The
Chinese government is employing a unique strategy to reduce the
threat of terrorism in its historically unstable Tibet and Xinjiang
autonomous regions. By providing new jobs and better housing, the
government has managed to quell the threat of separatism.
by
Caleb T. Maupin
Part
4 - Respecting Religion and Tradition
Much of the
resentment that Tibetan and Xinjiang separatist groups tap into is
based on the historically anti-religious stance of the Communist
Party of China. While the Chinese constitution declares religious
freedom, the ruling Communist party bases itself on Marxism-Leninism
and dialectical materialism.
Ian
Johnson’s piece “China’s Great Awakening” points out that
anti-religious fervor within the Chinese government did not originate
with the CPC. Nationalist leader Dr. Sun Yat-sen, whose revolution
created the Republic of China in 1912, was virulently anti-religious,
with one his first revolutionary acts being the destruction of a
temple. The National Party of China launched a campaign to “destroy
superstition” as part of the “New Life Movement” in 1926.
The
Communist Party of China’s policies toward religion have changed
significantly since the birth of modern China. At first, the party
made an effort to accommodate religion and tried to create
pro-Communist associations among Buddhists, Catholics, Muslims and
Taoists. These policies were gradually reversed during the 1950s.
From 1966 to
1976, China went through the Cultural Revolution, a mass government
campaign that involved attempts to drastically push Chinese society
closer to communist ideals. During this period, many Buddhist temples
and mosques were destroyed. Those who practiced religion were subject
to public humiliation and violent searches of their homes by young
Communists organized into an association known as the Red Guard.
During this
period, Buddhist or Catholic clergy who had taken vows of chastity
were forced to marry. While pornography, promiscuity, homosexuality
and extramarital sex were considered to be “bourgeois decadence”
by the Communists, the promotion of celibacy was considered to be an
open display of hostility to the party’s goal of increasing the
population.
Following
the rise of former Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and the repudiation
of the “Gang of Four,” the party began to lower its hostility
toward those of religious faith. In 1982, the arty published a
20-page declaration entitled “The Basic Viewpoint and Policy on the
Religious Question During Our Country’s Socialist Period.” The
piece is more widely known as “Document 19” and it repudiates
many of the anti-religious policies of the 1960s and 1970s. The
document argues that Chinese leaders should show “respect for
and protection of the freedom of religious belief,” despite
maintaining a dialectical materialist, atheist worldview.
The party’s
policies toward religion have ostensibly continued to soften since
then. In April 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed China’s
attitude toward religion, urging the Communist Party of China to “dig
deep into doctrines and canons that are in line with social harmony
and progress, and favorable for the building of a healthy and
civilized society, and interpret religious doctrines in a way that is
conducive to modern China’s progress and in line with our excellent
traditional culture.”
In addition,
he said “We must resolutely guard against overseas infiltrations
via religious means and prevent ideological infringement by
extremists,” a possible reference to the unrest in Xinjiang and
the support for Uyghur separatists by Al-Queda and ISIS.
The use and
manipulation of religious grievances by China’s enemies is
certainly not new. As far back as 1957, U.S. Secretary of State John
Foster Dulles said “the religions of the East are deeply rooted
and have many precious values. Their spiritual beliefs cannot be
reconciled with Communist atheism and materialism. That creates a
common bond between us, and our task is to find it and develop it.”
In July
2016, the Chinese government sponsored a conference of Islamic
leaders where they discussed how to oppose violence and extremism.
100 imams gathered, most from central Asia, to discuss how to stop
terrorism from spreading among Muslims in the region.
President Xi
has also announced that the country will “support the education
of religious professionals to ensure they are fully prepared to carry
out their duties and build the trust of believers.” This policy
has included the expansion of the China Islamic Institute in Beijing,
where young Muslims are trained to become religious leaders.
In Tibet,
the policy of respecting religious groups and local culture seems to
not only be stabilizing the region, but contributing to its economic
prosperity. The region has seen increased tourism in recent years,
with the industry bringing 33 billion yuan (4.8 billion dollars) to
the historically impoverished region in 2016. Over 100,000 Tibetans
enjoyed profits from tourism-related business endeavors. The money
came from over 23 million tourists who poured into the region last
year, with the number estimated to increase to 25 million this year.
Source
and links:
It seems
that Taiwan and South China Sea are being used only as a pretext
by the US to provoke China continuously. The US ultimate
geopolitical interest resides in the Chinese mainland, close to
the Russian borders.
According
to a scenario, the US starts a war that ends quickly, changes the
regime in China, puts its puppet, and probably, break China (as
they want to do with Russia), using disputed provinces as a
pretext (e.g. Tibet, Xinjiang - No surprise that, recently, China
responded instantly to Trump, saying that the 'one-China' policy
is not negotiable).
The
US-friendly regimes will repay the US dollars that they will
receive for their 'color revolutions' by allowing US military
bases in their territories. With China dissolved and on its knees,
Russia will be fully encircled and left with no major allies. It
will be the next target.
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