Publication

This paper analyzes the sources of Uyghur discontent and ethnonational conflict in Xinjiang since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. It argues that the principal source of the Uyghur unrest is China’s disrespect for the minimal principles of regional autonomy operating in Xinjiang. To support this thesis, the paper presents both a historical analysis of policy changes over time in Xinjiang and a study of current policies in the region. The author explains that the announcement of the global war on terror emboldens Beijing to respond with repression in the region. The paper argues that by this, it further diminishes the small amount of autonomy Uyghurs and other minorities currently exercise in Xinjiang.