Uyghur (Eastern Turkistan) secessionism in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

Since the 1990s, concerns about Uyghur secessionism have taken increasing world media and official attention. This new situation has been heightened since the incident of 9/11 with not only the presence of the U.S. in Central Asia but also attempt of Chinese government to link Uyghur secessionism to global terrorism. This thesis aims to examine the Uyghur secessionism, which continues from the times of the Qing Dynasty to the present day. The thesis provides historical background and the case studies of Barın and Gulca in 1990s on what led to contemporary tensions between the Uyghur and the PRC. After examining the historical underpinning of Eastern Turkistan conflict, it also attempts to analyze current state of the Uyghur secessionism as an international issue, particularly after the incident of 9/11.