WRITTEN QUESTION E-2426/02 by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission. Ending of teaching in the Uighur language in the universities of eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang).
Date: 2002-08-26
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: China, cultural identity, higher education, minority language, rights of minorities, use of languages

C 28 E/236

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

6.2.2003

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(2 October 2002)

In accordance with Article 226 of the EC Treaty, the Commission issued Greece with a formal notice on
21 March 2001 concerning the transposal of Article 7 of Directive 93/104/EC (1).

In a letter dated 21 May 2002, the Greek authorities informed the Commission that they were going to
take the necessary measures to amend national legislation on annual leave in order to bring it into line
with the Directive.

The Commission may decide to deliver a reasoned opinion, as provided for in Article 226 of the EC Treaty,
if it considers that the new Greek legislation does not comply with the Directive.

(1) Council Directive 93/104/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning certain aspects of the organisation of working time,

OJ L 307, 13.12.1993.

(2003/C 28 E/266)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2426/02

by Olivier Dupuis (NI) to the Commission

(26 August 2002)

Subject: Ending of teaching in the Uighur language in the universities of eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang)

According to the Chinese press agency Xinhua, ‘the principal universities in the majority-Muslim region of
Xinjiang will start teaching the most important subjects in Chinese instead of in local languages, notably
because students have requested this’ and ‘in order to keep pace with the growing demands of economic
and social development’.

This decision, which runs counter to the Chinese constitution, which guarantees teaching in Uighur at
university level, was taken in a demographic context in which (although reliable data is not available) the
total population of eastern Turkestan is estimated to be 19 million, less than 8 million of whom are
Uighurs, with inward migration by Han Chinese put at about 7 000 per day (in 1949, the Han population
was estimated to be about 300 000, compared with a Uighur population of 5 million).

The decision, which is in keeping with China’s attempts to have Uighur separatism included on the agenda
of the International Coalition against Terrorism, appears to be a means of curbing trends amongst Uighurs
towards asserting their cultural identity in a region where a wide variety of university courses have been
offered in local languages for more than 50 years.

Has the Commission been informed of this decision taken by the Chinese authorities? If so, has it pointed
out to them that the repression of the cultural rights of minorities is not part of the war against terrorism
agenda? Also, what steps does it intend to take to get the Chinese authorities to revoke their decision to
end teaching in the Uighur language in eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang) and hence to abide by their own
constitution?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(24 September 2002)

The Commission has taken note of the decision taken by the Chinese authorities that in the future the
principal universities of Xinjiang will teach most important subjects in Chinese instead of
in local
languages.

As the Honourable Member is aware, in the framework of its human rights dialogue with China, the
Commission regularly raises the issue of respect for the cultural and religious rights of minorities.

The Commission will continue to closely monitor the situation of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang.