by Ellen Peters - Regional Leader (Middle Asia)

Published in our quarterly magazine "Xpress" in September 2006

I tried to distract my friend’s child as the enraged driver snatched up a crowbar and jumped off our minibus. A mob was already pouring into the remaining spaces around the unfolding scene to see who would win this contest between a Chinese driver and a minority man whose bicycle had been bumped by our bus. Some of the bystanders seemed edgy; others, eager for a good fight—ready to jump in at the slightest provocation.

Angry flare-ups aren’t that surprising in minority areas of China. Many minority people hate the Chinese, resentful that they aren’t given more privileges and freedoms; and Chinese sometimes look down on them as backward and uncultured. The anger often simmers just below the surface, until some incident turns up the heat, causing it to boil over into a violent eruption.

This articles appeared in our quarterly magazine, Xpress, in 2005

By E & E, Regional leaders, Mid Asia

“Moloko…” (“Milk…” for sale), “Smetana… (“Sour cream…)” -- the chants of early morning vendors rang out as they walked up and down the dusty streets of the neighborhood. Their voices blended with the many noises and bustle of a typical Central Asian morning. A little more noise added to the medley shouldn’t be a bother, but for “Rick and Elizabeth” this proved to be untrue.

As Elizabeth got up that morning and began thinking through the plans for her day, the arrest of her husband was certainly not on the ‘to do’ list. But, unknown to them, their neighbors had called the police in response to an early-morning outdoor prayer meeting they had held in the courtyard of their home.