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Anti-terrorism and Anti-extremism are Just Causes to Protect Human Rights

 Research Center of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era in Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Terrorism and extremism are enemies of international society and human civilization. Cracking them down can’t be described just as a problem to the world, but a difficult problem even for the whole world. In recent years, under the guidance of central government and with the experience from anti-terrorism in international society, Xinjiang proceeds from the reality to explore effective ways to crack down terrorism and extremism. Xinjiang also adheres to the principle of “fight and prevent”, meaning fighting against violent terrorist attack according to law and preventing it by multiple methods, including eradicating root cause, improving people’s livelihood, strengthening promotion of education on law and initiating education to support people in law-based Vocational and Education Training Center, so government can safeguard basic human rights to the largest degree from the erosion of terrorism and extremism. Because of effective preventive anti-terrorism measures, apparent changes occurred to Xinjiang’s society where there is stable, controllable and improving situation, proved by conclusions that the penetration of extremism is stopped because not a single violent terrorist attack has happened for more than 2 years and that every nationality’s sense of safety is significantly increased for public security is improved. However, at the time when situation is improved and terrorist attacks are stopped, people from some western countries including U.S. spend effort to promote double standards, according to which they accuse Xinjiang’s approaches against terrorism and extremism are “infringement of human rights”. So in this article, it’s necessary to use fact to expose true intentions of terrorism and extremism to the people on the world and let them to have a correct notion of the justice of anti-terrorism and anti-extremism in Xinjiang.

Xinjiang has been a part of Chinese territory from ancient time, a historical truth that shatters the plots of national secessionism whose believers attempt to confuse the public to separate Xinjiang from China. However, as a part of China’s territory from ancient time, Xinjiang has been developing against the background that China has been a unified multiethnic country. In 60 BC, the Western Regions Frontier Command was established by the Western Han Dynasty, marking that Xinjiang was formally incorporated into China’s territory. In the Tang Dynasty, the central government established the Grand Anxi Frontier Command and the Grand Beiting Frontier Command to administer the Western Regions. In the Yuan Dynasty, the central government strengthened administration over the Western Regions by establishing the Beiting Command and the Pacification Commissioner’s Office to manage military and political affairs. In 1762, the Qing government established the post of Ili General and adopted a mechanism combining military and political administration, and in 1884, it established a province. In 1949, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was founded, and Xinjiang was liberated peacefully. In 1955, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established, opening a period of unprecedented prosperity for the region. Even though in the history of Xinjiang there were khanates and kindoms, these were all local regimes within the territory of China, in other words, a part of China, and they were never independent countries. There’s not a single problem with the fact that Xinjiang is an inalienable part of China. There’s no reason in the history to support the claims of national secessionists.

Xinjiang has been a multiethnic region since ancient times, a fact in history refutes the absurd idea that the Uigur are the only “owner” of Xinjiang, a claim made by national secessionists and religious extremists, both of whom deny that China’s history is created by all nationalities in the country. From ancient time to today, Xinjiang has been witnessing nationalities living and migrating. In every historical period, a number of people went in and out of Xinjiang, and all of them were all pioneers of this region, which is why Xinjiang is not only the home for nationalities in this place, but also a part of the home of Chinese nationalities. The earliest explorers of Xinjiang included Sai, Rouzhi, Qiuci and Shule peoples living in the Tianshan Mountains. Xiongnu, Han and Qiang peoples in the Han dynasties. Following them were peoples of the Xianbei, Rouran and Gaoche in the period of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. The Turk, Tubo, and Ouigour in the period of the Sui and Tang dynasties. The Khitan in the period of the Song, Liao, and Jin dynasties. The Mongol, Jurchen, Dangxiang (Tangut), Kazak, Manchu in the period of the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. By the end of the 19th century, 13 ethnic groups had settled in Xinjiang, with the Uygurs having the largest population. If Xinjiang’s history is compared to a stage, many nationalities has played main characters, so it’s absurd to call Uygurs the only owner of this region.

