China is in the last days of preparation before the Olympics. One last item on the to do list, get rid of ethnic minorities. It has been claimed Chinese police are pressuring some of their nation's minorities to pack their bags and live the city quickly.
The
minorities being targeted according to a report in the
Globe and Mail are Uyghurs, Tibetans and Mongolians. They join ethnic minorities, migrant workers, petitioners and social activists in a city wide crack down that has spread in recent months. Some are being expelled by force by Chinese police.
Last week Dechen Pemba, a British woman of Tibetan heritage was deported. The woman had a valid visa and had spent the past two years teaching. With no explantion she was escorted to Beijing airport by a team of security agents and forcifully put on a plane.
Tibetans and Mongolians are on the list because of their ties to Tibet. It is feared that they will protest as the games begin. The greatest pressure though is reserved for Uyghurs who are considered not only a protest risk but also a risk for being potential terrorists. At one time Beijing had a slew of Uyghur restaurants. Most have been forced to close their doors during the past two years.
One family that will be going to Xinjiang in the next few days spoke to reporters without disclosing their last name. They feared they would be in more trouble if they did.
"Since 2006, there are fewer and fewer Xinjiang restaurants," he said. "The police come in and just take people away without any explanation, which frightens us very much."
Nuer himself has been detained five times by the police in the past two years. "They never explain why they are taking me to the police station. They search me and then they release me without filing any charges against me."
For those targeted its a race against time to leave the city before it will be over run by tourists.
Ethnic Minorities Are Being Forced Out Of Beijing In Time For The Olympics
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