Xinjiang twists the Chinese dragon's tail

Meeting Chinese official abroad, say, at symposia or luncheons or informally, is interesting. The younger ones and more oft than not the middle aged ones, and the few, old and more senior ones are polite, and schooled in a civility and a pattern of speech agreeable to foreign ears, especially westerns'. Furthermore, they have matriculated in US or British or continental European schools of higher learning. They have done their homework, and the results can be impressive.
Yet, mention Tibet or the Dalai Lama or Xinjiang or Rebiya Kadeer, now residing in the US and spokeswoman of her fellow Turkmans' aspiration, the tone of the conversation turns south and frosty, if not hostile.
China's central government, ruled by the CCP [Communist Party of China]'s reaction is more extreme, and might be designated by 'ballistic' or 'off the wall' in icalumny, viciosius misinterpretation, character assassination, and downright slander and gutter language.
Consider the film 'The 10 conditions of love' about the once feted, now damned documentary on the World Qyghur Congress' leader Rebiya Kadeer. Shown at an Australian film festival, Beijing not only lodged complaints of interference in the internal affairs of China but the festival organisers were handmaidens of the devil splitters of the Chinese motherland, by trying to estrange the Qyghurs of Xinjiang from the bosom of the Han motherland. The organisers were not amused nor persuaded by high emotions; they did not give into black mail easily. So, Beijing played a strong suit: it forced its own film makers to withdrew from the festival. The festival went on anyway, but the only casualties were China's 'metteurs en scene'!
Now '10 conditions...' is coming to Taiwan, which mainland China is trying to woo back into its fold. 'Resolutely opposing' the projection of the film which brings the horrible plight of the Qyghurs in Xinjiang to the wider world, blue in the face with indignation, its 'demarches', protests, strong pungent language, won't stay Rebiya Kabeer's image from flashing across the cinema screen. Beijing forgets that on Taiwan a flourish democracy prospers, and a degree of free speech exists which is what dreams are made of on mainland China.
In less that 8 weeks, China has had to drink bowls of bitter tea when its come to Taiwan. It had to swallow the visit of the Dalai Lama, after the torrential rains and mud slides which laentombed thousands in the south of Taiwan. And now, another arch enemy of the Han, Rebiya Kabeer's appeal for the indigenous rights of the Qyghurs, long abused by the CCP, gains a hearing on Taiwan.
Beijing cannot escape the fallout of its repressive policies in Tibet and in Xinjiang. One October, the CCP will be celebrating year 60 of its seizure of power. On the matter of the right of self determination of its minorities, Tibetan or Qyghur [Turkman], it has failed miserably through armed repression, encouraging emigration of the Han majority to swamp Tibet and Xinjiang by massive infusions of Chinese settlers with privileges denied to Tibetans and Qyghurs, repressive regulations and laws, the marginalisation of minority culture, language, religious practices, so on and on. In brief, a mental genocide and a factory line production of ersatz Han. China has created its own shameful legacy and it cannot nor won't be erased by threats and objections and childish stamping of feet.