The Narrative of Uyghur Terrorism and the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Uyghur Militancy

Abstract

This chapter provides a history of how Uyghur terrorism evolved out of a long-standing conflict between Uyghurs and states based in China through a combination of PRC policies to stifle dissent in Xinjiang and the state’s opportunistic use of the U.S.-led “global war on terrorism”. It critically analyses existing sources on the origins and evolution of two Uyghur militant organizations, the “East Turkestan Islamic Movement” (ETIM) and “Turkestan Islamic Party” (TIP), that China holds responsible for acts of terrorism in Xinjiang and argues that the Chinese government has grossly over-exaggerating the capacity of these groups in order to brand and suppress Uyghur dissent at home. By using the threat of ETIM and TIP to target all religiously inclined Uyghurs as potential terrorists, however, it has enabled a self-fulfilling prophecy of Uyghur radicalization and militancy.