We cringe. Within 24 hours, four major media outlets have picked up the story of the Uyghur murder in southern China. What’s going to happen, we ask? Is this going to be another Guangdong type incident that sparks more turmoil throughout Xinjiang? And while we hold our collective breath, we wonder if it’s a good or bad thing that this story has spread, a story that has certainly enraged many. Is this going to spark another July 5th type incident?
The Communist Party is wary of any more violence that may threaten their strength. They have spent the last 60 years maneuvering and jockeying, while the people of China have felt the rope tightening. The government has overlooked and neglected the Muslims, Christians, the Falun Gong and the Buddhist, the Uyghurs, Tibetans, the Mongols and the Bai. The list of the condemned is not selective, and encompasses all in China in one way or another. Does this type of governance, a type that rules by fear and strength, have bonds tight enough to outlast the “flattening” of the Earth? Will it last through an era of iPhones and youtube? What happens when the world is watching? And with the world watching, will officials continue to suckle at the teat of the Communist Party? Can the view from the top be so good that in a generational transition, the newly appointed individuals are willing to look the other way?
We ask these questions as we wait to see what China will do next. We hope that they choose to open the airways of the people and allow the freedom-filled air to fill the lungs of all of those who have had their rights taken from them. The killing of a Uyghur should not make us all cringe with the thought that it might start a protest that will lead to another deadly crackdown by the Chinese government. China should allow its citizens the truth; allow them to get to know one another, both their differences and their similarities, so that they can live in an environment and a country that is accepting and flexible. Until then, we will continue to live with unanswered questions.
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While we used this story as an opportunity to question the Chinese leadership, we want to send our condolences to the family of the man killed. Any violence is unacceptable, and the loss of the life burdens us greatly. If you’d like, you can read the story here.
