¶12. (C) Pro-reform Beijing University law professor He
Weifang (protect), in a discussion with PolOff in the
(largely Han) Xinjiang city of Shihezi, said he thought Nuer
Bekri, unlike Wang Lequan, was considered a "moderate," had
retained the support of the local populace, and had not been
a target of public criticism. He told PolOff there was a
major review of ethnic policy underway and that a conference
would be convened in early 2010 with "hundreds" of
participants of "diverse specialties" to explore ideas. In
He's view, there would be "some adjustment" of ethnic policy
but "no major changes." He offered his opinion that the July
riots would never have occurred had the violence against
Uighur workers in Guangdong province, the triggering event of
the riots, been handled in a "fair, transparent and proper"
manner through an effective judicial process. "There will be
no ethnic harmony without rule of law," he concluded. (Note:
PolOff met with He at Xinjiang's Shihezi University where he
is in his second year of a two-year temporary assignment. He
was "banished" to Xinjiang for signing the "Charter 08"
democracy manifesto in December 2008. See ref E.)
