwu, and Sayak."
In AD 751 the Chinese armies were defeated by the Arabs in a significant battle at Talas, in what is now
Kyrgyzstan. One historian wrote, "This encounter was one of the most fateful battles in history. It
marked the end of Chinese control over Central Asia. It also marked the beginning of Arab conquest of
Central Asia. Soon the area was permanently converted to Islam." By the early 830s the Kirgiz had
clashed with the Uygurs for control of Central Asia and defeated them. In 1944 the Chinese Nationalist
government ordered the closure of many Kirgiz pasture lands, under the pretext of "border security." The
Kirgiz, outraged at losing their livelihood, formed a government that gave birth to the Puli Revolution. 6
THE KIRGIZ IN CHINA, CULTURAL CHINA
http://www.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/Traditions/en/127Traditions827.html
An overview of the Kyrgyz in China
KIRGIZ PROFILE, ASIA HARVEST
http://www.asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/K/Kirgiz.pdf
6 http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rop3=105550&rog3=CH
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TATARS The Tatar are the fourth smallest of China's 55 officially recognized minorities. The name Tatar appears
to have originated during the Mongol Empire of the thirteenth century. As the Mongol hordes pillaged
their way across Asia, the terrified Europeans called them "The People from Hell." The Latin word for hell
is Tatarus.
The Tatar were known in China in the eighth century as Dadan. In the ensuing centuries after the collapse
of the Mongol Empire, it seems to have been a favorable practice for various tribes to call themselves
Tatar. Because of this, there are many Tatar throughout Russia and Central Asia who should be viewed as
separate ethnolinguistic groups. When a Tatar dies, relatives wrap the body in a white cloth and place a knife or rock on it. The corpse is
then placed on a platform and removed from the house, head first. Tatar wedding ceremonies are usually
held at the bride's home. The newly married couple drink sweet water from the same cup, to show they
will remain a devoted couple to the end of their lives. The bridegroom often lives in his father's home for
a time after the marriage, and some do not live with their wife until their first baby is born. Forty days
after the birth of a child, the baby is bathed. The water for the bath is fetched from 40 places,
representing as many good wishes for the baby's growth.7
TARTAR PROFILE, ASIA HARVEST
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/T/Tatar.pdf
7 http://iel.cass.cn/english/Detail.asp?newsid=4567
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DONGXIANG The Dongxiang are one of China's official minority groups. They were called Mongolian Huihui prior to
1949, when their name was changed to the Dongxiang (East District) people. They call themselves by the
Islamic term Santa….
The Dongxiang speak a Mongolian language. "Quite a few words in the Dongxiang lexicon resemble
words of the same meaning in Modern Mongolian, and some are even identical to words presently used
in Inner Mongolia. Many other words are close to the Middle Mongolian spoken in the thirteenth and
fourteenth centuries." Only 12% of the Dongxiang are literate in Chinese.
The Dongxiang are primarily employed as farmers. Their main crops are potatoes, barley, millet, wheat,
and corn. They are also renowned across China for producing traditional rugs.8
DONGXIANG PROFILE, ASIA HARVEST
http://asiaharvest.org/pages/profiles/china/chinaPeoples/D/Dongxiang.pdf
8 http://www.joshuaproject.net/peopctry.php?rog3=CH&rop3=114044
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THE SILK ROAD
The historical Silk Road was a series of trade routes that crisscrossed Eurasia for almost two-
thousand years, until about the year 1500 C.E. While its name suggests routes over land, Silk Road
sea routes were also important for trade and communication. The extent of exchange of art, ideas
and innovations between cultural groups trading on the routes is illustrated by the eighth-century
Shôsôin collection of artifacts. Culled by a Japanese emperor, it contains luxury goods from the
Mediterranean, Persia, India, Central Asia, China, Korea and Japan. By the 16th century Europe
was trading along the Silk Road routes as well.
Over the centuries, many important scientific and technological innovations migrated to the West
along the Silk Road, including gunpowder, the magnetic compass, the printing press, silk,
mathematics, ceramic and lacquer crafts. Eastern and Western string, wind and percussion
instruments also traveled between regions and had strong influences on one another over time.
Among other instruments, the Shôsôin collection contains lutes from India and Persia. The Persian
mizmar, a reed instrument, appears to be an ancestor of the European oboe and clarinet. Cymbals
were introduced into China from India, and Chinese gongs made their way to Europe.
Resources, information and innovations were exchanged between so many cultures over so many
hundreds of years that it is now often difficult to identify the origins of numerous traditions that
our respective cultures take for granted. In this way, the Silk Road created an intercontinental
think tank of human ingenuity.
