What message did China send by choosing Uyghur torchbearer?

By JOHN LEICESTER
Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Facing international criticism over it treatment of minorities, China’s selection of a member of the Uyghur Muslim  group to help deliver the Olympic flame was a show of defiance, a message from Communist authorities that they won’t be swayed. But some critics say the choice shows that the government has been affected by complaints. Cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang joined fellow athlete Zhao Jiawen, a member of the dominant Han ethnic group, to light the flame. Observers saw a response by Beijing to accusations it has repressed Uyghurs, detaining a million in prison-like political reeducation camps.