Foreign diplomats, representative to Geneva visit Xinjiang

By Aldak from People’s Daily

Envoys to Geneva from 14 countries and an international organization visited China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from June 18 to 21 at the invitation of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

These envoys included diplomats from Algeria, Laos, Nigeria, Somalia and Tajikistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Serbia, Eritrea, Nepal, Malaysia, Togo, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, as well as a representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Visiting communities, exhibitions and villagers, they conducted face-to-face communication with local people of various ethnic groups, and learned China’s measures of counter-terrorism and de-extremalization through in-depth investigations.

The delegation members said that they expect to enhance cooperation and communication with China, and work together to promote stability and development.

On the morning of June 19, the diplomats and representative visited Xinjiang International Convention and Exhibition Center for an exhibition on major terrorist attacks in Xinjiang.

Nigerian ambassador to Geneva Audu Ayinla Kadiri said that they learned what terrorism is and its damages, which is no more a religious issue.

Ousmane Afo Salifou from Togo told People’s Daily that he believes every government has the responsibility to protect its people, and it’s a duty of the government to crack down on terrorists.

Faced with a serious counter-terrorism situation, Xinjiang upholds the principle of fighting and preventing terrorism at the same time. The autonomous region has been taking aggressive action against violent terrorist crimes, and at the same time, addressing the problem at its source. By offering vocational education and training, it has been making every effort to educate and rehabilitate the people guilty of minor crimes or law-breaking.

By far, no violent terrorist attack has occurred in Xinjiang in the past 30 months.

Ambassador Zenon Mukongo Ngay from Democratic Republic of the Congo said that counter-terrorism is not an easy task, and what the Chinese government has done very well is that it is addressing the issue at the source.

Terrorism is a common threat of all human beings, and each country should enhance cooperation to jointly cope with the issue to bring peace and prosperity to the people, said Algerian ambassador Boudjemaa Delmi, adding that he believes each country should learn from China in this regard.

To fundamentally destroy the environment that nurtures terrorism and religious extremism, Xinjiang started offering vocational education and training. The vocational education and training centers, whose curricula consist of standard spoken and written Chinese language, law, vocational skills, and courses on the eradication of extremism, follows a model that is employment-oriented.

On June 20, when the delegation visited a vocational education and training center in Kashgar, the students were learning Chinese, law, ethnic musical instruments, traditional drawing and calligraphy.

The delegation members had close communication with the students and watched art performance. A female student who has learned costume designing for two months said that she hoped to set up a clothes shop after finishing the course.

Ambassador Dejan Zlatanovic from Serbia said it is a wise and reasonable measure for China to establish vocational education and training centers, as the trainees can receive correct guidance which will help them achieve a better life in the future.

The policy of the Chinese government is consistent and complete, which can both prevent crimes and help trainees acquire skills and better fit into the society, Delmi noted.

Kadiri said they learned how the Chinese government is coping with terrorism and extremism, and what he saw was entirely different from some negative media reports on the vocational education and training centers.

He said such vocational education and training was a new attempt to deal with terrorism, which is very good.

The diplomats also attended a trial in Urumqi. The parties involved were Uygurs, so the whole process was conducted in Uygur language.

An officer at the court told the delegation that it is stipulated in Chinese Constitution and laws that citizens of every ethnic group have the right to file a lawsuit in their own language and characters. In addition, the judges and relevant officers were also riding horses to remote regions for trials in a bid to better serve the ethnic minorities there.

Filing lawsuits in the languages of ethnic minorities guarantees their rights and interests, said Adem Osman Idris, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. of Eritrea to the UN Office at Geneva. He praised the “mobile court” that brings the courts closer to the people, saying he would bring the experience back to his country.

There was no sewage disposal or garbage treatment facility in the old town of Kashgar. In 2010, over 7 billion yuan was invested to upgrade the region, and the renovation was carried out based on the respect to local culture. The renovation design varies from household to household, and has greatly improved the image of the city. Now, after renovation, Kashgar has become a sign of Xinjiang tourism.

The delegation visited Kashgar on June 20. They tasted local fruits, listened to local music, and had in-depth communication with local residents.

Ambassador Tabu, Permanent Representative of Burundi to the UN Office at Geneva said that the Chinese government has done a good job in protecting the culture of ethnic minorities, which has set an example for the world.

Laotian ambassador Kham-Inh Khitchadeth said he was glad to see ethnic groups in Xinjiang get along with one another, adding that he appreciated the invitation from the Chinese Foreign Ministry because seeing is believing.

An aerial photo taken on June 24, 2019 by a drone shows a flock of sheep on the pasture in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture of Hejing County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo: People’s Daily Online)