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| People's Armed Police in Xinjiang. Photo: Reuters |
I wanted to wait a bit to see if the information cleared up.
Reporting on events in China from outside China is not the easiest thing in the
world, due to the narrow range of viewpoints usually available.
The Xinjiang conflict is primarily an ethic one, between the
Uighur locals and Han immigrants, who are now a majority of the region’s
population. Han Chinese make up more than 90% of China’s population. Most of
the Uighur population is Muslim, and has faced dramatically increased religious
repression over the past few years. Police in parts of Xinjiang have banned
fasting for Ramadan, wearing veils and headscarves, and even wearing beards.
Over the last year, apparent Uighur separatists have carried
out terror attacks with knives and bombs across China, usually against Han
civilians or symbols of government authority. Several officials and
government-sanctioned imams have been assassinated in the Xinjiang region.
The People’s Armed Police
"Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." — Mao Tse-tung
The police involved in the incident were most likely members of the People’s Armed Police, a massive second army intended for internal security duties. Their role is similar to that of Russia’s internal troops or India’s Central Reserve Police Force.
The police involved in the incident were most likely members of the People’s Armed Police, a massive second army intended for internal security duties. Their role is similar to that of Russia’s internal troops or India’s Central Reserve Police Force.
They use military uniforms and equipment, including armored
vehicles with mounted heavy machine guns. Official numbers claim a strength of
660,000, but outside estimates range from 1.1 to 1.5 million, of which 800,000
are believed to be militarized. The rest of the organization is dedicated to
tasks such as fire prevention in China’s forests.
China’s spending on internal security has outweighed its defense
budget since 2010, though China’s actual defense budget has been estimated to
be about 40% higher than reported.
Risks
If Uighur separatists were to acquire military-grade weapons,
either from a foreign supplier or by ambushing heavily-armed police patrols,
the conflict could escalate to a major insurgency. So far, the separatists
appear to have had no access to firearms, and very little external support. Smuggling
is a possibility – Xinjiang has a narrow border with Afghanistan’s relatively peaceful
Badakhshan province. China has recruited Tajik herdsmen to help patrol the
border.
The local government has pledged to continue the crackdown.
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