Weekly news round-up

A collection of the week's most important Xinjiang-related articles and analysis:

Party member among missing (Radio Free Asia)

China police begin house searches in restive Xinjiang (Jakarta Globe)

Uyghurs face deportation from Sweden (Radio Free Asia)

Xinjiang's other minorities equally important to region (Global Times)

More Indian companies to explore business opportunities in northwest China (Xinhua)

Kyrgyzstan and China to closely cooperate on security issues (New Europe)

Xinjiang tightens inspection (Global Times)

Uyghur jailed over religious materials (Radio Free Asia)

Baseline wages in Xinjiang rise by 16% (China Daily)

Police witness to Xinjiang riots dies in mysterious circumstances (Radio Free Asia)

Weekly news round-up

A collection of the week's most important Xinjiang-related news and analysis:

Children injured in clash in China's Xinjiang (AFP)

China's Xinjiang keen to trade directly with India (Business Standard)

Central Asia: China's top brass on Central Asia tour (Eurasianet)

WUC condemns death of Uyghur youth in detention (World Uyghur Congress)

Senior officials calls for Xinjiang ethnic unity (Xinhua)

China urges Pakistan to expel Uighur Islamic militants (BBC)

Li: people's livelihood top priority in Xinjiang (China Daily)

Nine Uyghurs jailed over religious activities (Radio Free Asia)

Beijing, Kabul sign cooperation pact (Radio Liberty)

The company you keep

This week's news that China is stepping up its security ties with Israel is a worrying development for anyone concerned with the human rights of ethnic minorities in China. The visit of a People's Armed Police delegation to Israel, in particular, is troubling news. If the P.A.P delegation is seeking to learn from Israel about how best to deal with security problems, it is unclear quite what knowledge Israel could have to impart, apart from how to best inflame ethno-religious tensions and trample over human rights (something which China arguably already has a great deal of experience in).

Indeed it is difficult to ascertain which policies Israel could recommend which China does not already implement. Whether it is the use of 'administrative detention' (i.e. detention without trial), grossly excessive use of force or forced evictions and land grabs, there are already disturbing parallels between China's policies towards Uyghurs and Tibetans and Israel's policies towards Palestinians. The phrase about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks seems to have profound resonance in this case, and therefore one would hazard a guess that these security link-ups are more of a note-sharing exercise; "show me your best way of exacerbating tensions and conflict and I'll show you mine."

This in itself is disquieting though. If China is to find ways of solving the dissatisfaction and discontent that exists among minorities like Uyghurs then it would be hoped that they would pick their friends more carefully; preferably ones who could provide sound and practical advice and support which shows a respect for fundamental human rights rather than ones who themselves are guilty of flagrant human rights abuses.

Whilst no-one could reasonably claim that the two countries are yet key allies, and whilst their relationship is still a relatively new and developing one, the fact that they are so keen to compare notes on security matters should be regarded with extreme discomfort by the international community.