The etlo is allied with the east turkestan islamic movement and the taliban. To support this thesis, the paper presents both a historical analysis of policy changes over time in xinjiang and a close study of current policies in the region. The ccp sensitivities in xinjiang tie to the stability and integration of the state and thus, any secessionist movement has been suppressed. Autonomy arrangements around the world have been enacted to pro. In perspective of the laws of the peoples republic of china, the taiwan independence movement is considered as secessionism, too because the prc considers the taiwan area. The first was designed to produce a single collaborate volume that would provide educated nonspecialists in many countries with an authoritative introduction to the territory and its people, past and present. Uyghur exiles later threatened china with rumors of a uyghur liberation army in the thousands that were supposedly recruited from sovietized.
Autonomy in xinjiang ix tent choice of han officials for the top positions at all levels of xinjiangs party bureaucracy strike many uyghurs as colonial practices. The territory of xinjiang has been continuously controlled by the peoples republic of china since. List of active separatist movements in asia wikipedia. The organization operates primarily in xinjiang, china, but operates throughout central asia and in pakistan. Aug 03, 2016 meanwhile in recent days, a video warning of the calamitous effects of independence movements in taiwan, hong kong, xinjiang, and tibet has been circulated around various chinese state weibo. If the kmt won the chinese civil war and most likely end up taking control of xinjiang and tibet, what kind, if any, independence movements would there be. Eradicating ideological viruses human rights watch.
To many westerners, tibetan buddhists, represented by their spiritual leader the dalai lama, are peaceloving people repressed by the chinese government. The urumqi riots and chinas ethnic policy in xinjiang. This page does not represent a political endorsement of either side of the dispute. The east turkestan islamic movement etim is a muslim separatist group founded by militant uighurs, members of the turkicspeaking ethnic majority in northwest chinas xinjiang province. Uyghur muslim ethnic separatism in xinjiang, china daniel k. Whether secular or religious, the pro independence groups in xinjiang are overwhelmingly ethno nationalist movements, that is, articulated along ethnic lines, not religious ones. Finally, both han immigration and state policies have dramatically increased the pressure on uyghurs to assimilate linguistically and culturally, seemingly con. Uyghurs represent an ethnic muslim group with deep roots in the western chinese regi. Peoples republic of china china or prc china is a geographically very large area comparable to the united states and immensely populous population comparable to india country that is subdivided into 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 direct. Sep 26, 2014 china has often blamed etim the east turkestan islamic movement or people inspired by etim for violent incidents both in xinjiang and beyond the regions borders. The xinjiang project began in 1998, well before the events of 11 september 2001.
May 31, 2017 emboldened, uyghurs renewed calls for xinjiang to reclaim its independence under the name east turkestan or uyghurstan. It began as a revolution in three northern districts ili, tarbaghatai and altai of xinjiang province of the chinese republic. The confrontation revolves primarily around a struggle for domination over the province and a uyghur quest for autonomy or even independence from beijings. Furthermore, systematic chinese policies have reduced the uyghur population majority in xinjiang. Carissa fletcher based on rare firsthand historical data, wang ke presents an analysis of east turkestan from the perspective of islamic social structure, the origin and evolution of thoughts on national revolution. Economic incentives preempt independence movements. Historically, xinjiang, as the eastern extension of the muslim world in china, was closer to the center of the muslim world rather than the confucian civilization in china proper. History if we look back at ancient history, china has lost and regained xinjiang several times. Bughra had led an independence movement in khotan in the early 1930s. A case study of the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region in china. It was instigated by sinologist robert oxnam and frederick starr, along with ambassador nicholas platt, president of the asia society, and several other friends who were traveling in xinjiang with the asia society, among them mr. China created a new terrorist threat by repressing.
The east turkestan independence movement by some muslim uyghurs. Taking the uighurs cause to heart, human rights activists also. Secession in china refers to several secessionist movements in greater china, which includes the following states and territories. Is there a movement known as the xinjiang independence. The etr existed in the mid1940s november 12, 1944 december 22, 1949 in northern xinjiang. Although they were ethnic nationalists, they used elements of islam to forge a fragile common identity with other classes and ethnic groups, including the more numerous, nomadic kazakhs. Uyghur muslim ethnic separatism in xinjiang, china elizabeth van wie davis asiapacific center for security studies january 2008 overview the april 1990 armed uprising in baren marked an increase in uyghur muslim violence in xinjiang, china.
