07.13.09
Ghost of Marx haunts China’s riots
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/KG08Ad02.html
Asia Times July 8, 2009
Ghost of Marx haunts China’s riots
By Jian Junbo
SHANGHAI – The weekend violence that has left 156 people dead and more
than 816 injured in Urumqi, capital of northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region, is the latest example of growing conflicts between
China’s majority Han ethnic group and ethnic minorities.
At the heart of the escalating problem are China’s antiquated policies
towards its ethnic minorities – a raft of Marxist measures that are
now pleasing neither the ethnic Han, nor the minorities. As China’s
gargantuan economy has advanced, former leader Mao Zedong’s vision of
political and economic equality between Han and non-Han has gradually
been undermined.
The end result could be seen on the bloody streets of Urumqi.