#ben hillman

[indizombie]

The draconian security policies adopted in Tibet and Xinjiang target entire populations and have become sources of deep resentment. They create the perception that Uyghurs and Tibetans are second-class citizens in China, and that the Communist Party of China does not value or respect local cultures despite the existence of formal laws that purport to safeguard minority rights. While Beijing highlights preferential policies for minority ethnicities and its large investments in the region, which have led to improvements in material livelihoods, scholars working in Xinjiang and Tibet are acutely aware of ethnic insecurity among the populations. This insecurity stems from the fear that people are increasingly unable to express their ethnic and regional identity in everyday life and it appears to be growing in response to China’s security-first approach to the region. These fears are further exacerbated by development policies that are rapidly transforming and homogenizing cultural landscapes, and assimilationist policies that are said to promote inter-ethnic “mingling,” but amount to little more than incentives for adopting secular Han Chinese ways.

Ben Hillman, 'China’s dangerous ethnic policies in Xinjiang', Asia Times

[indizombie]

Since 2011, China has spent more per annum on domestic security than on external defence. The cost of China’s domestic security policies – once euphemistically known as ‘stability maintenance’ but increasingly described as “national security” – is likely to escalate in the future. Many of these costs will be difficult to measure in monetary terms.

Ben Hillman, 'China’s dangerous ethnic policies in Xinjiang', Asia Times

[wormically]

Nietzsche pops 😋

[erikurtz]

LOST & FOUND COWBOY Season 2: No Matter What Separates Us, Laughter and Friendship Still Know No Boundaries

Like their peers in the film and TV community, web series creators around the world experienced the emotional pain of being shut in during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The professional impact was just as undeniable, as projects that would otherwise have gone full steam ahead under... http://snobbyrobot.com/2021/05/19/lost-found-cowboy-season-2-no-matter-what-separates-us-laughter-and-friendship-still-know-no-boundaries/

[indizombie]

A problem on the horizon for Beijing is a potential fallout with Muslim-majority neighbors across Eurasia. China’s policies toward Uyghurs and other members of its 20 million strong Muslim community are likely to arouse the ire of neighbors in the region and create frictions at a time when China is seeking to expand trade and cultural ties under the auspices of the Belt and Road Initiative, or one belt, one road (OBOR). Beijing is already concerned that Uyghur extremists are coordinating with global terror networks, boosting their resources and capabilities for hitting Chinese targets outside China. Uyghurs were allegedly involved in an attack against the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan in 2016 and Thai police accuse Uyghurs of masterminding a 2015 bombing in Bangkok that killed 20 people, mostly Chinese tourists.  But if China is perceived as anti-Islam, its homegrown Uyghur extremists might not be the only threat. Chinese citizens and assets could become targets for terror outfits in Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East. Chinese-funded ports, railways, canals, dams and pipelines could become vulnerable to terrorist attacks. Many of the first-phase Belt and Road projects are in politically unstable majority Muslim countries such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. Kazakhstan – a lynchpin in the Silk Road Economic Belt – is also under increasing social, economic and political strain. Leaders in Beijing and Urumqi might be satisfied with the short-term results of their hardline domestic security policies, but they would be foolish to ignore the long-term risks of alienating Uyghurs and other Muslim citizens.

Ben Hillman, 'China’s dangerous ethnic policies in Xinjiang', Asia Times

[untorch]

Still chipping away at things, not finished much lately- the last week has been kind of terribad for getting on with stuff! More soon, Cheers.

[untorch]

We're off to Bologna - See us there or keep ya fingers crossed!

[untorch]

The show is over, the course is over - (Until we take our projects to the book fair that is...) and it's nice to sit down and start making things that aren't constrained to the specifics of the 12-spread picturebook format- the top image is from my business cards that some lovely person at Foyles used to promote our show, and the bottom is a doodle from a project that I've wanted to get back to for a while about moving to a town on a giant's back.