Note: The Silk Road Project is a not-for-profit artistic, cultural and educational organization
with a vision of connecting the world's neighborhoods by bringing together artists and
audiences around the globe. Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, the Silk Road Project takes
inspiration from the historic Silk Road trading route as a modern metaphor for multicultural and
interdisciplinary exchange. The Silk Road Project provides a gateway to greater understanding
of the world through active educational programs and resources and multidisciplinary
explorations of topics inspired by the Silk Road.
For Educational Resources see:
http://www.silkroadproject.org/Education/EducationOverview/tabid/170/Default.aspx
Silk Road Connect, a multi-year, multidisciplinary educational program for middle school
students, being piloted in the 2009-2010 school year in New York City
Along the Silk Road, an interactive curriculum
The Road to Beijing, a Silk Road Ensemble DVD with lesson plan
“The Silk Road: A Musical Journey,” a live introduction to the instruments and music of the Silk
Road Ensemble
Excerpted from: http://www.silkroadproject.org/Education/TheSilkRoad/tabid/175/Default.aspx
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SILK ROAD MAPS
(Taken from:
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.orexca.com/img/silk_road.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.orexca.co
m/silk_road.html&h=665&w=1000&sz=238&tbnid=Q5oWEgB_aIU8cM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=149&prev=/images%3Fq%
3Dsilk%2Broad%2Bmap&hl=en&usg=__La19YzfEZeEmj1K3zw4XNMu1s9Y=&ei=-r3-
S7afHoz2Mu_cwDs&sa=X&oi=image_result&resnum=2&ct=image&ved=0CBsQ9QEwAQ)
39PART II Curriculum Units—From Silk to Oil: Maps—The Silk Roads
Redrawn after Thomas J. Barfield. 1989. The Perilous Frontier. Oxford: Basil Blackwell
Map AInner Asia’s Major Ecological Zones
Map
AIn
ner
Asi
a’s
Maj
or
Eco
log
ical
Zo
nes
PART II Curriculum Units—From Silk to Oil: Maps—The Silk Roads42
Map DFrom Chang’an (Modern Xi’an in China) to the Middle East—Places Along the Silk Roads
Map
DFr
om
Ch
ang
’an
(M
od
ern
Xi’a
n i
n C
hin
a) t
o t
he
Mid
dle
Eas
t—Pl
aces
Alo
ng
th
e Si
lk R
oad
s
Source: From Judy Bonavia. 1988. The Silk Road—From Xi’an to Kashgar. Odyssey Publications Ltd.
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SILK ROAD FOUNDATION SILK ROAD TIMELINE
5000-500 B.C
� 3200 Horse domesticated on south Russian steppe.
� 3000 Silk first produced in China.
� 2500 Domestication of the Bactrian and Arabian camel, vital for desert travel.
� 900 Spread of mounted nomadism.
� 753 Rome founded.
400 B.C.
� Empire of Alexander the Great expands into Asia.
300 B.C.
� Parthians establish their empire in Iran.
� Qin dynasty unites the entire China for the first time.
� Chinese complete Great Wall as defense against the northern nomads' invasion.
� Han dynasty overthrows Qin and develops its vast empire.
� Paper first made in China.
200 B.C.
� The Xiongnu, later called Huns rise to power in Central Asia and invade Chinese western
border regions.
� Han Emperor, Wu-ti's interests in Central Asia cause him to command the Chang Ch'ien
expeditions to the West, (Fergana and the Yueh-chih). Celestial Horses introduced to
China.
� Han power reaches Tarim region. The Silkroad under China's control and the route to
the West now open.
100 B.C.
� Mithridates, Parthian king, sends ambassadors to both Sulla and Wu-ti to provide an
important link between Rome and China.
� Egypt under Roman rule. Gives Rome access to Red Sea and Spice Route trade.
� Rome officially becomes an empire.
1 A.D.
� Silk first seen in Rome.
� Buddhism begins to spread from India into Central Asia.
� Kushan Empire of Central Asia. Sogdians trading on Silk Route.
� Chinese General Pan Ch'ao defeats Xiongnu and keeps the peace in the Tarim Basin.
The stability of the Silkroad popularizes the caravan trades into two routes - north and
south.
� China sends the first ambassador to Rome from Pan Ch'ao's command, but he fails to
reach Rome.
� Graeco-Egyptian geographer, Claudius Ptolemy, writes his Geography, attempts to
map the Silkroad.
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SILK ROAD FOUNDATION TIMELINE
100 A.D.
� Rome sends the first Roman envoy over sea to China.
� Roman empire at its largest. A major market for Eastern goods.
� Buddhism reaches China.
� For the next few centuries, Buddhism flourishes, becoming the most popular religion in
Central Asia, replacing Zoroastrianism.
� The four great empires of the day - the Roman, Parthian, Kushan, and Chinese - bring
stability to the Silkroad.
