China and its Ethnic Minorities

Spurred by the violence in Tibet and Xinjiang, China has issued a report on its ethnic minorities.  The report commits the government to equality for all minorities and respect for religious freedom.  According to the Global Times:

Ethnic minorities took part in state affairs at the equal footing with Han people. Of the 161 members of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the country’s top legislature, 25 were from ethnic minorities, accounting for 15.53 percent of the total.

Their religious belief was widely respected and protected by law. In Xinjiang, there are over 24,300 mosques and 28,000 Moslem clergymen. In Tibet, there are over 1,700 venues for Tibetan-Buddhist activities, with 46,000 monks and nuns living in temples, according to the paper.

While the “white paper” was clearly produced in response to domestic unrest, it is clear that its audience is beyond China’s borders.  According to an unnamed official:

“Through this white paper that summed up our ethnic policy and practice, we hope the international society could have a better understanding about the reality our policy is based, about what the policy is, and the impact it has on solving ethnic issues and promoting the development of ethnic minorities in China.”