Xinhua Insight: Language lessons help deepen ethnic ties in China's Xinjiang (fwd link)

[Phillip E Cash Cash]

Xinhua Insight: Language lessons help deepen ethnic ties in China's Xinjiang

19:09, July 05, 2010
China

Gazing at the lips of her teacher, 36-year-old An Ping thinks for a moment
and bursts out with a string of unfamiliar words: "Eyuinez dikilar opdan
turuwatamdu."

"It is a greeting for Uygur people meeting in the street. It means 'How is
your family?'" says An, a community official of the Han ethnic group in
Tianshan District in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region.

She is attending one of the government-organized Uygur language classes,
along with about 80 colleagues -- mostly ethnic Han -- from different
communities. The government bears all the costs for the full-time classes,
which began in mid-April and will last six months.

Access full article below:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/90872/7053191.html
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