200 A.D.
� Silk is woven into cloth across Asia, but using Chinese thread.
� Han dynasty ends. China splits into fragments.
� Sassanians rise to power from Parthians. Strong cultural influence along the trade
routes.
� Barbarian attacks on the Roman Empire.
300 A.D.
� Stirrup introduced to China by the northern nomads.
� Xiongnu invade China again. China further dissolved into fragments.
� Constantinople becomes Rome's capital.
� Huns attack Europe.
� Roman Empire splits into two.
� Fa-hsien, one of the first known Chinese Silkroad travellers by foot and a Buddhist
monk, sets out for India.
400 A.D.
� A Chinese princess smuggles some silkworm eggs out of China. Silkworm farms appear
in Central Asia.
� New techniques in glass production introduced to China by the Sogdians.
� Western Roman Empire collapses.
500 A.D.
� Silkworm farms appear in Europe.
� Nestorian Christians reach China.
� Split of the Turkish Kaganate into Eastern and Western Kaganates. Western Turks
move to Central Asia from Mongolian plateau. At the Chinese end of Central Asia, the
Eastern Turks or Uighurs are in control.
� Sui dynasty reunites China.
600 A.D.
� Roman Empire becomes Byzantine Empire.
� Tang dynasty rules in China. For the first two centuries, the Silk Road reaches its golden
age. China very open to foreign cultural influences. Buddhism flourishes.
� The Islamic religion founded.
� Death of Muhammad. Muslim Arab expansion begins.
� Muslims control Mesopotamia and Iran, along with the Silk and Spice routes.
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SILK ROAD FOUNDATION TIMELINE
700 A.D.
� Arabs conquer Spain in Europe, which introduces much Eastern technology and science
to Europe.
� Arabs defeat Chinese at Talas and capture Chinese papermakers, which introduces
paper making into Central Asia and Europe.
� Block printing developed in China.
� Tang dynasty begins to decline, and with it, the Silkroad.
800 A.D.
� First porcelain made in China.
� Gunpowder invented in China and spread to the West by the 13th century.
� All foreign religions banned in China.
� Compass begins to be used by Chinese.
900 A.D.
� Kirghiz Turks in control of Eastern Central Asia, establish kingdoms at Dunhuang and
Turfan.
� Tang Dynasty ends. China fragmented.
� Playing cards invented in China and spread to Europe toward the end of 14th century.
� The Islamic Empire divides into small kingdoms.
� Sung Dynasty reunites China.
� Porcelain exported to western Asia.
1000 A.D.
� First Crusade. Exchange of technology between Europe and Middle East.
1100 A.D.
� China divided into Northern Sung and Southern Sung.
� Genghiz Khan unites Mongols. Expansion of Mongol Empire begins.
� Silk production and weaving established in Italy.
� Paper money, first developed in China.
1200 A.D.
� Death of Genghis Khan.
� Mongols invade Russia, Poland, and Hungary.
� The Europe's first envoy to the East, Friar Giovanni Carpini leaves Rome for Mongol
capital at Karakorum.
� Seventh, and last, Crusade.
� Mongol control central and western Asia.
� Silk road trade prospers again under the "Pax Mongolica."
� Kublai Khan defeats China and establishes the Yuan dynasty.
� Paper money introduced to Central Asia and Iran by Mongols.
� Marco Polo leaves for the East.
1300 A.D.
� Turkish Ottoman Empire in power.
� Third Silkroad route appears in the north.
� Ibn Battuta, the first known Arab travels on a 750,000 mile journey to China via the
Silkroad.
� Paper made across Europe.
� Mongol Yuan Dynasty collapes. Chinese Ming Dynasty begins.
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SILK ROAD FOUNDATION TIMELINE
1400 A.D.
� Chinese explore the Spice Routes as far as Africa.
� China closes the door to foreigners.
� Fearing the power of Uighurs, Ming China reduces the trade and traffic dramatically in
the Silkroad. The Silkroad comes to an end for purposes of silk.
� Lyon becomes the new center of the silk trade.
1600 A.D.
� Uzbek Turks appear from the north, settle in today's Uzbekistan.
� Manchuria rises and invades China. Qing Dynasty established.
1700 A.D.
� Numbers of severe earthquakes in Central Asia damage some of the great monuments.
� Porcelain produced in Europe.
� The Manchus, a Tungusic people from Manchuria, absorb the Gobi and Altai districts.
1800 A.D.
� German scholar, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen uses the term "Silkroad"
(Seidenstrasse) for the first time.
� Xinjiang Province created under Qing Dynasty.
� Younghusband crosses the Gobi Desert, pioneering a new route from Peking to
Kashgar via the Muztagh Pass.
� Hedin explores the Kun Lun and Takla Makan desert, unearthing buried cities along the
old Silkroad.
