Inside the Asylum

Does anyone think the Chinese have forgotten about those Uighurs who Obama sent to Palau? Especially now with them getting all uptight about Uighur separatism and terrorism? Well, the Chinese continue their charm offensive in the Pacific, this time getting all chummy with the Federated States of Micronesia. You see, it's the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Catch that ... twentieth. That means that until 1989, they recognized Taiwan. Then they switched. Of course, those Uighurs in Palau are safe from China, since Palau currently recognizes Taiwan. It's not as if Pacific Islands ever change diplomatic allegiance for monetary incentives ...

China and Micronesia Wednesday vowed to step up bilateral ties and cooperation... Jia said China was committed to working with Micronesia to intensify high-level official exchanges and cooperation.

To make the Chinese happy,

Micronesia backed China's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security and appreciated China's long-term support for Micronesia's development, Alik said.

Safeguarding "national sovereignty, territorial integrity and national security". Oh yeah ... coming just days after the nastiness in Xinjiang, that couldn't be related ... What's Palau got to do with all this? Well, they just happen to be immediate neighbors of the Federated States of Micronesia, and part of the wider grouping of islands collectively known as Micronesia. Those Uighurs who were sent from Gitmo to Palau? I think the saying "out of the frying pan and into the fire" was invented for these guys. Of course, now Obama doesn't have to accept responsibility for it any more... Hope and Change!

The Chinese authorities know that "hearts and minds" are what they need to win, even if they've temporarily forgotten that in Xinjiang. It's no coincidence that in another restive region the PRC government pushes this policy.

BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Local governments should focus on development and stability in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, in a bid to increase the incomes of farmers and herdsmen and ensure their livelihoods, said Vice Premier Hui Liangyu on Wednesday.

The Chinese are losing in Xinjiang. They're not losing the armed war, because they have a massive advantage in numbers and equipment, but they're rapidly losing any hope of winning the hearts and minds of the Uighur people. The Chinese have generally been pretty smart with this kind of thing, with their "go west" economic development campaign etc ... realizing that their best way to consolidate their hold on these far-flung and only semi-Chinese provinces is to provide a better life for the people. As events recently in Tibet and now Xinjiang have shown, they haven't succeeded. Local Communist Party chief Li Zhi demonstrates exactly why they've been losing. Despite lots of rhetoric about how Chinese is a multi-ethnic country with 56 nationalities (see here for a list), the latest events show that there's a stark contrast between Han Chinese and other ethnic minorities such as the Uighurs. I've mentioned Li in a previous post, showing another example of how he's taking a bad situation and making it worse. He continues in a similar vein. He told:

a televised news conference that many people had been arrested, including students. "To those who committed crimes with cruel means, we will execute them," he said, adding government forces would crack down on any security risk.

As I predicted, the Chinese could be relied upon to respond with a heavy hand, which is only going to make things worse in Xinjiang.

Well, if you can eat kangaroos and NZ possums, I don't see what's wrong with eating baby camels.

A fast food restaurant in Saudi Arabia is offering baby camel burgers as the latest way for the camel-crazed country to enjoy one of their favourite delicacies. Specialties such as camel liver have long been on the menu of upmarket restaurants in the Gulf Arab state, but the experiment with baby camel burgers has met with enthusiasm in a country where the camel is a symbol of nomadic traditions.

Just ask for a "Hashi" burger at restaurant near you (it's Arabic for "camel").