The new restrictions in Sanya, a city on the resort island of Hainan, mark a reversal in government policy. It has used that rationale to justify a clampdown on Muslims in China’s far western region of Xinjiang, following a series of attacks seven years ago. In Sanya, the party is going after a group with a significant position in China’s relations with the Islamic world. The Utsuls’ Islamic identity was celebrated for years by the government as China pushed for stronger links with the Arab world. Still, the government sees the assimilation of China’s various ethnic minorities as key to building a stronger nation.

Source: bd News24 February 15, 2021 04:18 UTC