1900 A.D.
� Chinese revolution; end of Chinese dynasties.
� Europeans begin to travel in the Silkroad.
� Tibet under China's control.
� Karakoram highway from Islamabad to Kashgar built by China and Pakistan.
Excerpted From: http://www.silkroadfoundation.org/toc/index.html
Permission Pending.
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SILK ROAD OVERVIEW
THE GEOGRAPHIC SETTING OF THE SILK ROAD – ASIA SOCIETY 08.18.2008
http://www.asiasociety.org/countries-history/trade-exchange/geographical-setting-silk-roads
In thinking about the Silk Road, one must consider the whole of Eurasia as its geographical
context. Trade along the Silk Road waxed or waned according to conditions in China,
Byzantium, Persia, and other regions and countries along the way. There were always
competing or alternative routes, by land and sea, to absorb long distance Eurasian trade when
conditions along the Silk Road were unfavorable. For this reason, the geographical context of
the Silk Road must be thought of in the broadest possible terms, including sea routes linking
Japan and Southeast Asia to the continental trade routes.
IMAGES OF THE SILK ROAD – UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/geography/china/china.html
This site features a collection of photographs taken on the Silk Road.
SILK ROAD TRADE ROUTES – UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
http://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/exhibit/trade/trade.html
The network of routes commonly known as the "Silk Road" resulted from an expansion of
commercial and cultural exchanges between China and the Tarim Basin.
SILK ROAD FOUNDATION
http://www.silk-road.com/toc/index.html
While we invoke the historic "Silk Road" in our title, our view of the Silk Roads is an expansive
one, encompassing pre-history, the era beginning with the establishment of trans-Eurasian
trade and cultural interaction some two millennia ago, and the subsequent history of those
interactions down through the centuries. Modern evocations of cultural traditions are of
interest, especially in the areas which historically have been the domain of pastoral nomads.
We publish articles by well-known scholars and those who have other expertise on the regions
and material of interest. Where possible we are communicating the results of the latest
research, including new archaeological investigations. The journal also serves as the means to
alert readers about upcoming programs connected with Silk Road topics.
SILK ROAD PROJECT
http://www.silkroadproject.org/
ThIs is the website for Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road musical project which includes teaching materials.
UNESCO
http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001592/159291eo.pdf
The UNESCO project on an Integral Study of the Silk Roads: Roads of Dialogue examines the
various types of contact and exchanges which took place along these roads and their impact on
the history and civilization of our modern world.
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THE NEW SILK ROAD
CHINA AND THE MIDDLE EAST – CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES
http://csis.org/program/china-middle-east
The CSIS Middle East program is studying the implications of China’s increasing role in the
Middle East. As China becomes a global power and many Middle Eastern countries look for a
counterweight to the United States, Chinese approaches to energy security, export markets
and military ties have an important impact on global diplomacy.
CULTURE AND COMMERCE – CHINA ECONOMIC REVIEW 10.01.2007
http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/cer/2007_09/Culture_and_commerce.html
On the surface, Yiwu looks like any other small, nondescript city in the southern Chinese
countryside… But the engine driving Yiwu’s growth is unique. Featuring the largest small
commodities market anywhere in the world, the city has drawn traders from all Muslim nations
into a thoroughly commercial blend of pan-Islamic Chinese life. In the rural heart of Zhejiang
Province, 300 kilometers southwest of Shanghai, Yiwu is the epicenter of China’s commodities
trade with the Muslim world, mainly from Afghanistan and Pakistan of the Middle East.
THE NEW SILK ROAD – WASHINGTON POST 04.08.2007
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/08/AR2007040800923.html
The new Silk Road is largely the result of the confluence of China's and India's economic growth
and high oil prices… Key "caravan posts" on the new Silk Road are regional economic "winners"
or rising stars: Dubai, Beijing, Mumbai, Chennai, Tokyo, Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong
Kong, Riyadh, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi. The old Silk Road civilization centers such as Persia (Iran),
the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan) and Mesopotamia (Iraq) lag behind.
THE NEW SILK ROAD – BUSINESS WEEK 11.06.2008
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_46/b4108046852388.htm?chan=globalbi
z_europe+index+page_top+stories
Today a new Silk Road leads from the busy ports of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore to the
Persian Gulf—and from sparkling airport lounges in Dubai and Riyadh back to Asia's bustling
cities. The merchants on this new route are Arab investors looking for smart places to park their
petrodollars and Asians seeking to lock up energy supplies and find markets for the goods
churned out by their factories.
