China News Service, Urumqi, January 25th: How can the development of human rights in Xinjiang go both ways with the protection of the rule of law?
——Exclusive interview with Zhang Jianjiang, Dean of the Law School of Xinjiang University and Director of the Xinjiang Human Rights Protection and Development Progress Research Center of Xinjiang University
Author Zhu Jingchao Tao Shuanke
In December 2023, the Blue Book "Report on the Legal Protection of Human Rights in Xinjiang" (hereinafter referred to as the Blue Book) was released in Urumqi. This is the first blue book on the legal protection of the development of human rights in Xinjiang. Co-authored by the Institute for Human Rights.
What research results does the Blue Book contain and what is its significance?
Zhang Jianjiang, one of the contributors to the Blue Book, dean of the Law School of Xinjiang University and director of the Xinjiang Human Rights Protection and Development Progress Research Center of Xinjiang University, recently accepted an exclusive interview with China News Service's "East-West Question" to explain this.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
China News Service reporter: What is the significance of releasing the blue book? What are its characteristics?
Zhang Jianjiang:
People's happy life is the greatest human right.
In the past 10 years, Xinjiang has made unprecedented achievements in economic and social development and improvement of people's livelihood, and people of all ethnic groups have a significantly enhanced sense of gain, happiness, and security.
Xinjiang’s development achievements are a microcosm of the development of Xinjiang’s human rights cause.
However, in recent years, some overseas reports on "human rights in Xinjiang" have been seriously inconsistent with the facts and have gone to great lengths to demonize and stigmatize. For example, some overseas research institutions and news media have wildly slandered the Chinese government for "carrying out "human rights in Xinjiang" against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. "forced labor", maliciously accusing Xinjiang companies of "forced labor", etc.
In this regard, social science researchers who have been working and living in Xinjiang for a long time are determined to conduct in-depth and systematic research on the human rights situation in Xinjiang.
Out of the logical thinking that any scientific research should be based on the development of facts, Xinjiang University established the Xinjiang Human Rights Protection and Development Progress Research Center and formed a team to carry out field research around the theme of "Xinjiang Human Rights and Rule of Law Protection". Through theoretical paradigms, Factual cases and detailed analysis are used to present the current situation and development of the legal protection of human rights and rule of law for people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.
In December 2023, at Santunbei Station of Metro Line 1 in Urumqi, Xinjiang, "Afanti" played by an actor promoted the theme activity of "Take the subway to visit the Bazaar and visit the Tianshan Mountains" to passengers on the special train.
Photo by Liu Xin
China News Service reporter: What does the blue book contain, and in what aspects does it elaborate on Xinjiang’s view of human rights?
Zhang Jianjiang:
As the first blue book on legal protection of human rights in Xinjiang, the research team chose to focus on the development and progress of human rights in Xinjiang from the perspective of "rule of law."
Because "rule of law" is the "consensus" of modern countries, by objectively presenting the specific legal system for human rights protection in Xinjiang, domestic and foreign theorists, media, and the public can understand Xinjiang's human rights protection situation more objectively and neutrally, and understand China's efforts to promote human rights protection in Xinjiang. Active efforts in global human rights governance.
The Blue Book focuses on analyzing and studying the progress and achievements in legal protection of human rights in Xinjiang since the founding of the People's Republic of China, including general reports, special reports, research reports and case studies.
The general report focuses on the current situation of Xinjiang's "people-centered" human rights construction since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and summarizes the achievements and experiences in local legislative construction of people of all ethnic groups in terms of their rights to survival, development, political rights, economic rights, and cultural rights. ; At the same time, it introduces Xinjiang’s measures and achievements in counter-terrorism, de-radicalization, human rights protection, and poverty eradication.
In December 2023, workers worked in the wind turbine blade production workshop of Xinjiang Dongfang Wind Power New Energy Co., Ltd. in Minsheng Industrial Park, Mulei County, Xinjiang.
Photo by Zhang Bin
Eight of the special reports analyzed and studied the legal protection of human rights and rule of law in various fields in Xinjiang over the past 70 years, and discussed the effective connection between the consolidation and expansion of poverty alleviation achievements and rural revitalization in southern Xinjiang, as well as the achievements of Xinjiang's de-extremization practice and human rights protection.
In terms of economic, social and cultural rights, three special reports analyzed respectively the optimization of Xinjiang's business environment to ensure the development of market entities, the construction of the rule of law in Xinjiang to promote social harmony and stability and protect human rights, and the protection, inheritance and innovative development of Xinjiang's intangible cultural heritage.
In terms of the protection of the rights of specific groups, the report separately sorts out and analyzes the legal construction of the protection of the rights and interests of the elderly in Xinjiang, the protection of the rights and interests of women in Xinjiang, and the protection of the rights and interests of children in Xinjiang.
In December 2023, in Hotan, Xinjiang, Nurbiye Abdubako was applying makeup to customers. Before that, she specialized in learning skills and transformed from a farmer into a beauty salon owner.
Photo by Han Haidan
China News Service reporter: How does the blue book summarize the historical process and experience of the development of human rights in Xinjiang over the past 70 years in the rule of law?
