Migrant Uygurs assemble success

• Source: Xinhua
• [08:56 July 20 2009]
• Comments

Migrant workers from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region work in a workshop at Xuri Toy Factory in Shaoguan, Guangdong province, last Thursday. A total of 775 registered migrant workers from Xinjiang work in the factory.

Stories of success encouraged Ayizemuguli Maimaiti to leave her home in Xinjiang's Shufu county to join the army of migrant workers heading to China's east coast in May.

"Many people took money home and told us interesting stories, which we only saw on TV. I was curious so I decided to try my luck," said the 21-year-old Uygur woman, who works in a toy factory in Shaoguan in south China's Guangdong province.

She said she traveled four days by train to Shaoguan and she tries to learn one new sentence in Mandarin every day.

She is one of 775 people from her hometown working in Shaoguan, said Aihaiti Shayiti, county head of Shufu.

"One third of them are women, and there are 70 couples among them," said Aihaiti, denying a report in the Washington Post on July 15 that Uygur women were forced to go east to avoid their families receiving hefty fines as part of an alleged "labor export program" organized by local governments in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"It is ridiculous to say the workers were forced to do the migrant work, since many of them go with their husbands," he said.

Amutijiang Yiliyasi came to the Xuri Toy Factory with his wife. He said most Uygur migrant workers cannot speak Mandarin, so they rely on local governments for job opportunities.

"I can't recognize Han characters for road names or to read menus. But my wife and I want to work in Guangdong so we can earn enough money to build our own house when we go back home," he said.

"We need the government's help to get job offers and training. Otherwise, we have no choice but to stay home and farm."