THE RACE TO BE KING OF THE NEW SILK ROAD – TIMES ONLINE 02.15.2010
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/construction_and_property/arti
cle7026733.ece
As the New Silk Road binds Asian and Middle East growth more tightly, Samsung is getting
ready to bid more ambitiously: projects in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait worth a combined $20
billion are on the table, and Korean contractors are no longer outsiders. But this does not mean
that Samsung will let anyone take its place as master of the “supertall.” There are tower
projects being discussed along the length of the New Silk Road, from China to Libya. “From a
business point of view, the desire to build the world’s tallest building will never cease. And we
can always build one higher than the last.”
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SILK ROAD CURRICULUM MATERIALS
ALONG THE SILK ROAD: PEOPLE, INTERACTION & CULTURAL EXCHANGE - SPICE
http://www.international.ucla.edu/eas/sum-inst/links/silkunit.htm
A middle school unit provided by USC-UCLA Joint East Asian Studies Center which includes:
Teacher Background Material, Change Along the Silk Road, Trade Along the Silk Road, Cultural
Exchange Today Along the Silk Road.
ARTS OF THE SILK ROAD – SPICE DIGEST
http://iis-db.stanford.edu/docs/114/ArtsofRoad.pdf
The travel of artistic motifs, styles, and techniques along the Silk Road is closely bound up with
the larger context of the travel of beliefs, ideas, and technology. For example, the art of the Silk
Road includes the devotional art of Buddhism and Islam, the ideas behind certain styles of art
such as narrative murals, and the technology to produce various works of art, including gigantic
statuary and printed pictures. Religion is an important inspiration for art everywhere, and much
of the art of the Silk Road was religious in origin.
TEACHING COMPARATIVE RELIGION – ASIA SOCIETY
http://www.asiasociety.org/education-learning/resources-schools/secondary-lesson-
plans/comparative-religious-teachings
During the height of the Silk Road trades in the 7th century, Islam, Buddhism, and Nestorian
Christianity were the most important. This activity asks students to reflect on similarities and
differences between belief systems.
MARCO POLO – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/10/marcopolo.html
Retrace the steps of Marco Polo and discover what you can learn from the cultures you
encounter along the way and what you might take home to share with your friends and family.
MARCO POLO TAKES A TRIP – EDSITEMENT
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=451
After completing this lesson, students will be able to Identify Marco Polo and understand why
he took his trip, indicate on a map the routes Marco took to China and back, describe the
challenges of traveling along the Silk Road, list several interesting aspects of 13th century
Chinese culture, and explain the circumstances in which Marco's book was written and
understand the influence the book had upon the European public.
MARCO POLO’S ROUTE TO CHINA AND BACK – EDSITEMENT
http://edsitement.neh.gov/M_Polo_flash_page.asp
This interactive map, from an EDSITEment lesson, traces Marco Polo's route to China and back.
ETHNIC RELATIONS AND POLITICAL HISTORY ALONG THE SILK ROAD – CHINA
INSTITUTE
http://www.chinainstitute.org/_data/n_0002/resources/live/fromsilktooil_pdf4.pdf
"Students will learn about the spread of Islam in the context of the geography and history of
West Asia in the seventh and eighth centuries CE."
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SILK ROAD CURRICULUM MATERIALS
MONKEY, OR THE JOURNEY TO THE WEST – CORNELL UNIVERISTY
http://www.einaudi.cornell.edu/curriculum/monkey/geographic/lesson1.asp
One of China's most popular series of stories, this novel recounts the legends of Monkey and his
companions who accompanied the 7th-century Buddhist monk Xuanzang (Hsuan-tsang) on his
16-year pilgrimage along the silk route to India to bring Buddhist sutras back to China. Filled
with humor, wit, satire, and imaginative fantasy, the novel also suggests serious religious and
human truth.
ON THE ROAD WITH MARCO POLO – EDSITEMENT
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=488
In this curriculum unit, students will become Marco Polo adventurers, following his route to and
from China in order to learn about the geography, local products, culture, and fascinating sites
of those regions.
PUPPETS ON THE MOVE: CHINA AND THE SILK ROAD – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3887/
Through map-making, research, and class discussions, students will gain an understanding of
the dynamics of trade in China along the Silk Road, and the role of trade in urbanization
throughout the Han, Tang, and Song dynasties.
RELIGION AND BELIEF SYSTEMS IN ASIA – NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/10/g68/index.html
In this lesson, students will conduct an in-depth review of one of the major world religions by
focusing on its origins, beliefs, and history. They will then explore reasons for the spread or
decline in Asia of each of the major world religions. Finally, students will predict the continued
spread of religions based on current events in Asia.
