In
the last days of a prepcom gearing up to the world's
first conference on racism, hosted by UNHCR in
Durban at the end of this month, a report was released
by the UN in Geneva criticizing the Chinese government
for not doing enough to protect minority rights.
After
two days of hearing with Chinese officials, the UN
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
released its conclusions on Thursday.
Ninety-two percent of
China is ethnically Han
Chinese, but the remaining
eight percent makes up
109 million peoples.
The report noted that
certain regions in China
were particularly vulnerable,
and asked the Chinese
to better substantiate
their claim that minorities
in China were benefiting
from economic development.
The
report said the committee "remained
concerned with regard
to the ... freedom of
religion by people belonging
to national minorities,
particularly in Xinjiang
and Tibet."
Xinjiang is a largely
Muslim region in western
China. Other peoples
noted in the report were
Tibetans, Mongolians,
Uighurs, Koreans and
Tujia.
Also
noted were "continuous
reports of discrimination
with the regard to the
right to education in
minority regions, with
particular emphasis on
Tibet," which is
mostly Buddhist. The
committee recommended
that China ``ensure that
children in all minority
areas have the right
to develop knowledge
about their own language
and culture as well as
the Chinese.''
"A
distinctive religion
is integral
to the identity of several
minorities,'' the report
said.
Not mentioned by the
report was the Falong
Gong sect, whom China
accuses of religious
fanaticism. But the Chinese
official did emphasize
that their family planning
program was much more
lenient on minorities,
and therefore minority
populations were growing
at a faster rate then
Han Chinese.
They also cited the
Western Development Plan
as beneficial to minorities
as it brings rail and
road service to otherwise
isolated minority areas.
But many human rights
activists allege that
these lines of transportation
only re-enforces the
government's control
of potential fractional
regions, and does little
to benefit the ethnic
people it reaches.
The Chinese report cited
its constitution, which
declares all nationalities
equal and bars discrimination.
But, Chinese officials
present recognized that
it is a hard task to
wipe out racism and discrimination,
which aren't always evident.
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