The not so silent majority: uyghur resistance to han rule in xinjiang

Insert due Reading response: The Not-So-Silent Majority: Uyghur Resistance to Han Rule in Xinjiang This article emphasizes the conflict of the unacceptability of any form of Han rule over Uyghurs (Bovingdon 47). Bovingdon elaborately covers the acts of resistance to the CPP policies evident among the Xinjiang People. He endeavors to uncover, through nonconventional accounts, this evidence in various forms which has otherwise not been identified by other political personalities due to hindrance by the use of conventional means of analyzing the political environment in China. Bovingdon asserts that the utilization of the nonconventional accounts in this context is bound to aid significantly in the ‘ understanding of ethno national politics and the character of Chinese rule’ (42).
There is a historical explanation of how the current conflict that has resulted in a buildup of discontentedness that has elicited continued resistance by the Uyghurs of Xinjiang. From the historical analysis of the Chinese rule, especially its profound implications in Xinjiang, it is justified that they just do. Bovingdon (45) notes that the onset of the Han settling in Xinjiang dates back from 1950 in a time when CPP sent People’s Liberation Army to see Xinjiang ‘ enter the modern age’ by providing human labor needed in the transition. Several decades after, Han population has substantially increased ever since following the non-departure of the People’s Liberation Army who settled in the region. Bovingdon (45) observes that Han Chinese dominate the Xinjiang, a territory that culturally belongs to the Uyghurs. In addition, due to the political influence of CPP, the Han population enjoys profound privileges despite the territory having the Uyghurs who ought to enjoy the best of their territory. Thus, the Han Chinese take the better jobs in the territory that results in them doing better economically. Most of these preferential treatments of the Han Chinese over Uyghurs raising their dominance in the territory indefinitely have been being enhanced by CCP policies. Consequently, the Uyghurs have been discontented long enough of the Chinese rule that has sought to oppress them over several decades now.
Bovingdon (46) observe that since the Uyghur’s cannot directly resist the form of social and political life into which they are born in, they resist its representation. CCP has established no equity in its rule, and that is essentially what the Uyghurs fight for. However, their course of pursuing their representation is faced with big challenges. As Bovingdon (46) observes, prison term or death are the consequences of any act which is considered as ‘ splittism’ by the Han rule. Moreover, Bovingdon (47) notes that ‘ criminal complaints’ might even be twisted from ‘ relatively tame remarks’. Thus there fear of expressing one’s opinion in Xinjiang due to the extreme punishments that one can face.
Despite, there being established measures which very effectively ‘ repress Uyghur opposition’, they have not yet been completely overwhelmed. However, they engage in resistance that is ‘ covert’ in the pursuit of evading the punishments associated with resistance. Bovingdon (43) observes that for them to ‘ privatize’ or ‘ hide’ their opposition to Chinese rule, the Uyghurs, especially, use their language. The use of Uyghur language is not widespread beyond Xinjiang Bovingdon (43). Its use in songs, stories as well as jokes plays a profoundly important role in expressing their discontentedness in a manner that is safe for them. The use of their language, therefore, is an appropriate measure that ensures that they go undetected thus unpunished for undertaking the course of resistance. With it they have achieved relative success in sensitizing the Uyghurs of the poverty and backwardness that is prevalent in the areas that they, the Uyghurs are still the majority (Bovingdon 56). Instilling such senses into the people has elicited much discontent that is being exhibited in their resistant behavior to Han rule.
Work Cited
Bovingdon, Gardner. ” The not-so-silent majority: Uyghur resistance to Han rule in Xinjiang.” Modern China (2002): 39-78.