THE SILK ROAD INTERACTIVE WEBSITE – STANFORD PROGRAM ON INTERNATIONAL
AND CROSS-CULTURAL AFFAIRS (SPICE)
http://virtuallabs.stanford.edu/silkroad/SilkRoad.html
This great resource features Silk Road maps, a Silk Road timeline, sights along the Silk Road,
and the music of the Silk Road, complete with audio samples
SILK ROAD ENCOUNTERS – SPICE
http://www.silkroadproject.org/Education/Resources/SilkRoadEncounters/tabid/339/Default.as
px
As a symbol of the crossroads between civilizations, peoples, and cultures, the Silk Road offers
rich materials for students to explore diverse but interrelated topics on geography, trade, art,
music, religion and history. This free teachers guide and sourcebook supplements traditional
classroom materials with interactive activity plans and reference materials. These materials are
adaptable for students from elementary school through high school.
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SILK ROAD CURRICULUM MATERIALS
THE SILK ROAD: AN INTRODUCTION WITH A FOCUS ON CULTURAL DIFFUSION
http://www.clemusart.com/educef/asianodyssey08/pdf/MikSilkMS.pdf
This lesson is intended for students in grades 6-8. It introduces students to the Silk Road and
how the ideas and technologies carried by travelers along this route made it an excellent
vehicle for cultural diffusion.
SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE JEOPARDY – SPICE
http://virtuallabs.stanford.edu/silkroad/silkroad_jeopardy.swf
Test your knowledge of the Silk Road!
THE ROAD TO BEIJING – SILK ROAD PROJECT
http://www.silkroadproject.org/Education/Resources/TheRoadtoBejing/tabid/338/Default.aspx
The Road to Beijing, a 20-minute video produced by the Silk Road Project, was filmed during the
Silk Road Ensemble’s October 2007 concert tour in China. The free video and teacher’s guide
were released in May 2008 with a coordinating curriculum that addresses China’s quickly
developing capital city.
THE SILK ROAD – COBBLESTONE PUBLISHING
http://www.cobblestonepub.com/resources/cal0202t.html?x=15.3638205528260616562001141
400755
Cobblestone Publishing has been producing high-quality social studies and science magazines
for young readers since 1980.This lesson plan aims to develop an understanding of what the
Silk Road was and how it affected civilization, to increase understanding and appreciation of
religious diversity, and to develop and enrich vocabulary.
WAS THE SILK ROAD THE INTERNET HIGHWAY OF THE ANCIENT WORLD? – GLOBALED
http://www.globaled.org/chinaproject/silkRoad/docs/lesson2Links.html
This is a well-structured lesson, which aims to explain to students the concept of Eurasia,
examine the effects of geography and environmental factors on the movement of people, talks
about the origins of and motivation behind the appearance of the Silk Road. It provides an
excellent lesson plan, a reading and maps.
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SILK ROAD BOOKS FOR ADULTS
THE NEW SILK ROAD: HOW A RISING ARAB WORLD IS TURNING AWAY FROM THE
WEST AND REDISCOVERING CHINA – BEN SIMPFENDORFER (2009)
http://www.amazon.com/New-Silk-Road-Turning-Rediscovering/dp/0230580262
The rise of the Arab world and China are part of the same story, once trading partners via the
Silk Road. It isn’t a coincidence that Arab traders have returned to China at the same time that
China is fast regaining its share of the global economy.
SHADOW OF THE SILK ROAD – COLIN THUBRON (2008)
http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Silk-Road-Colin-
Thubron/dp/0061231770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265239515&sr=8-1
In his latest absorbing travel epic, Thubron follows the course—or at least the general drift—of
the ancient network of trade routes that connected central China with the Mediterranean
Coast, traversing along the way several former Soviet republics, war-torn Afghanistan, Iran and
Turkey.
THE SILK ROAD: XI’AN TO KASHGAR – JUDY BONAVIA (2007)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9622177611/ref=nosim/thesilroapro-20
This beautifully photographed and intelligent book is the authoritative guide to travel in the
region.
FOREIGN DEVILS ON THE SILK ROAD: THE SEARCH FOR THE LOST TREASURES OF
CENTRAL ASIA – PETER HOPKIRK (2006)
http://www.amazon.com/Foreign-Devils-Silk-Road-Treasures/dp/0719564484/ref=pd_sim_b_3
In the early years of the last century foreign explorers began to take interest in the region, and
very soon an international race began for the art treasures of the Silk Road. Huge wall
paintings, sculptures and priceless manuscripts were carried away, literally by the ton, and are
today scattered through the museums of a dozen countries. Peter Hopkirk tells the story of the
intrepid men who, at great personal risk, led these long-range archaeological raids, incurring
the undying wrath of the Chinese.
SILK ROAD: MONKS, WARRIORS & MERCHANTS – LUCE BOULNOIS (2005)
http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Road-Monks-Warriors-Merchants/dp/9622177212/ref=pd_cp_b_3
This illustrated history of the trade connections that linked the Mediterranean world with China
is a must for those interested in the Silk Road as a travel destination and for those who love
adventure.