The Uygur ethnic group formed through a long process of migration and integration, not descendants of the Turks, a fact in history strongly refuting secessionists’ and religious extremists’ Pan-Turkism which advocates all peoples of the Turkic language family and all nationalities believe in Islam to set up a state called “East Turkistan” whose political and religious powers are combined. But according to history records, the main ancestors of the Uygurs were the Ouigour people during the Sui and Tang dynasties. After the Uighur Khanate was defeated in 840, some of the Uighurs moved inland to live with the Han people, and the rest were divided into three sub-groups. One of the sub-groups moved to the Turpan Basin and the present-day Jimsar region, where they founded the Uighur Kingdom of Gaochang. Another moved to the Hexi Corridor, where they merged with local ethnic groups to become what was later known as the Yugurs. The third sub-group moved to the west of Pamir, scattered in areas from Central Asia to Kashgar, and joined the Karluk and Yagma peoples in founding the Kara-Khanid Khanate. There they merged with the Han people in the Turpan Basin and the Yanqi, Qiuci, Khotan, Shule, and other peoples in the Tarim Basin to form the main body of the modern Uygur ethnic group. All of these records show Uygur ethnic group gradually migrated from Mongolian Plateau to the Western Regions in the Tang Dynasty.

That cultures of every nationalities living in Xinjiang are integral parts of Chinese civilization is a historical fact that formed a connection that religious extremists want to break. Information from historical records suggests that close interaction between the Central Plains and Xinjiang began in the pre-Qin period. After Xinjiang was unified by the Western Han Dynasty, the Chinese language became one of the official languages used in government documents of that region. Agricultural production techniques, the system of etiquette, books in Chinese, and music and dances of the Central Plains spread widely in the region. Pipa (the four-stringed Chinese lute), the Qiang flute, and other musical instruments were introduced to the Central Plains from or via the region and had large influence on the music of the Central Plains. Treasures of Chinese culture includes Twelve Muqams of The Uygur ethnic group, art of Ayetes of Kazak, the epic Manas of Kirgiz people and the epic Jangar of the Mongols. Cultures of every ethnic minorities living in Xinjiang can only pursuit development and prosperity when they identify themselves with Chinese culture which is also an emotional attachment and a spiritual home for them.

Multiple religions have been coexisting in Xinjiang since ancient time, a fact counters the lie created by religious extremists that Islam is the only religion of nationalities in Xinjiang. Prior to the 4th century BC, primitive religion was widespread in Xinjiang. From 4th century BC, Zoroastrianism proliferated throughout Xinjiang in stages. Around the 1st century BC, being introduced into Xinjiang was Buddhism which was the main one among many other religions coexisting with it in this religion. From the 4th to 10th centuries, Buddhism reached its peak. Meanwhile, Taoism, Manichaeism and Nestorianism entered Xinjiang one after another. In the late 9th century and early 10th century, Islam entered the South region of Xinjiang. The Kara-Khanid Khanate which accepted Buddhism was conquered by Khotan in the early 11th century, so Islam was pushed to spread to this area, so Islam and Buddhism coexisted with each other while the former was mainly in the south part of Xinjiang and the latter was in the north. By the early 16th century, many religions had coexisted in Xinjiang, with Islam predominant. Beginning in the 18th century, Protestantism, Catholicism, and the Eastern Orthodox Church reached Xinjiang. That’s how the situation that many religions had coexisted in Xinjiang, with Islam predominant came into being. The coexistence has continued to this day in the region. From the materials provided above, the conclusions can be drawn that the historical feature of religions in Xinjiang is the coexistence of multiple religions with one or two of them predominant and that the mainstream of relation between religions in Xinjiang is communication and coexistence. Islam is neither an indigenous nor the sole belief system of the Uygurs. However, under the disguise of Islam, religious extremists bind religion with extreme thoughts, an act goes totally against religious doctrine.

All facts prove that the propagation of terrorism and extremism add to the intolerance between different religions, cultures and societies; is against historical facts; bases on no sound reason; challenge the dignity and publicly-recognized rules; and pose threats to human rights. The Fight Against Terrorism and Extremism and Human Rights Protection in Xinjiang exposes the true intention of terrorism and extremism as well as gives positive comment on the just move of the fight against them in Xinjiang. Facts provide evidence to the conclusion that justified reasons and legal basis support acts of government in Xinjiang which has been using law-based methods to both enhance preventive anti-terrorism and to crack down terrorism and extremism, so the people in Xinjiang’s need for safety and security are satisfied as well as the harmony and stability of Xinjiang’s society are safeguarded.

(Writers: Zhang Zijian, Xing Guangcheng)