Its heavily industrialised capital, urumqi, has a population of more than 2. Although the dpp has been the nominal ruling party of the. The original japanese edition of this book has been recognized as the most authoritative research work on the independence movement of. Uighurs and chinas xinjiang region uyghur human rights. In 1990, dissent erupted into riots, and beijing ordered the first of many. Tibetan rebellion, dalai lama forms a govt in exile in india 1987. But an independence movement or even an independence war was not enough. Currently, the primary and traditional population base of the uyghur people is xinjiang, an autonomous region of china, which is also known as east turkestan by advocates of independence. The events of 911 resulted in labeling the uyghurs as terrorists and changed the situation in.
The east turkestan islamic movement etim council on. The background of panturkism and panislamism has promoted the east turkestan movement. The stirrings of uyghur separatism during the early 20th century were greatly influenced by the turkish jadidist movement, which spread as wealthier uyghurs, inspired by notions of panturkism, traveled abroad to turkey, europe, and russia, and returned home determined to modernize and develop the educational system in xinjiang. The second east turkestan republic, commonly referred to simply as the east turkestan republic etr, was a shortlived sovietbacked turkic socialist peoples republic. Independence movement an overview sciencedirect topics. Xinjiang, autonomous region of china, occupying the northwestern corner of the country. The organization was established in turkey in 1990 or 1996 to fight against the chinese government in xinjiang, a territory in which no ethnicity forms a majority, but is inhabited in. Xinjiang is an arid region three times the size of france in the northwestern corner of the peoples republic of china, bordering on mongolia, russia, and several central asian countries. Pdf chinas policy towards uighur nationalism 1 researchgate.
Supported with arms, air support, and money by beria and stalin, the leaders of the shortlived 19441949 republic called for a panturkic state encompassing xinjiang as well as parts of the soviet union. Ethnic, religious and political conflict on chinas. First east turkestan republic project gutenberg self. The government has blamed terrorist attacks on the east turkestan islamic movement, a.
Hong kongs government is fueling an independence movement by. By linking the independence movement to the past history of the arms, the new venezuelan government was more easily woven into the existing national identity mucha 1985, pp. Chinas repression of uighurs in xinjiang council on. Troop movements to the area, related to the nationwide campaign. The events of 911 resulted in labeling the uyghurs as terrorists and changed the situation in xinjiang. Pdf china, xinjiang and the internationalisation of the. Pdf this paper seeks to place chinas policy toward its uighur. Etim seeks to violently split the territory of xinjiang, china, and link it with other uighur territory across central asia. The american government refused chinas request to recognize the east turkestan liberation organization etlo as a terrorist organization in december 2003.
Archived from the original pdf on 12 february 2011. It is bordered by the chinese provinces of qinghai and gansu to the east, the tibet autonomous region to the south, afghanistan and the disputed territory of kashmir to the southwest, kyrgyzstan and tajikistan. Two justificationsethnic separatism and religious rhetoricare given. Ethnicity, separatism and terrorism in xinjiang jstor. Pdf historicalsociological background of the relationship.
The east turkestan independence movement, also known as the xinjiang independence. Hu considered that xinjiang was less of a problem than tibet as there were no religious leaders or governments in exile comparable to the dalai lama in dharamsala and no independence movement with overseas support. What would be the effects of the independence of uyghur. The democratic progressive party dpp has been democratically elected to power in the republic of china taiwan four times. Xinjiang is a large centralasian region within the peoples republic of china comprising numerous minority groups. The xinjiang problem 2 the xinjiang project was conceived as a twopart exercise. The east turkestan independence movement, also known as the xinjiang independence movement or the uyghur independence movement, is a political and social movement seeking independence for xinjiang uyghur autonomous region of china as a homeland for the uyghur people, to be named east turkestan. The east turkestan independence movement is a broad term that refers to advocates of an independent, selfgoverning east turkestan in the region now known as xinjiang, an autonomous region in the peoples republic of china. The east turkestan liberation organization etlo was a secessionist uyghur organization that advocated for an independent uyghur state named east turkestan in the western chinese province known as xinjiang. Through the manipulation of the war on terror, china has equated any form of criticism or dissent with terrorism, separatism, and extremism. Xinjiang consists of two main geographically, historically, and ethnically distinct regions with different historical names. Just over half of the regions population of nearly 20 million is composed of turkicspeaking, traditionally muslim peoples, including over 1 million kazakhs.