THE SILK ROAD: TWO THOUSAND YEARS IN THE HEART OF ASIA – FRANCES WOOD
(2004)
http://www.amazon.com/Silk-Road-Thousand-Years-Heart/dp/0520243404/ref=pd_cp_b_1
Illustrated with drawings, manuscripts, paintings and artifacts, this historical journey through
the byways of the old Silk Road is a beautifully rendered tribute to the thousands of years in
which these routes served as the center of trade.
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SILK ROAD BOOKS FOR ADULTS
THE SILK ROAD: TRADE, TRAVEL, WAR AND FAITH – SUSAN WHITFIELD (2004)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/193247613X/ref=nosim/thesilroapro-20This new
catalogue on the Silk Road is published to accompany a major exhibition at the British Library
and contains high-quality reproductions of the exhibits with extended captions and essays by
leading scholars presenting new research.
LIFE ALONG THE SILK ROAD – SUSAN WHITFIELD (2001)
http://www.amazon.com/Life-along-Silk-Susan-Whitfield/dp/0520232143/ref=pd_cp_b_2
Each chapter introduces an inhabitant of the Silk Road at the end of the 10th century. Following
the lives and stories of the Merchant, the Soldier, the Monk, the Courtesan, and others, Susan
Whitfield brings the dramatic history of pre-Islamic central Asia down to a human scale,
fleshing out the battles of conquest and trade with the details of everyday life.
FROM MANCHURIA TO TIBET – HOW MAN WONG (1998)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/9622170986/ref=nosim/thesilroapro-20
More than a photo essay, this publication delves into the history, traditions, stories and dreams
of colorful indigenous peoples and their surroundings, often in formidable terrain.
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SILK ROAD BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
WE’RE RIDING ON A CARAVAN – LAURIE KREBS (2005)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1841483435/ref=nosim/thesilroapro-20
Grade 1-4–One summer morning, a family of silk traders leaves Xi'an to begin their yearlong
journey on the Silk Road in China… Told in pleasant, well-crafted verse with a chorus of two
sentences at the bottom of each spread, the story is engaging and generally informative. The
short descriptions of places visited are accurate, both in the story and in the appended
information about the Silk Road and the making of silk. However, life in a caravan is
romanticized, especially in the illustrations, and no dates are given for what is clearly a
historical tale.
STORIES FROM THE SILK ROAD – CHERRY GILCHRIST (2005)
http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Silk-Road-Cherry-Gilchrist/dp/1841488046/ref=pd_cp_b_3
Grade 2-4 – In seven stories, the lively Spirit of the Silk Road takes readers through the culture,
history, and folklore of the ancient trade route that stretched from China to Persia and was
used from 200 B.C. to the fourteenth century. The retellings, from humorous to creepy, feature
an assortment of kind and vengeful gods, spirits, animals, and human travelers…The
conversational tone of the tellings evokes a tourist's sight-seeing expedition, with brightly
colored, intricately patterned illustrations of exotic places and characters providing visuals and
context. An introduction gives general background about the Silk Road and traded goods;
endpaper maps detail the route. A "Did You Know?" facts section and source notes are
appended. This will be a good resource for storytellers, particularly those wanting material for
international story times, and for individuals interested in Asian folklore.
THE SILK ROUTE: 7,000 MILES OF HISTORY – JOHN MAYOR (1996)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0064434680/ref=nosim/thesilroapro-20
Grade 4-8 – A history of the 7,000-mile trade route that developed between China and
Byzantium for centuries is dramatized in a handsome picture book for older readers that
combines a general overview with an account of one typical journey around A.D. 700. The
paintings are filled with action, reflecting the diversity of places and cultures and people that
were connected when the great silk trade flourished. The problem is that there's so much
history to be explained that the narrative is dense and hard to read. A clear, colorful map does
help, and the book has detailed notes at the back on everything from warfare to religion. This
will get most use as curriculum support material in the middle grades.
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INTEGRATING STEM TOPICS INTO YOUR TEACHING
Global Classroom supports the Washington STEM Initiative which seeks to improve student achievement and
opportunity in areas critical to our state’s economic prosperity: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
(STEM). The Initiative aims to catalyze innovation in the state’s K-12 education system, increase teacher
effectiveness and student learning, and dramatically raise the number of Washington students graduating ready for
college and work succeeding in STEM degree programs. These efforts are intended to benefit every student in the
state, with particular emphasis on accelerating the achievement of low income and minority students.
Below are resources that might help you integrate STEM into you humanities/social studies classroom. We
encourage you to pass these suggestions on to your colleagues in other subject areas.
