Publication

This publication addresses the problem of separatist conflict and unrest in China’s Xinjiang region. The study begins with a historical survey of resistance in Xinjiang and then takes up the period since 1990, the main concern of the author. By surveying Chinese documents on events in the region, the author concludes that the current threat of Uyghur separatism and particularly of terrorist attacks on civilian targets seems less serious than claimed in official and media reports. According to the author, both the frequency and severity of violent activity associated with Uyghur separatism have declined since the late 1990s.