Draft:Live and Thoughts In Xinjiang Lockdown

• Comment: It's possible that COVID-19 lockdowns in Xinjiang are a notable topic but this needs better sourcing throughout and would also need to be rewritten substantially to be more encyclopedic. Some copyediting would also help, which other editors may be able to assist with once the main issues have been fixed. BuySomeApples (talk) 19:06, 7 December 2023 (UTC)

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Live and Thoughts In Xinjiang Lockdown

Background

Xinjiang, an autonomous region in China, home to a population of approximately 26 million, confronted the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic that originated in Wuhan in December 2019. As of July 30, 2020, the region reported a cumulative total of 5790 cases, with Urumqi experiencing a notably severe impact. Consequently, on August 10, Xinjiang instituted a comprehensive lockdown.

The term "lockdown," frequently invoked during the pandemic, signifies the imposition of restrictions on the movement of residents and travelers, precluding entry into or exit from a specified area. In Xinjiang's case, this stringent measure persisted for a duration of 110 days, eliciting notable discontent within the populace.

Policy

Xinjiang followed a Zero Covid policy. People got classified with QR codes on apps like WeChat or Alipay.

• Green Codes: Safe if you had no symptoms or risks.
• Yellow Codes: Restricted if you'd been to places with COVID-19 or were in contact with someone who had it.
• Red Codes: Banned from travel if you had symptoms or were a confirmed case; you had to quarantine at home or in a special facility.

Besides QR codes, there were mandatory tests and vaccinations. Regular COVID tests and proof of vaccination became necessary for moving around, working, or going to school. Although getting vaccinated wasn't forced, you needed it for school or work. Some worried about side effects like headaches or even high blood pressure or vision issues. After almost four years of dealing with COVID, people in other countries found that the Zero Covid policy might not be as helpful as they once thought. As we approach the fourth year of the pandemic, looking at how other countries handled it shows that a strict Zero Covid policy might not be the best way. It's a reminder that we need to keep learning and adjusting our strategies in dealing with this challenging situation.

Controversy

People pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the fire

Fire in Urumqi

On the night of November 24, 2022, a tragedy occurred in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang province, China. A fire was burned in a high-rise residential building at 19:49 local time. There are ten people were killed, and nine others injured in the incident. The cause of the fire was traced to a tripped electrical circuit, which started on the 15th floor and quickly spread to the 17th floor, and the toxic smoke even spread to the 21st floor. This made residents and firemen face an emergency and difficult situation. After three hours of hard work, the fire was finally put out. The accident sparked widespread interest and discussions on the internet. Many netzines have questioned the context of the tragedy and tried to find the factors that may have contributed to the loss of life. Some people believe the strict Zero Covid policy implemented in China played a key role in this unfortunate outcome. There are some local residents revealed that during the weekly routine of COVID tests last time, there’s someone tested suspected to be a COVID-19 positive case, due to the policy, since 21st November, the affected building has been under strict lockdown control, residents who live there are not allowed to leave their homes, even more, to make sure people don’t break the rules, the doors were barred with iron wire. As different narratives emerged, controversy followed. After 2 days since the accident, Beijing has officially denied any relationship between the lockdown policy and the fire incident. They claimed the iron wire was not on the door, but in a nearby flower bed used to support the greenery. However, the questions remained. Authorities pointed to another cause, blaming the tragedy on motor vehicles that obstructed access, preventing firefighters from reaching the scene in time. Due to the long dissatisfaction of the COVID pandemic lockdown, the different versions of the story spread by the internet, as well as the untimely government’s response, these factors set the stage for what would later be referred to as the A-4 revolution.

Uyghurs

Uyghurs in Xinjiang

The Uyghur community, constituting a significant minority ethnic group in Xinjiang, exceeds 12 million individuals, representing approximately half of the region's total population. The historical discord between China and the Uyghurs finds its roots in the events of April 1950 when Osman (Batyr) Batur led an ethnic Uighur insurgency against the Chinese Government. The subsequent execution of Osman and 25 other rebels foreshadowed enduring resentment among the Uyghur populace towards the government.

Religious Constraints

Adding complexity to this relationship is the religious aspect, as a predominant segment of Xinjiang's residents adheres to Islam. In China, there exists a regulatory framework imposing constraints on Islamic practices, including restrictions on facial hair length for men, limitations on women's veiling, and constraints on children's religious activities, citing concerns related to extremism. These policies have contributed to heightened discontent within the Uyghur community.

Xinjiang Internment Camps

A focal point of contention pertains to the existence of Xinjiang internment camps, ostensibly designated for the re-education of Muslims. International media outlets have cast doubt on the Chinese Government's representation of these facilities, contending that the reality diverges significantly from official narratives.

Protests in Urumqi

The culmination of these factors manifested in widespread protests among Uyghurs in Urumqi subsequent to a fatal fire incident. On the 25th of November, following an extended lockdown period exceeding three months, residents engaged in public demonstrations, articulating their dissent. The protests featured participants singing national songs in proximity to government edifices, conveying demands for the cessation of the lockdown and the termination of the Zero Covid Policy.

Government Responses

Under intensifying pressure from the protests, the government responded on the 26th of November, asserting the efficacy of the Zero Covid Policy and subsequently declaring the cessation of the lockdown. This development marked a conspicuous recalibration in policy, indicative of a responsive stance to the articulated grievances of the Uyghur population.

Further Effects

Short term

The lockdown in Xinjiang and the Urumqi fires were the triggers for the A-4 revolution, which broke out in November 2022, first in Chinese universities, where students marched with blank A4 paper to mourn the victims of the Urumqi fires and complained about the strict policies of the authorities, and then in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. These actions put pressure on the authorities in major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. On 7 December 2022, the Chinese government gave in and stopped stressing the Zero COVID policy and completed mass immunisation. Furthermore, unlike Shanghai's lockdown, as the western part of China, Xinjiang is not as well stocked or as influential as Shanghai, so the blockade created more challenges to people's lives. The lockdown caused Xinjiang's GDP growth rate to drop significantly during the three years of the epidemic.

Long term

The lockdown in Xinjiang worsened the relationship between the minority Uighurs and the central government in Beijing. At the time of the Xinjiang lockdown, foreign media reported that many Uighurs with covid were taken to concentration.