Chinas alternative to allowing xinjiang independence is allowing them genuine autonomy, and ending the suppression of uyghur religion, language and culture. Although there is an active uyghur independence movement in xinjiang that calls the region east turkestan, from a travellers point of view, xinjiang is under the effective control of the chinese government, and travellers to xinjiang will need to obtain chinese visas and the like. Separatist movements of china simple english wikipedia. The western media continued its biased reports on the xinjiang riots but refrained from china bashing this time. Whether secular or religious, the proindependence groups in xinjiang are overwhelmingly ethno nationalist movements, that is, articulated.
Chinas uyghur policies have led its muslim minority. The xinjiang independence movement sources suggest that rather than being a cohesive group, the name xinjiang independence movement is a common label given to the collection of diverse and disorganised groups. In these terms, advocating independence and calling xinjiang. Sep 17, 2014 xinjiang could gain independence from china only in the context of the chinese state weakening very significantly, to the point that it could no longer maintain control over its peripheral territories. In most cases, a triangular constellation of political factors was the essential precondition.
Autonomy in xinjiang ix tent choice of han officials for the top positions at all levels of xinjiang s party bureaucracy strike many uyghurs as colonial practices. In both cases it has been alleged that beijing is using antiterrorism as an excuse to stifle dissent in its westernmost region. Uyghur muslim ethnic separatism in xinjiang, china. The chinese national petroleum corporation, an oil and gas producing soe, plans to build xinjiang into chinas largest oil and gas production base by 2020 people daily, 2010.
Uyghur nationalists or separatists formed the east turkestan independence movement or etim. Apr 09, 2020 xinjiang is the most likely region to secede from china, compared to other regions, based on several reasons. Taiwan independence movement, taiwanese nationalism. Jacob zenn, an overview of chinese fighters and antichinese. After the sinosoviet split in 1962, over 60,000 uyghurs and kazakhs defected from xinjiang to the kazakh soviet socialist republic, in response to soviet propaganda which promised xinjiang independence. Mar 17, 2015 if the kmt won the chinese civil war and most likely end up taking control of xinjiang and tibet, what kind, if any, independence movements would there be. Uyghur nationalism is often linked in varying degrees to the east turkestan independence movement, also known as the uyghur independence movement. The uyghurs, who reside throughout the immediate region, are the largest turkic. Human rights watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of. Tibet and xinjiang independence movements under nationalist china. The two uighur independence movements were led by prosoviet uighur intellectuals who had received modern educations.
Chinas campaign of repression against xinjiangs muslims. Nov 25, 2019 chinas repression of uighurs in xinjiang. Why is there tension between china and the uighurs. Similarly, changes made in 1991 to the croatian national flag became a powerful signal of the nations new independent status. China has often blamed etim the east turkestan islamic movement or people inspired by etim for violent incidents both in xinjiang and beyond the regions borders. Separatism and the war on terror in china s xinjiang. Xinjiang conflict wikimili, the best wikipedia reader.
Chinese govt vows it will crush any independence movement. Kmt rule most likely would be much more mild than maos, and probably at the level of current day prcs at worst. A case study of the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region in china by iman jafarynejad introduction selfdetermination and freedom from foreign territorial acquisition and annexation still are core issues in the international arena and a source of human rights struggles. The east turkestan independence movement, 1930s to 1940s. The paper outlines the important events of the xinjiang issue and. The driving force behind the sporadic riots in xinjiang is the east turkestan independence movement. Why beijing should let go of xinjiang, tibet and the like. Hong kongs government is fueling an independence movement. East turkestan independence movement simple english. Mar 12, 2014 the chinese national petroleum corporation, an oil and gas producing soe, plans to build xinjiang into chinas largest oil and gas production base by 2020 people daily, 2010.