mandag, mai 11, 2009

The demolition of the ancient Uyghur neighbourhood in Kashgar

An old way of life is coming to a crashing end in north-western China with two-thirds of Kashgar’s Old City being bulldozed over the past few weeks under a government plan to “modernize” the area.
The few remaining houses still standing are marked with an ominous-looking Chinese character written in red with a circle drawn around it. The character, pronounced “chai” in Chinese, means demolish.
For centuries, children played on the cobblestone streets of the Old City, mothers standing in the doorways of their mud-brick dwellings chatting with neighbours, their faces covered by scarves. Bearded men wearing embroidered doppas have walked daily to the many small neighbourhood mosques that pepper the area for prayers, passing by coppersmiths hammering pieces of metal into shiny pots, butchers cutting lamb in the open air and bakers slapping traditional flatbreads on to the sides of a tandoor.
“The Old City in Kashgar represents the very essence of Uighur civilization for thousands of years,” said Rebiya Kadeer, “The Uyghur consider Kashgar the cradle of Uighur civilization.
“By destroying Kashgar, the Chinese government will make all East Turkestan cities and towns look just like all other Chinese cities and towns along the east coast. Once Kashgar is destroyed, the unique Uighur and Central Asian character of East Turkestan will become history.”


If you want to know more about this topic, please visit:
http://www.uyghuramerican.org/articles/2877/1/China-razes-the-cradle-of-a-culture/index.html

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