Geschichte  |  Geographie  |  Wirtschaft  |  Gesellschaft

 

Ritaja Bhattacharjee, 2004 | Aesch, BL

 

In this paper, the reeducation camps in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), China, are examined by analysing the main regulations governing the camps and the region’s laws on counter-terrorism and extremism. The paper aims to find how the Uyghur Muslim population is systemically discriminated against and othered by the Chinese government and how the government phrases their laws in order to justify its discriminatory actions. The results of the analysis provide evidence that the Chinese government’s policies in XUAR are driven by a clear ethnicity bias and a preference for the Han Chinese population. Additionally, they demonstrate the leading party’s, the Chinese Communist Party’s, need for cultural and linguistic assimilation, requiring the entire population to have the party’s core socialist and nationalist beliefs ingrained in them. Furthermore, it exemplifies the nation’s priority towards national security and the terrorism identified in the region being induced by the actions of the government itself. Lastly, the results provide evidence of the discrimination and human rights violations faced by the Uyghur population

Introduction

(I) How are Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China othered and discriminated against systemically by the Chinese government? (II) How does the government formulate their laws in order to justify their discriminatory actions?

Methods

Firstly, the socioeconomic conditions and the historical timeline of XUAR were researched, highlighting events and data that have had and still have an impact on the region. Secondly, the establishment of the reeducation camps and the current conditions of detainees in these camps are investigated. Next, the political structure of the Chinese government and the local government of XUAR and the concept behind the implementation of systemic discrimination and othering are studied. Following the aforementioned theoretical research, the policies in each regulation are defined. Subsequent to the definitions are the linguistic and context-based analyses of the policies. These analyses conclude the aim of this paper leading to the following results and conclusions.

Results

The analysis of government policies on reeducation camps in XUAR reveals several key findings. Firstly, there are ambiguities and vagueness in defining extremism, creating room for interpretation. The focus on monitoring and regulating extremist acts contrasts with the lack of clarity in defining integral terms. The impact evaluation highlights ethnic disparities, discrimination in employment and politics, the sinification of Uyghur culture, and human rights violations in reeducation camps. The region’s significance in the Belt and Road Initiative displays the urgency for stability and security

Discussion

Addressing the first key question, systemic discrimination against Uyghur Muslims is evident in economic disparities, with the Han Chinese population being favoured in job opportunities and economic benefits. «Othering» is sustained through language barriers and cultural differences. It is important to highlight the inhumane treatment faced by the Uyghur population, including reported abuses in detention camps. Regarding the second key question, the Chinese government formulates laws using vague terminology, defining extremism broadly to justify discriminatory actions as necessary for national security. Euphemistic language is employed to downplay reeducation camps› harsh realities by calling them ‘vocational training centres’ and Uyghur Muslims are framed as security threats, justifying surveillance and detention under the guise of national security.

Conclusions

The paper successfully analyses government policies, exposing systemic discrimination, and othering in Xinjiang. By placing policies in a socio-economic and historical context, the research provides a deeper understanding of the topic than possible through just publicly available information. The analysis highlights the strategic use of language in achieving government goals and emphasises the impact on religious relations. Ultimately, the paper accomplishes its goal of revealing systemic discrimination and othering in regulations, demonstrating the manipulation of language in policymaking to seemingly justify an unjust situation.

 

 

Würdigung durch die Expertin

Dr. Brigit Knüsel

Frau Bhattacharjee untersucht die Lage der uigurischen Minderheit in Xinjiang. Aufgrund einer historischen Kontextualisierung sowie einer sorgfältigen und konsistenten Analyse von Gesetzen zur Terrorismusbekämpfung nähert sich die Autorin der Frage nach der Diskriminierung der Bevölkerung an. Die innovative Methode der Auswertung von Bestimmungen ermöglicht es aufzuzeigen, dass die unscharfe Begrifflichkeit in den Gesetzen leicht dazu führen kann, wegen religiöser Praktiken oder Abweichungen von Normen als “Anti-China-Gefahr“ eingestuft und sanktioniert zu werden.

Prädikat:

hervorragend

Sonderpreis «Exporecerca Jove – Barcelona Science Fair» gestiftet von der SJf-Trägerschaft

 

 

 

Gymnasium Münchenstein, Münchenstein
Lehrer: Laurent Voegelin