Xinjiang after 9/11

 

In light of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the People's Republic of China offered strong support for Washington and affirmed that it, "opposes terrorism of any form and support actions to combat terrorism."

-Beijing has claimed continuous confrontations with "religious extremist forces" and "violent" terrorists" in Xinjiang.

-The Human Rights Watch has been concerned that China's support for the war against terrorism will serve as a justified mean for gaining international support or silence for its own crackdown on non-violent, ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

 

The Shanghai Five. Photo courtesy of Axis News.

 

-In 1996, China organized an informal association consisting of China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan (collectively called the Shanghai Five) and emphasized the prevention of cross-border "activities undermining national sovereignty." One of the main priorities of the Shanghai Five was to counter Islamic radicalism in the Xinjiang region.

-Since 1996, members of the Shanghai Five have assured China that Uyghur opposition groups will not be allowed to operate from Central Asia. The governments in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have dissolved Uyghur political parties, closed newspapers, and arrested militants. More recently, in 1999, Kazakhstan repatriated three Uyghur refugees at China's request.