China removes Xinjiang party chief

The Hindu The Erdaoqiao market in Urumqi, once a bustling centre of Uighur tourism, bears a deserted look this week as fears of ethnic violence keep customers away. Photo: Ananth Krishnan 

 

The Chinese government on Saturday removed the powerful head of its western Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, in the first indication yet that the central government was rethinking its policies that many say have led to ethnic unrest.

The decision comes amid a tightening of security in the region's capital Urumqi, where local officials and residents told The Hindu this week there were growing fears of a recurrence of last July's ethnic violence.

Riots in Urumqi between the native Uighur ethnic group and China's majority Han Chinese who have migrated to the region claimed at least 197 lives according to government figures, though residents of both ethnic groups say the number is far higher.

The violence led to increasing criticism of the region's powerful Party Secretary, Wang Lequan, who had been directing Xinjiang's policies since 1994.

Following a meeting of the Communist Party's Central Committee in Beijing late on Friday, the state media said in a brief statement that Mr. Wang would be replaced by Zhang Chunxian, who served as party boss in Hunan. The reasons for the change were not mentioned.

Mr. Wang was transferred to the influential Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the Party's Central Committee, which controls the police as well as the courts. His move, one political analyst said, could not be termed a demotion but suggested a new approach to governing Xinjiang.

Mr. Wang is known for his hard-line policies and is regarded as a close ally of President Hu Jintao. His removal, analysts noted, signalled a blow to Mr. Hu, who faced criticism from opposing factions within the Party following last July's violence.

Both Uighur and Han residents told The Hindu in interviews last week that they blamed government policies for last year's violence, though for different reasons. The Chinese government, however, says the violence was orchestrated by exiled Uighur separatist groups and has defended its policies.

Uighurs say economic policies have not benefited both groups equally and that there is rising unemployment among Uighurs even as Xinjiang's development has boomed this past decade.

Much of the growth is driven by industries built around the region's vast oil and mineral resources. But inflation and fuel shortages in Urumqi have led to resentment among the locals, and perceptions that Xinjiang's resources were being “stolen” by big industry. “We cannot understand how Xinjiang is so rich in resources but why we are so poor,” said one Uighur taxi driver, requesting anonymity for fear of retribution by the authorities.

Hans, on the other hand, accuse the government of failing to protect them from violence unleashed by Uighur mobs last July, and say the government is “too soft” on Uighurs. In an unprecedented protest in September, thousands of Han Chinese marched on the Party's headquarters in Urumqi, demanding Mr. Wang's sacking. In response, the government then sacked Li Zhi, the city's party chief, but retained Mr. Wang.

Mr. Li's removal has done little to ease tensions in Urumqi.

This week, squads of riot police, heavily armed with rifles and batons, were seen patrolling the city's Uighur neighbourhoods. Security has been tightened, officials said, and police are now on 24-hour patrols.

In the Erdaoqiao marketplace, at the heart of last July's riots, shops were deserted. Once a thriving hub of Uighur business and the city's tourism, many businesses now face bankruptcy, while the tourism industry has crumpled.

Rumours of a fresh outbreak of violence, fuelled by the dismantling of a number of security cameras by miscreants last week, has kept Han customers away from the Uighur neighbourhood. Many Hans have already moved out of Erdaoqiao, further dividing an already segregated city.

“There are always fears of another riot, and rumours are creating panic” a Uighur shopkeeper said. “We don't know what to believe. But after what happened last year, we do know anything can happen in Urumqi.”