For unreasonable reasons, I decided to fly back to Urumqi on my way out of the country.  If it weren’t for Shanghai Airlines, I wouldn’t have been around Hotan long enough to this amused:

So, perhaps Uigher/ Chinese race relations are still not so hot?  As I wait for 5 hours in the Hotan airport a commotion starts and, Chinese-style, a mass of people rush to see what is up.

It starts only as indistinct shouting out of sight to the left of my small window into the airport’s main hall.  From the departure gate, we could see nothing until a screaming Uigher comes into view from the check-in gates trailed by an airline employee and two security guards.  Refusing to be allayed, he is eventually forcibly lead towards the door of the airport.  When one guard holding his arm isn’t enough, another grabs his right arm while a third executes a perfect from-behind choke hold.

As he is dragged off-stage right, a few of his friends call for help and two departing passengers attempt to rush backwards through security to go to his aid.  They, too, are intercepted by airport security and lead away.

The situation settles down, the yelling stops, and three soldiers armed with what appear to be shotguns post up in the lobby.  With the military post right next door to the airport, I suppose backup isn’t too far away.

Finally, 26 hours after I was supposed to take off on my original ticketed flight, our plane starts boarding.  As the last two to board, the two formerly-removed passengers are escorted to the plane after what I assume must have been a stern talking-to.

As the plane taxis out, the guard between the runways delivers a textbook left-face to mark our passage.  Anyone familiar with Chinese subways will understand this move.

The guy seated next to me immediately marks himself a 土包子 by whipping out his phone and taking about 15 pictures as he boards the plane.  He seems amazed by it all.  As he starts praying fervently under his breath on the lead-up to takeoff, I’m unsure whether I should feel moved or worried.

In the end, I offer my own prayers of thanks that Shanghai Air is leaving the Star Alliance at the end of the month because it means that I’ll not again have any compelling reason to fly with them over any of the more reliable Chinese carriers.

To be fair to them though, they did pay for two nights’ hotel and a couple of meals, as well as reimburse all the passengers in cash for over half my ticket price.  Unfortunately, this meant I had to rush through Urumqi to get out of the country before my visa expired.