The China’s Public Policy Implementation of the Local Government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region towards Human Rights Issues in Xinjiang
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
This research article aims to investigate the realities surrounding human rights issues in Xinjiang and the actions of the Chinese government through the public policies of local self-governance in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The study employs a documentary research approach, analyzing academic and official documents (white papers) to present accurate and fair information on the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the Chinese government’s actions through its local self-governance public policies in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, ensuring the proper protection and recognition of human rights.
The research findings indicate that over a span of more than 70 years, since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese government has adhered to the concept of human rights with a focus on placing “the people at the center.” The government has implemented public policies through the local government of Xinjiang to recognize and develop the well-being of people of all ethnicities in Xinjiang. This is done to continuously enhance the protection of the human rights of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds in Xinjiang. The implemented policies can be categorized into five aspects: ensuring effective protection of people’s rights to life, promoting self-governance at the regional ethnic level, reinforcing the commitment of local governments to development philosophies centered on the people, placing significant importance on the inheritance and protection of the rich cultural heritage of all ethnic groups, and pursuing a policy of religious freedom in full measure at the local government level.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright
Connexion: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences has an exclusive right to publish the accepted articles in any form. However, the author retains the following rights:
1. The right to the ownership of the article;
2. The right to use all or part of the article in his/her other works;
3. The right to re-produce the article for personal use or for use in the author’s organisation, in which case the author must obtain permission from Connexion: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences;
4. The right to make copies of all or part of the work for educational use or for the author’s use in classroom teaching; and
5. The right to include the work (both the preprinted and printed versions) in an institutional repository.
References
Anonymous. (2010) China and the principle of self-determination of peoples, St Antony’s International Review, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 79-102.
Carlson, M., & Listhaug, O. (2007) Citizens’ perceptions of human rights practices: An analysis of 55 countries, Journal of Peace Research, vol. 44, no. 4, Special Issue on Protecting Human Rights, pp. 465-483. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343307078939
Chang, A. (2020) Achievements and advantages of the protection of cultural rights of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang -- Interpretation of the white paper “Cultural Protection and Development in Xinjiang” (新疆少数民族文化权利保护的成就与优势 ——《新疆的文化保护与发展》白皮书解读), Journal of Ethnic Studies, no. 1, pp. 1-12. https://www.humanrights.cn/html/llyj/1/6/2021/0302/57420.html (in Chinese)
China Briefing. (2021) Investing in Xinjiang: Economy, industry, trade, and investment profile, Available: https://www.china-briefing.com/news/investing-in-xinjiang-economy-industry-trade-and-investment-profile/ [1 December 2023]
Chinese Government, Religious Affairs Bureau. (2005, June 22) Freedom of religious belief policy (宗教信仰自由政策), Available: https://www.gov.cn/test/2005-06/22/content_8409.htm [1 December 2023] (in Chinese)
Choudhary, L. (2002) Islamic militancy and terrorism in Xinjiang: China’s anxieties and concerns, Journal of India Quarterly, vol. 58, no. 2, pp. 69-92.
Cole, W. M. (2015) Mind the gap: State capacity and the implementation of human rights treaties, International Organization, vol. 69, no. 2, pp. 405-441. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002081831400040X
Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. (2004, March 14) Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, chapter III the structure of the state, Available: http://www.npc.gov.cn/zgrdw/englishnpc/Constitution/2007-11/15/content_1372990.htm [11 November 2023]
Council of European. (2023) The evolution of human rights, Council of European.
Dabphet, S. (2020) Conflict management in China: The case of Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang Province, Asian Review, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 55-73. https://doi.org/10.58837/CHULA.ARV.33.2.3
Department of Policies and Regulations. (2011, June 29) Law of the People’s Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy (中华人民共和国民族区域自治法), Available: https://www.neac.gov.cn/seac/zcfg/201106/1011498.shtml [2 November 2023] (in Chinese)
DiGiacomo, G. (2016) Human rights: Current issues and controversies, University of Toronto Press.
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. (2019, July 21) Historical matters concerning Xinjiang, Available: http://pk.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/mlzg/201907/t20190721_1134956.htm [6 December 2023]
Feinerman, J. V. (1990) Deteriorating human rights in China, Current History, vol. 89, no. 548, pp. 265-269. https://doi.org/10.1525/curh.1990.89.548.265
Flowers, N. (1993) A short history of human rights, University of Minnesota, Human Right Resource Center. http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/short-history.htm
Guancha News. (2021, April 10) How did the human rights issue in Xinjiang get “exposed”? (新疆人权问题，到底是怎么被“曝光”出来的？), Available: https://user.guancha.cn/main/content?id=492706 [11 December 2023] (in Chinese)
Hsieh, J. (1986) China’s nationalities policy: Its development and problems, Anthropos, vol. 81, no. 1/3, pp. 1-20. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40462022
Human Rights Watch. (2023, December 23) Human rights watch’s role in conflict and crisis: How HRW documents wartime abuses, advocates to protect civilians, and promotes justice, Available: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/12/22/human-rights-watchs-role-conflict-and-crisis [25 November 2023]
Jin, X. (2022) The stigmatization of human rights in Xinjiang by the United States and its logic (美国对新疆的人权污名化及其逻辑), Journal of Human Right, no. 3, pp. 172-194. (in Chinese)
Li, J. (2019, April 19) The people are the master (人民是主人), Available: http://theory.people.com.cn/n1/2019/1004/c40531-31384479.html [26 November 2023] (in Chinese)
Li, J. (2021) The political polarization of the United States towards China and the false human rights narrative related to Xinjiang (美国对华政治极化与涉疆虚假人权叙事), Journal of Contemporary Communication (Research on Xinjiang Related), no. 4, pp. 69-102. (in Chinese)
Li, J., & Yang, S. (2020) Containment and interference: An analysis of the US Core Interests Act on China (遏制与干涉: 美国涉华核心利益法案分析), Journal of Asia-Pacific Security and Ocean Research, no. 4, pp. 15-35. (in Chinese)
Lu, X. (2019) “Counter-terrorism and de-extremization in Xinjiang” struggle and human rights protection” white paper (《新疆的反恐、去极端化 斗争与人权保障》白皮书), Journal of Chinese Religion, pp. 12-19. (in Chinese)
Luo, X., & Zhao, X. (2021) The issue framework and public opinion manipulation of fake news related to Xinjiang in the West (西方涉疆虚假新闻的议题框架与舆论操纵 ——以BBC报道为例), Available: http://paper.people.com.cn/xwzx/html/2021-06/01/content_25988421.htm (in Chinese)
Maizland, L. (2022, September 22) China’s repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Available: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-xinjiang-uyghurs-muslims-repression-genocide-human-rights [30 November 2023]
Marks, S. P. (2016) Human rights: A brief introduction, Harvard University.
