Radicalization of China's Uyghurs

Militant Responses to Chinese State Repression

Abstract

China’s repression of Xinjiang’s Muslim minority, the Uyghurs, has made recent international headlines. Preexisting inter-ethnic tensions, in addition to cultural and economic discrimination, have helped cultivate a Uyghur identity rooted in political Islam and strong ethnic pride. This paper explores the process through which Chinese state repression has led to the radicalization of certain elements in Xinjiang’s Uyghur minority: claims for secession and independence, the Uyghur exodus, radicalization abroad, ethnic clashes, and the attempted erasure of Uyghur identity are all factors that have increased the potential for future terrorist attacks in Xinjiang and mainland China.