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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Sep-2014
11-Sep-14 World View -- Scotland's independence referendum is encouraging Catalonia's separatists

Web Log - September, 2014

11-Sep-14 World View -- Scotland's independence referendum is encouraging Catalonia's separatists

China's Uighur migrants attempt to reach Turkey

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

China's Uighur migrants attempt to reach Turkey
Britain in chaos as Scotland will vote on independence
Next in line: Catalonia may want independence from Spain

China's Uighur migrants attempt to reach Turkey

Uighur protests in China (AFP)

Uighur protests in China (AFP)

The mostly Sunni Muslim ethnic Uighurs in China's northwest Xinjiang province have, for over 20 years, been using various migration routes to escape violence from Chinese officials. The original migration was triggered by the April 1990 "Baren uprising," a confrontation with China's army that led to the deaths of more than 1,000 Uighurs and Chinese troops in a five-day conflict. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, many Uighurs fled to the newly independent Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The Uighur language is "Turkic," mutually intelligible with Uzbek and similar to Kazakh, Kyrgyz and Turkmen.

After the late 1990s, China succeeded in closing the door to migrant Uighurs in Central Asian countries, and instead the migrants began traveling to Southeast Asia. Some joined the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and ended up being captured by American forces and shipped to Guantanamo.

After the extremely violent confrontations between Uighurs and Han Chinese in Xinjiang in July, 2009 ( "China's Xinjiang province is scene of violent anti-government protests"), a new flood of Uighurs migrated to Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Burma and Malaysia. However, China has also been successful in closing these escape routes, and it's believed that "China's 9-11" in Kunming was perpetrated in retaliation. ( "2-Mar-14 World View -- Knife-wielding mob of probable Xinjiang terrorists kill 28 in southern China")

Dissaffected Uighur dissidents are now attempting to reach Turkey, which would not only provide refuge, but also offer Uighurs employment opportunities and support networks, where they may engage in anti-Chinese advocacy activities. Jamestown

Britain in chaos as Scotland will vote on independence

Talk of an independent Scotland began some ten years ago, but now with the independence referendum vote scheduled for September 18 next week, Britain's politics are becoming chaotic. Until last week, it was believed by most people that the referendum would fail, and so not too many people seem to have worried about it. But a poll over the weekend showed a sizeable shift into the "yes" column, causing London to go into a panic and start making numerous promises to the Scots to convince them to vote "no."

If Scotland votes "yes," then there are many unknowns. What currency will Scotland use? Will Scotland be part of the European Union? Will the United Kingdom lose its veto in the U.N. Security Council? How will military and other assets be split between the two countries? BBC

Next in line: Catalonia may want independence from Spain

Scotland's vote for independence is already energizing separatist movements all over the world, and that's particularly true in Spain, where activists in the Catalonia region are seeking independence, with a referendum scheduled for a month from now, on November 9. The Spanish government considers the referendum to be illegal, but it's going ahead anyway.

Catalonia had special rights throughout the Middle Ages, and only lost those rights with the War of the Spanish Succession that ended with the surrender of the people of Barcelona to the French on September 11, 1714. Thursday is "Catalan National Day," commemorating the defeat exactly 300 years ago.

During the rule of longtime dictator Francisco Franco, Catalonia's independence movement was illegal and even the Catalan language was banned. But in 1978, just three years after Franco's death, the Kingdom of Spain passed a democratic constitution granting the country's 17 regions autonomy. Catalonia and the other regions then got their own constitutions which guaranteed self-government. Since 1980, Catalans have been electing their own parliament, have had their own police force and have taught their children in the Catalan language.

In the early 2000s, Spain had one of the worst real estate bubbles of any country in the world. When the bubble crashed, the economy plummeted, and unemployment today is above 25%. When Catalan public protests began, Madrid placed restrictions on Catalonia in 2010, even on the Catalan language, giving further impetus to the independence movement.

The Scottish and Catalan independence movements may turn out to be linked. If Scotland joins the European Union, then Catalonia will probably do the same. But the reverse is also true. A lot of European governments are opposed to both separatist movements, and these governments will oppose both countries' attempts to join the EU. Spiegel and AFP

(Comments: For reader comments, questions and discussion, see the 11-Sep-14 World View -- Scotland's independence referendum is encouraging Catalonia's separatists thread of the Generational Dynamics forum. Comments may be posted anonymously.) (11-Sep-2014) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Sep-2014 11-Sep-14 World View -- Scotland's independence referendum is encouraging Catalonia's separatists

China's Uighur migrants attempt to reach Turkey

Britain in chaos as Scotland will vote on independence

Next in line: Catalonia may want independence from Spain

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 11-Sep-2014
11-Sep-14 World View -- Scotland's independence referendum is encouraging Catalonia's separatists