The Fruit Vendor You’ve Never Heard Of

In March of 2011, one fruit vendor’s act of bravery unleashed a wave of revolution across the Arab world. Can yet another fruit vendor spark a national liberation movement?

This past week, a Uyghur fruit vendor was gunned down in broad daylight after refusing to move his stand in a local bazaar. Unlike the Tunisian man who self-immolated in protest, this anonymous man’s story is unlikely to impact the political climate in China. His is but one tragic instance in a series of oppressive government measures against the Uyghur people. The past few months have seen escalating tensions between Chinese authorities and this marginalized  minority group, who I’ve written about previously in a piece entitled “The Tibetans You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Radio Free Asia released a report this past week confirming an operation in late August, when authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang fatally shot up to a dozen Uyghurs and wounded 20 others in a raid on what they claimed to be “terrorist” facility. The raid came just three days after Chinese official shot 22 Uyghurs during another “anti-terrorism” operation.

The punishment for inciting rebellion against the brutally repressive government is severe.  Two Uyghurs have been sentenced to death for their alleged links to a clash with authorities in August, and three others had been sentenced to death for acts of “terrorism.” 
Uyghur activists have blamed the Chinese government’s “sustained repression and provocation” of the Uyghur community in Xinjiang for the two violent incidents in question.

These are but the latest in an extensive list of instances  of severe oppression of Uyghurs. China isn’t even feigning reconciliation, or trying to work to peacefully cooperate and integrate the Uyghurs into their society. Perhaps China should stop treating Uyghurs like “terrorists” before they really start acting like them. For more information about the plight of the Uyghurs and their demands, check out this conversation on the “rights, pragmatism, and the future of the Uighurs” featuring famous Uyghur activist Rebiya Kadeer.