Xinjiang has been a battleground for the past few decades. The ongoing hostility between the indigenous Uyghurs and the Chinese government has resulted in several problems threatening the stability of the region. The recent restrictions on the Uyghurs present a grim picture of the Chinese Communist Party on the international front. However, the situation is more complicated than the typical case of ethnic oppression.
The Uyghurs, who claim to be the indigenous people of the Xinjiang region, have been opposed to the idea of being included into China since 1931.They believe they have a different culture from the Han who make up the majority of the population of China. The Uyghurs share a lot of similarities with the Central Asian Nations in terms of culture and religion. Most of the Uyghurs originally speak Turkish and practice Islam, while most other Chinese officially speak different languages, like Mandarin and Cantonese, and practice Taoism or aren’t religiously affiliated. These differences are always cited by the Uyghurs in their fight for independence.
Throughout history, the Uyghurs maintained good relations with the Qing Dynasty until the fall of the Qing Empire. Rebellions broke down after the assassination of Yang Zengxin, who took control of Xinjiang after the Republic of China came to control. The 1930s saw Xinjiang becoming independent. This was short-lived, as the region fell into the hands of Sheng Sicai, a Han warlord who was under the influence of the Soviet Union. In the Ili Rebellion, the Soviet-supported Uyghur separatists fought against the Kuomintang-led Republic of China, which controlled most of the region. In 1949, the People’s Liberation Army entered Xinjiang and forced the Kuomintang to surrender, thus successfully bringing China under the control of Mao Zedong, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party. The civil war had finally ended. Across the country, people were cheering and celebrating the beginning of a new and better China. However, the Uyghurs were disappointed because this had effectively ended their hopes for independence.
Fast forward to today, Xinjiang has become a major contributor to China’s rapidly growing economy, with its capital Urumqi being a major hub for business. However, not all is perfect in this province. For years, the Chinese Communist Party (which currently governs China) has encouraged the majority Han to move to Urumqi, prompting them to secure high-paying industrial jobs, thus fostering strong competition between the Han and the Uyghurs, who are already at odds with each other over the claim of the region. Both ethnic groups believe they were the first ones to settle in the region. The Chinese government’s efforts to stifle the Uyghurs’ growth have largely been successful, as the capital Urumqi has more than 5 times more Han than Uyghurs even though Uyghurs make up the majority in the rest of the rural province. The Chinese government denies this, often citing that the Han were forced to leave Xinjiang when there was violence between several ethnic groups in the 1860s and the 1930s. This was a disadvantage for the Han as they were powerless against the majority Uyghur who had exercised their power against the Han during those rebellions. The Han, they say, are only returning to their previous homeland in the period of stability.
Since the Chinese Communist Party came to rule, the Uyghurs have continued to face backlash and many restrictions, furthering their hatred and rebellion against the government. The opening of re-education camps for Uyghurs (aimed at changing the political thinking and religious beliefs of detainees), banning of religious fasting among Uyghur Muslims, and continuous favoritism for the Han are only a few in the long list of complaints the Uyghur people have against the government. In 2019, The Art Newspaper reported that “hundreds” of writers, artists, and academics had been imprisoned, in what the magazine qualified as an attempt to “punish any form of religious or cultural expression” among Uyghurs. This mistreatment and constant media criticism from the Communist Party continue to cause the Uyghurs to resent their government.
The cause of all this can be attributed to the constant movements from the Uyghurs for independence. This claim is further strengthened by the fact that the Chinese government continuously encourages other Muslim minorities, like the Hui in Xinjiang, to peacefully practice Islam and grants them more opportunities for visa applications for the Islamic holy pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia each year. In defense of their actions against the Uyghurs, the government says it is because the Hui are relatively peaceful.
It’s hard to say the Uyghurs and the government will be on peaceful terms in the near future. There are valid reasons behind each party’s actions against the other. However, it is possible that change will be seen once one of the two parties takes a step to initiate peace.