China's Far West: Conditions in Xinjiang One Year After Demonstrations and Riots

628 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 | Monday, July 19, 2010 - 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Transcript (PDF) (Text)

At this CECC roundtable, panelists examined conditions in the far western region of Xinjiang one year after demonstrations and rioting occurred there. Events in July 2009 exposed longstanding tensions in the region and Uyghurs' grievances toward government policies that threaten basic rights. Authorities pledged in 2010 to improve economic conditions in Xinjiang and appointed a new Party secretary for the region. How will these new developments shape Xinjiang's future? Is the government effectively addressing Uyghurs' grievances? How have government controls over the free flow of information affected our understanding of events in the region?

Panelists: 

Ms. Shirley Kan, Specialist in Asian Security Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division, Congressional Research Service

Ms. Kathleen McLaughlin, China Correspondent for BNA, Inc.; freelance journalist

[ Full text of testimony ]

Dr. Sophie Richardson, Asia Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch

Dr. Stanley Toops, Associate Professor, Department of Geography and International Studies Program, Miami University

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