:tank

  • BigRed [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    He acknowledges that there’s no genocide by the established legal definition. He seems to be supportive of the idea that there could be potential “cultural genocide” or cultural destruction though. It seems reasonable to assume at this point that the Xinjiang government likely overreacted with its counter-terrorism/anti-Salafi extremism/anti-separatism campaign and had at least some false positives, but even the claim of cultural genocide comes off as a reach at this point that relies on lots of wild speculation from westerners, poor and biased sources/translations, and conflicting evidence at best.

    BadEmpanada is either not aware of Xinjiang’s new bilingual education policy or maybe he thinks mandating learning Mandarin to improve economic opportunity in addition to still learning the Uyghur language is somehow an example of cultural destruction (also a reach). It should also be noted that far-right takfiri Salafism and its foreign ultra-conservative customs (niqab/burqa/very long unkempt beards/bans on singing and dance) opposes traditional Uyghur culture (as Uyghur Muslims have traditionally been moderate Hanafi that don't even observe hijab), but there was a recent rise in Salafi/Wahhabi extremism and terrorism from the late 80s to the 2010s (Salafi jihadism and extremism was a major problem throughout Central Asia during this time and Muslim-majority Central Asian governments have used very similar counter-terrorism/anti-extremism measures). Uyghurs from southern Xinjiang tend to be poorer and more conservative than Uyghurs from eastern or northern Xinjiang. Uneven development, high unemployment in the private sector, profiling, lack of education, water scarcity, poor infrastructure, rising Salafi extremism, language barriers, poverty, and lack of inclusive growth were all problems that got neglected for decades in Xinjiang (southern Xinjiang especially) and are only recently getting seriously addressed.

    An economist’s critique of BadEmpanada video: https://archive.is/LJd6A

    Uyghur public school in 2021: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EopbwS97Whc&t=5s

    An interview of a deradicalization program graduate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p57qyMAySYc

    An interview with a Xinjiang imam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO2jqDQfeko&t=1s

    Xinjiang government response to questions regarding boarding schools: https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202001/21/WS5e264e31a31012821727262b.html

    A Uyghur’s nuanced take on Xinjiang from 2014: https://news.ifeng.com/a/20140507/40186213_0.shtml