Millward, J. A. (2021) Eurasian crossroads: A history of Xinjiang, revised and updated, Columbia University Press.
Pan, Z., & Hu, H. (2011) International factors influencing the production and development of Eastern Turkistan (“东突”产生和发展过程中的国际因素), Journal of Ethnology, no. 4, pp. 129-139. (in Chinese)
Rakhima, A. S., & Satyawati, N. G. A. D. (2019) Gross violations of human rights veiled within Xinjiang Political Reeducation Camps, Journal of Kertha Patrika, vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.24843/KP.2019.v41.i01.p01
Shiman, D. (1993) Teaching human rights, Center for Teaching International Relations Publications, University of Denver.
Soken-Huberty, E. (2021, December 15) 10 human rights issues of the future, Available: https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/human-rights-issues-of-the-future/ [25 November 2023]
Sutto, M. (2019) Human rights evolution, a brief history, The CoESPU Magazine, no. 3. https://doi.org/10.32048/Coespumagazine3.19.3
The Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (MOE). (2006, February 15) Relevant language provisions in relevant laws of our country (我国相关法律中有关语言文字的规定), Available: http://www.moe.gov.cn/jyb_xwfb/xw_ft/moe_46/moe_1055/tnull_13924.html#:~:text=%E4%B8%80%E3%80%81%E4%B8%AD%E5%8D%8E%E4%BA%BA%E6%B0%91%E5%85%B1%E5%92%8C%E5%9B%BD%E5%AE%AA%E6%B3%95%EF%BC%88%E8%8A%82%E5%BD%95%EF%BC%89&text=%E7%AC%AC%E5%8D%81%E4%B9%9D%E6%9D%A1 [19 November 2023] (in Chinese)
The People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (2006, June 6) Xinjiang in brift (美丽新疆), Available: http://www.xinjiang.gov.cn/xinjiang/dmxj/dmxj.shtml [15 November 2023] (in Chinese)
The Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled. (2020) Public Law 116-145 June 17, 2020: Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, Congressional Record, vol. 166. https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ145/PLAW-116publ145.pdf
The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China. (2021, July 14) White paper: Respecting and protecting the rights of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, Available: http://english.scio.gov.cn/node_8025047.html [15 November 2023]
U.S. Department of State. (2021, December 25) China’s disregard for human rights, Available: https://2017-2021.state.gov/chinas-disregard-for-human-rights/ [8 December 2023]
United Nations. (1992, December 18) Declaration on the rights of persons belonging to national or ethnic, religious, and linguistic minorities, Available: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/declaration-rights-persons-belonging-national-or-ethnic [21 December 2023]
United Nations. (1993, June 25) Vienna declaration and programme of action, Available: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/vienna.pdf [16 December 2023]
United Nations. (2021, May 19) Universal declaration of human rights, Available: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights [19 December 2023]
United Nations. (1976) The international bill of human rights, United Nations Publication.
Van Wie Davis, E. (2008) Uyghur Muslim ethnic separatism in Xinjiang, China, Asian Affairs: An American Review, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 15-30. https://doi.org/10.3200/AAFS.35.1.15-30
Wang Yi, H. E. (2021, February 22) A people-centered approach for global human rights progress, Available: https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/wjb_663304/wjbz_663308/2461_663310/202102/t20210222_9889339.html [17 November 2023]
Xia, H. (2021, July 14) Equal right to economic development guaranteed in China’s Xinjiang: white paper, Available: http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2021-07/14/c_1310059984.htm [22 November 2023]
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region People’s Congress Standing Committee. (2016, January 1) Anti-terrorism law of the People’s Republic of China, Available: https://www-xjpcsc-gov-cn.translate.goog/article/629d65cba4e248c597fd09a25f68155a?_x_tr_sl=zh-CN&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc [4 November 2023]
Zenz, A. (2022) The Xinjiang police files: Re-education camp security and political paranoia in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region, Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies, vol. 3, pp. 263-311. https://doi.org/10.25365/jeacs.2022.3.zenz
Zhou, Q., & Zhang, Z. (2021, April 9) Investing in Xinjiang: Economy, industry, trade, and investment profile, Available: https://www.china-briefing.com/news/investing-in-xinjiang-economy-industry-trade-and-investment-profile/ [20 November 2023]