Uyghur Conflict

Evaluation

As a result of their oppression, the Uyghur people created a war between themselves and North western China (their region), through their protests they planned fatal attacks such as bus explosions, bomb threats and have been accused of bombing markets, government institutions and more establishments.

The extremest groups have created unwanted bad publicity and although they have honest and good intentions, the way in which they fight for them is appalling and give them a bad image. They do deserve their own state as they are an entirely different culture but not through these horrible actions.

Their fighting cost of many civilians their lives and most of them were innocent.

Bibliography

Key Groups

There are two main groups who are involved in the Xinjiang conflict:

• http://www.cfr.org/china/east-turkestan-islamic-movement-etim/p9179
• http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/xinjiang.htm
• http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-16860974
• http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037

The East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)

Year formed and by who: 1993, by Hasan Mahsum

Their aim: they wish to form an independent state called East Turkestan that would cover a region including parts of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Xingjiang area in China.

Key Actions:

• fatal bus explosions in Shanghai and Kunming in 2008.
• internet videos calling the Uyghurs in Xinjiang for a jihad (rebellion).
• threatening to bomb the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
• plotting to attack the U.S. embassy in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
• Accused by the Chinese government of being behind other attacks (bombing buses, markets, government institutions, assassinating local officials, Muslim leaders, and civillians.

*they are also suspected to be the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP).

The Chinese Government

Current leader: Xi Jinping

Current Party: The Communist Party of China

Perspective on conflict: The government in this case of conflict thought they had a strong understanding of what the Ugyhurs were trying to do and the consequences if they had allowed the forming of an independent state to happen. The government states that the separatists are religious extremists that on quote; “mislead the public and deceive world opinion in order to escape blows dealt by the international struggle against terrorism.”

Key Actions:

• Accused the Uyghurs of being members/supporters of Al-Qaeda.
• Ethnic riots in Urumqi, July 2009 - arrested Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer. Claiming she provoked the violence.
• Adding Uyghur rebel group (East Turkestan Islamic Movement) to the UN al-Qaeda/Taliban Sanctions Committee list.

Key Issues

Map of the Xinjiang Province

The Uyghur people of Xinjiang, (north-western China) are an ethnic minority of Turkic-speaking descendants who live under the rule of the Chinese government.

The majority of the people residing in Xinjiang are the Uyghurs; many of which are of the Islamic faith. Many have expressed that as a culture they have experienced religious and cultural harassment by the Han Chinese (native inland Chinese) especially throughout the Communist takeover in 1949. They are campaigning in an attempt to reclaim their own land and to stop the religious and political harassment. Further extremist cases fight for the rights to form their own independent Uyghur state.

However much of the Uyghurs are divided; while half want to separate from China and have their own region, the others still want to belong to China but be recognized as a distinct culture. The conflict was caused mainly because the Chinese and the Uyghurs are very different in their cultural, social and religious attitudes.

Uyghur Separatists Conflict (Xinjiang conflict)