The Xinjiang conflict and the utility of China's counter-terrorism measures (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Politics - Region: South Asia, grade: 1,7, University of Aarhus, language: English, abstract: This paper addresses the following questions: First, what is the origin of the conflict between Uyghurs and Han Chinese, which make up the central government? Second, who are the terrorist organizations in Xinjiang and what impact do they have on China? And as a third question, which counterterrorism measures are used by the Chinese government to fight domestic terrorism and in how far are they appropriate to achieve a more peaceful security environment in the region and the country?

After the 9/11 attacks, not only the US, but also countries all around the globe realized the comprehensive threat posed to them by terrorist organizations. Consequently, a revision and enhancement of the counterterrorism capabilities took place all over. This also happened in the People's Republic of China (PRC), which widened their counterterrorism measures and joined Bush's 'war on terror'. The target of this newly inflamed campaign was mainly the Uyghur population of Xinjiang district, seen as a major threat of domestic unrest by the Chinese government.

Separated from China proper through a wide geographical distance and the differing culture of Islam, this region had been a child of sorrow for them for a long time. Because of that, the central government used the chance to intensify their fight against separatism and extremist terrorism, which it assumed to be originating mainly in XInjiang. However, China is facing a peak of terrorist attacks since 2014, which proves their strategy of proceeding with cruelty far from perfect.

Therefore, this paper will have a closer look at the 'Uyghur case' and assesses the authorities' counterterrorism measures. For this analysis, mainstream literature by Krueger & Malecková and Kydd & Walter is used, which examines the impact of economic factors on the likelihood to join a terrorist organization and the consequences of indiscriminate counterterrorism measures. Finally, it will postulate some policy advice, useful for maintaining stability in the area while at the same time reducing the threat of terrorist attacks for the country.