I traveled for two weeks along the Silk Road.Despite all the development brought into East Turkistan by China, most of the Uyghurs were still living in a pre-industrial age. I found them industrious and friendly.
Under the guise of progress, the Chinese government is systematically assimilating the Uyghurs as they did the Tibetans. For example: they are being displaced from their traditional homelands, their language is banned ans capital punishment is meted out for disagreeing with official policies. The Uyghurs are desperate for a solution to end the devastation of their culture. But they have no voice.
My photographs show current conditions of the Uyghur people who are still living their rich culture which has withstood generations of challenges. I have recorded glimpses of everyday living; children being transported to school, people weaving cloth, spinning silk, mending shoes and more. To me they appear serene, beautiful and proud and I endeavored to convey that through my photographs.
http://www.magcloud.com/browse/Issue/120341
