World View: Ethnic Violence Kills 21 in China's Xinjiang Province

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Ethnic violence kills 21 in China’s Xinjiang province
• Will Thursday be the day for a North Korean missile test?
• Syria’s opposition scorns Obama over chemical weapons commitment

Ethnic violence kills 21 in China’s Xinjiang province

Uighur folk dance in Xinjiang province in 2006 (Xinhua)

Major ethnic violence has returned to China’s northwestern Xinjiangprovince for the first time since 2009. On Tuesday, 21 people werekilled in confrontations between police and Uighur residents ofKashgar, the country’s westernmost city. Violence exploded in July2009 when over 1,000 people were injured in a Uighur riot thattargeted Han Chinese. That riot was triggered by the Han Chinesekilling of two Uighurs working in a toy factory in Guangdong province.(See “China’s Xinjiang province is scene of violent anti-government protests”)

The Muslim Uighurs, of Uzbek origin, have historically occupied theXinjiang region. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) governmenthas been relocating Han Chinese into the Xinjiang region in order todilute the Uighur population. However, the Han Chinese havemarginalized the Uighurs, inflaming the situation. Few details areknown about the new violence, since China keeps very tight controlover all reporters who attempt cover the situation. LA Times and Xinhua

Will Thursday be the day for a North Korean missile test?

Well, here we go again. The North Koreans have continued to move moremissile launchers to their east coast, apparently in preparation for amissile test that the west will say is “unacceptable,” though donothing else. The last best guess for when this missile test would bewas Monday, April 15, the birthday of North Korea’s founder KimIl-sung. Well, nothing happened on April 15. So the new best guessis now, Thursday, April 25, the anniversary of a well-rememberedbattle with the Japanese. So, the new child dictator Kim Jong-uncontinues to keep the world guessing what he plans to do next, andapparently all we can do is wait to see when he makes his move.Global Post

Syria’s opposition scorns Obama over chemical weapons commitment

Syria’s opposition forces are expressing scorn at President BarackObama for appearing to back down from earlier statements that the useof chemical weapons in Syria would be a “red line” or a “game changer”that would trigger military intervention in Syria. There have beenreports from Israel, Britain and France of the use of chemical weaponsin Syria, but the obvious reluctance of the U.S. administration toinvolve itself militarily in Syria is forcing the administration tohedge and duck questions about whether it means anything it says. Thesame is true about North Korea threats. The problem is that theU.S. is losing credibility. Guardian (London) and Global Post

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