DID CHINA’S NUCLEAR TESTS KILL THOUSANDS AND DOOM FUTURE GENERATIONS? –
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 07.01.2009
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=did-chinas-nuclear-tests
A few hundred thousand people may have died as a result of radiation from at least 40 nuclear
explosions carried out between 1964 and 1996 at the Lop Nur site in Xinjiang, which lies on the
Silk Road. Jun Takada, a Japanese physicist, has calculated that the peak radiation dose in
Xinjiang exceeded that measured on the roof of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor after it melted
down in 1986. Most damage to Xinjiang locals came from detonations during the 1960s and
1970s, which rained down a mixture of radioactive material and sand from the surrounding
desert. Some were three-megaton explosions, 200 times larger than the bomb dropped on
Hiroshima, says Takada, who published his findings in a book, Chinese Nuclear Tests.
DEMOGRAPHY OF HIV/ AIDS IN CHINA – CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL
STUDIES 07.01.2007
http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/070724_china_hiv_demography.pdf
A bipartisan, nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC, CSIS conducts research
and analysis and develops policy initiatives that look into the future and anticipate change. The
level and growth of HIV infection will probably not present a major social or economic challenge
to the PRC as a whole, but it will be damaging in certain communities, especially in Guangxi,
Yunnan, southern Sichuan, and western Xinjiang provinces.
HIV/AIDS IN XINJIANG: A GROWING REGIONAL CHALLENGE – SILK ROAD STUDIES
PROGRAM 2006
http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/docs/CEF/Quarterly/August_2006/GillGang.pdf
Neither Beijing nor the international community has focused sufficient attention on the HIV
problem in Xinjiang, and how it relates to broader transnational concerns of drug trafficking,
the spread of infectious disease, and political discontent. To dig deeper into these issues, this
article examines HIV/AIDS in Xinjiang and considers the transnational security threats it may
pose to China and its neighbors in Central Asia.
TACKLING HIV AND AIDS IN CHINA – NPR 01.13.2006
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5156254
By the end of 2004, an estimated 78 million people worldwide were infected with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS. China is not immune to the epidemic. According to 2003 statistics compiled
by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, as many as 1.5 million Chinese were thought
to be infected with HIV. UNAIDS says China has one of the fastest growing HIV epidemics in the
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world. Sarah Schlesinger, a research associate professor in the Laboratory of Cellular
Immunology and Physiology at Rockefeller University and Aaron Diamond AIDS Research
Center, talks with NPR.
A CHINA ENVIRONMENT HEALTH PROJECT RESEARCH BRIEF– WILSON CENTER 2008
http://wilsoncenter.org/topics/docs/xinjiang_dec08.pdf
Ecological and human health trends in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are grim. The
growing negative impacts of air and water pollution, desertification, and overall ecological
damage have turned Xinjiang into one of the unhealthiest regions in China. In a comprehensive
assessment of environment and health done by scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Xinjiang was rated as having the fifth worst (out of 30 provinces, municipalities, and
autonomous regions) environment and health indices based on indicators relating to
population growth, health status, level of education, natural conditions, environmental
pollution, economics, and health care resources.
CHINESE GROWTH PLANS STOKE FEARS OF CENTRAL ASIAN ECOLOGICAL
CATASTROPHE – EURASIANET 08.17.2007
http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav081707.shtml
Economic demands aside, environmentalists worry that if the Chinese continue to increase
their diversions from the Ili and Irtysh, the damage to the regional environment will be
irreversible. But as the rows of new apartment houses springing up in Yining and other parts of
Xinjiang attest, China is unlikely to apply the brakes on western development. Most imperiled is
Lake Balkhash in Kazakhstan. The 15th largest lake in the world, it has an average depth of less
than 20 feet. That combination of size and shallowness leaves it especially vulnerable to
fluctuations in water supply.
GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING AND ENDOWMENT OF XINJIANG – WORLD SECURITY
INSTITUTE
http://www.wsichina.org/%5C13ener.html
The World Security Institute (WSI) is a non-profit organization committed to independent
research and journalism on global affairs and security. Given the extraordinary growth of global
interdependence, the Institute provides innovative approaches to communication, education,
and cooperation on social, economic, environmental, political and military components of
international security. This report covers the geographical setting and natural resource
endowment of Xinjiang.
DRAGON SCIENCE: TIME TRAVELERS – PBS
http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/2220/preview/
Scientists were astonished when they realized that mummies found in Xinjiang Province might
be of Caucasian origin and not ethnic Chinese. In this activity, students will build a 3-D
representation of a human skull that teachers can use to teach skull anatomy.
XINJIANG: A BI-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE – YALE UNIVERSITY
http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/resources/lessons/strelau.htm
Students will develop an understanding of how the Chinese nuclear testing program and the
environment and health of the Uighur minority are interrelated.