But local language still need to be taught in that particular region (eg:xinjiang need to be taught uyghur or any other local language regardless ethnicity). it doesn’t hurt to know other language, besides, who know you could hook up with Xinjiang Girl (well known pretty)

adriad said:———-
Back to the minority policy of China, i was amazed to see 10 yrs ago in a program the signs everywhere written equally large of a minority language with chinese in the autonomous regions…even recently with the qinghai earthquake, what caught my attention was a photo taken that in one of the crumbled schools, tibetan (?) was written alongside chinese displayed prominently in front of the school…i dun understand how anyone can doubt the autonomy of these provinces or the cries of ‘cultural genocide’ when not only do the laws prescribe that minority languages must be alongside chinese in equal font but its also enforced in practice as well.

For the Chinese minorities living in South East Asia (roughly 35 million), they should really have been the ones rioting and protesting throughout the 20th century. An example is Indonesia, where laws not only did not give preferential policy to Chinese(like China is giving to minorities now) but banned chinese characters and all forms of chinese cultural celebrations in public until as recently as 1998. Did ppl even know that the immigration forms at airports until as late as 1998 told you that as a tourist, it was illegal to bring in chinese language publications?! Also, Jakarta became known as the only Chinatown without Chinese writing until 1998.

Another example, which i was frankly shocked to know about, in Thailand, back 15-20 years ago, a friend told me he attended a Chinese majority school and they had chinese lessons but whenever the education inspectors came they had to hide their chinese textbooks. I was extremely shocked to know about this given that Thailand is supposed to be a democracy.
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I totally agree with your statement adrian.. westerner (promoted by USA) has a bias attitude toward China.. Because China is viewed as threat, as rough state, as a competitor for whatever their (western) political motives are..

Look at Indonesia for instance.. has plenty of ethnic group but, the largest, Javanese out numbered other ethnic group in most of the other land/island and there is not issue there.. no article about javanese killing dayak kalimantan culture or seizing their job opportunities in the western media..

why is that? Indonesia is too small to be noticed.. heck no.. because Indonesia is “robbed” by western states.. look at freeport for example.. They just keep quite so that they can keep “sucking” Indonesia huge resources… And as long as Indonesian gov kowtows to USA..

I have to change to Indonesian name, could not learn my mother language and face a huge discrimination in law and society.. thanks to USA’s containment policy..

But now it is changing… not because USA is great in upholdin Human rights (bullshit slogan), but because China has risen from the “death”.. China is becoming a powerful nation.. so other countries would not dare to offend its citizens or its descendants..

Cheers…

Chinese nationalist is like a little Hitler. Look at your sentence Chinese Nationalist “no country grew big by voluntary association”. Maybe then it was ok when Japan invaded China, wasn’t it? They just wanted to grew big.

I’m a postgraduate university student who has recently completed a thesis on Chinese policies in the XUAR since the end of the Soviet Union.

Cheers

If a migrant worker wants to work all around the country, he has to accept the contraints of the situation he puts himself in. He wants to travel all around China, then HE should submit to the linguistical realities of the regions where he wants to go. As simple as that! And his adaptability and linguistical skills could be a decisive asset for his career.
I have never promoted forcible Uyghur lectures for Han in XJ. The truth is Han learning Uyghur, irrespective of the educational method, is both morally justified and pragmatically a necessity in such a multiethnical region.

The topic was about education of children in XJ. As you have most probably noticed, I tend to think that a real general bilinguistic education system in XJ would be beneficial to all, Han and Uyghurs. By the way, I speak of REAL bilinguism, ie half-Mandarin, half Uyghur, not what is promoted at the moment which is 95% mandarin, 5% uyghur, and restricted to Uyghurs only. So, China could implement the three-language formula used in India as given below:
- the first language could be the regional language (here Uyghur)
- the second language could be the national language (here Mandarin instead of Hindi)
- the third language could be either another regional language or a foreign one
If the local language is Hindi, then the second language must be another regional language, like Gujarati or Tamil. And In India the regional language is taught to all pupils, inrespective of their ethnicity.
This works in India, when pupils are not smarter than Chinese kids, and where education is far from benefiting of the same resources as in China. This would also meet your demand that all ethnicities are treated alike.

From personal experience in England, Germany, Italy, Finland, Turkey and Chili, I can assure you that wherever I went, I drew much sympathy when I had a few words with locals in their language. So yes, I am pretty sure that Uyghurs would appreciate if non-Uyghurs would learn Uyghur. Other social issues would still need to be tackled, but such a move would help to show the respect and consideration of Han toward Uyghur culture, and thus it would refute the threat upon Uyghur culture expressed by some Uyghurs.
And if Uyghurs are assured that their culture is not endangered and can flourish under Chinese rule, support to independence would be given a serious blow.

Now, it’d be nice from you to answer the following questions:

“Your last “rough” sentences sound really promising, but please could you enlighten us about :
- why CCP leaders are little “soft” sissies,
- what is “being tough”,
- how such strong policies will improve the situation in XJ in the short and long term,
- how they will not fuel and justify the demands of some Uyghurs about the respect of their persons, culture and dignity?”

You mean only if every non-uyghur speaking person in Xinjiang is required to learn uyghur, then uyghurs will feel respected?

Your last “rough” sentences sound really promising, but please could you enlighten us about :
- why CCP leaders are little “soft” sissies,
- what is “being tough”,
- how such strong policies will improve the situation in XJ in the short and long term,
- how they will not fuel and justify the demands of some Uyghurs about the respect of their persons, culture and dignity?

I’m looking forward from reading from you.

BTW, no country grew big by “voluntary association”.

I’d say that 2 issues are at stake here : the alibity for communicate and live in a multilinguistical environment, and the nation-building process as it is at work in China.

Just like I wrote it above, I can not imagine Uyghurs not speaking Mandarin. But can Han live in Xinjiang totally unaware about the whole cultural Uyghur-speaking world next door? This is also their neighbourhood’s cultural heir, and turning a blind eye on it seems to be the best way to misunderstandings between the communities. That is why I am convinced that multilinguism is the key to today’s world (and not only in China). What means I don’t have any objections toward Uyghurs learning Mandarin, and I think that learning Uyghur is in the own interest of Xinjiang’s Hans.

About the nation: if one has a look of China as it is at the moment, one is bound to get to the conclusion that China gathers several ethnies that, in my opinion, could also be “nations” on their own.
Let me put it as clearly as I can possibly do : I don’t support any splitism or independence of any part of today’s RPC. I think that the current organisation of the Chinese state does not permit all ethnies/nationalities/minorities to be given the same respect and consideration. This disbalance can but end in social tensions for which external powers can not be blamed.
I consider a modern state to be the voluntary association of communities (such like Switzerland, the Indian Union, or the building of European Union), a stronger federation in which everyone can nurture one’s own culture.
I consider the 18th century European nation-state concept, advocating forcible assimilation (like France throughout 20th century, and RPC in my estimation), as an anachronistic and obsolete idea.

That’s why I’d like to seem China placed anticipating the evolution of western political institutions, and not lagging one century behind.

What XIX-century European scheme? English proficiency is required for US citizenship test. Why not Spanish? Many parts of US had Spanish settlers earlier than English speaking ones and still have large spanish speaking population. Why not different American India languages? North America is their land anyway. There is nothing wrong to promote a common language among a naiton’s citizens. You are either stupid, blind by your bias, or have unspeadable purpose.