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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5093
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 001928 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM EINT CH
 
SUBJECT: CHINESE INTERNET REACTION TO XINJIANG UNREST 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶1.  The recent riots and ethnic tensions in Xinjiang were hot topics 
on major Chinese news portals, Internet forums and microblogging 
platforms in China over the past few days.  Widespread censorship 
was present on popular social discussion platforms.  Many netizens 
expressed skepticism about available reporting on the riots and were 
frustrated by online censorship of the issue.  Initial netizen 
reactions on both traditionally liberal and conservative sites 
expressed anger toward unequal and preferential treatment of 
minorities.  Many netizens called for equal punishment of all 
involved in the violence, regardless of ethnicity.  A survey of 
major Chinese websites on July 8 revealed that netizen postings on 
mainstream or conservative sites tended to echo government 
statements, with many postings suggesting outside influence (e.g. 
Rabiya Kadeer) in instigating the unrest.  End Summary. 
 
Popular Discussion Platforms Widely Censored 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  The recent unrest and riots in Xinjiang were widely discussed 
topics on the Chinese Internet beginning on July 6.  However, access 
to searches about Xinjiang, Uighurs, Urumqi, and violence were 
blocked on many Chinese language searches or in some cases, 
available results did not include sensitive material.  Websites 
Fanfou.com, the Chinese version of Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, 
were completely blocked.  Comments and threads about the recent 
riots were deleted from both liberal and conservative websites 
including PChome, Qiangguo, Sina, and Cat898.  Netizens expressed 
frustration over deleted postings sometimes threatening those 
responsible for deleting posts.  However, accessible sites, blogs, 
microblogging platforms, and discussion forums nonetheless had a 
high volume of postings related to Xinjiang.  Photos and video clips 
were widely reposted and linked, especially on Twitter. 
 
Skepticism of Government's Version of Xinjiang Unrest 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶3.  Netizens on traditionally liberal websites were generally 
unconvinced by government reports, which many described as "too 
simple."  Many demanded more information that was "unbiased" and 
"not one-sided," no matter who was implicated.  Calls also continued 
for more information about the identity of those killed. 
 
Netizen Reaction to Preferential Policies and Violence 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶4.  On traditionally liberal sites like Twitter and Cat898, many 
netizens posted angry criticism of what they characterized as the 
Chinese government's preferential treatment of Uighurs, often making 
critical remarks about minority exemptions to the one child policy 
or automatic score increases granted to ethnic minorities on 
national college entrance exams.  Popular comments that attracted 
numerous hits included: "one can't be lenient just because they are 
minorities" and "regardless of what race they are, all should be 
treated the same."  Some postings turned into on-line debates about 
how to deal with ethnic prejudice featuring proposals to weaken 
ethnic minority identity to removing ethnic designations from 
identity cards.  Others equated minority problems to the 
government's inability to overcome income disparity.  Tension 
between Han Chinese and Uighurs was also widely present in forums, 
including characterizations of all Uighurs as "separatist 
terrorists," criticisms of Islam and assertions of Han Chinese 
superiority.  One netizen warned that "policies to pacify minorities 
would lead to deaths." 
 
¶5.  Netizens were also upset about the violence and expressed 
concern that the violence had "caused enormous problems" for social 
stability.  Many popular posts called for "severe punishment" for 
those that had committed violence, regardless of whether they were 
Uighurs or Han Chinese. 
 
Comparisons to Tibet Unrest 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6.  Comparisons of the Xinjiang unrest and the March 14, 2008 
violent Tibet protests were widespread.  Some saw the handling of 
the situation in Xinjiang as a failure to learn from China's 
mistakes with the Tibet riots.  On the other hand, some described 
Rabiya Kadeer and the Dalai Lama as equivalent "Western-backed 
splittist terrorists" or labeled Kadeer "China's Bin Laden" who had 
"severely harmed the country."  On traditionally conservative 
websites, the United States and western countries were criticized 
for being "black hands" or the "outside forces" causing the unrest. 
However, calls to "learn from the U.S. experience with racism" were 
also present, along with discussion about how democracy had helped 
resolve "America's greatest contradiction."  Many questions and 
 
BEIJING 00001928  002 OF 002 
 
 
posts queried why other countries with various different races did 
not have these tensions. 
 
Goldberg