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The People’s Republic of China continues to give out contradictory signals on the question of ethno-religious identity among its minorities. While its desire for economic prosperity in Xinjiang may be achievable, it has not seemingly found any solution to the sense of alienation felt by the local Uighurs. In yet another instance that demonstrates this dichotomy clearly, the provincial authority in Xinjiang has advised some sections of the ethnic Uighur Muslim citizens of the province, including Party cadres, civic officials and students, to “eat properly, study and work” during the holy month of Ramadan. This order remains in place in Hotan and Kashgar, which had witnessed ethnic violence in the recent past. The instruction proffering this advice also goes on to clarify that it is only a directive and that the authorities are not forcing the people to eat during Ramadan.  However, other reports suggest that a statement in this respect urges the “party leaders to bring "gifts...

The 2009 riots occurred because of the deep-rooted ethnic biases prevalent in Chinese society, coupled with the state’s hard handed approach and the sense of deprivation among Uighurs. Perceptive to the problem and alert to the situation, the Chinese government has introduced more economic incentives for the local population. However, the deep-rooted causes of the tension remain unresolved and repeated instances of violence only show that some of the policies may be backfiring. In a year in which China will see a political transition, Xinjiang is marked by an uneasy peace. Chinese leaders will be hoping that there is no more trouble at a time when stability remains their paramount objective. All the same, they will leave no stone unturned in their search for what is proving to be an elusive stability in the region. Summary of the Issue Brief published yesterday on IDSA, the full article can be accessed here

Xinjiang: China’s Achilles Heel In yet another episode of ethnic violence, more than 180 people have died in the riots in China’s minority province of Xinjiang. At the same time, the death toll is bound to rise as more than hundred are critically injured according to the official media. Besides the death count, these riots have left about a thousand injured and led to a massive destruction of property in the Urumqi and Kashgar. The riots took place after a protest march by ethnic Uighur people. The protestors were demanding justice for the two Uighur workers who died during the ethnic clashes with Han workers in a toy factory in the Guangdong province in June. These clashes were caused by rumoured atrocities by Uighur workers that were never proved. The violent conflict between the majority nationality Han and the minority Uighur is an important issue in itself but more than that, it is a symptom of a larger problem that the People’s Republic has at its hand. China has 56 ethnic grou...