Zhang Jianjiang:
By sorting out the process of human rights and rule of law construction in Xinjiang since the founding of New China, the Blue Book reveals the staged characteristics of human rights development in Xinjiang: First, since the founding of New China, the socialist system and the People's Congress system have laid the foundation for the development of human rights in Xinjiang. The political premise and institutional foundation, the establishment and implementation of the regional ethnic autonomy system have fully guaranteed the political rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to be the masters of their own affairs, and laid a solid institutional foundation for protecting other human rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang; second, reform and opening up , which has enabled people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to gain unprecedented economic freedom, laying a material foundation for improving the economic and social rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang; third, entering a new era, Xinjiang has always focused on the rights to survival and development of people of all ethnic groups, from politics and Strengthen the design of local legislation in various aspects such as economy and culture, and also actively pay attention to the protection of the rights of specific groups such as the elderly, women, children, and disabled people.
In January 2024, at the hydroponic grass demonstration base of Xinjiang Agricultural Vocational and Technical College in Baiyanghe Village, Shiti Kazakh Township, Hutubi County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang, staff were conducting daily management and maintenance of the planted grass.
Photo by Tao Weiming
In addition, Xinjiang fully guarantees that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang fully enjoy extensive, full, real, concrete, and effective human rights through local laws and regulations. People of all ethnic groups work together to create a happy and beautiful life, fully implement employment, and promote various systems. Achieving all poverty-stricken rural residents in Xinjiang and continuously meeting the cultural rights needs of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have not only enriched and developed the theory and practice of human rights in China, but also written the story of human rights in Xinjiang with its own characteristics.
In January 2024, at the Dr. Dolphin Maker Center in Urumqi, Xinjiang, children from the city’s friendly communities experienced the “Science Experiment Show” up close.
Photo by Liu Xin
Reporter from China News Service: The Blue Book is an authoritative source of information for the outside world to understand the actual development of human rights in Xinjiang. What is the support for the human rights results in it?
Zhang Jianjiang:
In 2021, Xinjiang University and Southwest University of Political Science and Law signed a research cooperation agreement to jointly promote the progress and development of human rights in Xinjiang. One of the important contents is that both parties organize academic backbones, form an editorial board, and set up a writing team to jointly publish "Legal Guarantee of Human Rights in Xinjiang" Blue Book.
In October of the same year, the writing work started, and both parties held a topic selection meeting to determine the outline, writing content and format of the blue paper.
Subsequently, the Xinjiang Human Rights Protection and Development Progress Research Center of Xinjiang University organized a writing team to conduct literature research and field research on the rights to survival, development, economic rights, and cultural rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, further focusing on the writing theme and demonstrating the writing content .
Mainly using research methods such as literature collection, legislative norm analysis, group discussions, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and questionnaire surveys, we went to Xinjiang Urumqi, Turpan, Hami, Altay, Ili, Aksu, Hotan, Kashgar and other places to communicate with relevant departments and their The staff and people of all ethnic groups had in-depth communication and obtained first-hand research information on the human rights protection of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, which provided solid support for the writing of the Blue Book.
In January 2024, paper-cut works showed the image of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum of Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, Xinjiang.
Photo by Liu Xin
China News Service reporter: In recent years, Xinjiang's human rights cause has made all-round progress and historic achievements. What kind of guarantee does the rule of law play?
Zhang Jianjiang:
The purpose of writing the Blue Book is to show the world the progress and achievements in legal protection of human rights in Xinjiang, and to publicize the image and achievements of Xinjiang under the rule of law.
With a serious and scientific attitude, the Blue Book writing team faithfully described the achievements in legal protection of human rights in Xinjiang since the founding of the People's Republic of China. It not only summarized the progress made, but also analyzed the existing problems.
At the same time, on the basis of sufficient research, it looks forward to the future development prospects of various human rights fields in Xinjiang, and puts forward countermeasures and suggestions to further promote the construction of human rights in Xinjiang, which reflects the authority, cutting-edge, originality, empirical and forward-looking nature of the Xinjiang Human Rights Blue Book safety and timeliness requirements.
This book not only provides the academic community with first-hand resources for studying the construction of human rights and rule of law in Xinjiang, but more importantly, fills the gap in this field.
Through full research and demonstration, the Blue Book writing team believes that the highlights of the legalization of human rights construction in Xinjiang are mainly reflected in the following aspects: First, through legal construction and policy support in employment promotion, rural revitalization, industrial support, ecological compensation, social security and other aspects, Xinjiang The historic elimination of absolute poverty has provided a positive practical example for global poverty reduction governance; second, Xinjiang adopts two legislative models, protective and promotional, to comprehensively protect the rights to survival and development of people of all ethnic groups, and improve the quality of people of all ethnic groups. Happiness.
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Expert profile:
Zhang Jianjiang, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and dean of Xinjiang University Law School, director of the Xinjiang Human Rights Protection and Development Progress Research Center of Xinjiang University, professor and doctoral supervisor.
Director of the China Law Society, director of the China Legal Education Research Association, legislative expert member of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and administrative legislative consulting expert of the People's Government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
Undertaken a number of national-level and autonomous region-level projects, and presided over the "Regulations on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region" legislative project, which was included in the autonomous region's "Rule of Law and Practical Affairs for the People" typical cases (2022); monograph "Research on Law and Policy in Identity" -Taking Xinjiang as a Perspective" won the first prize of the 11th Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Philosophy and Social Sciences Award in 2016.