The Conflict

The province of Xinjiang, a region historically predominantly Muslim and ethnically, culturally, and linguistically distinct from the Han Chinese, has struggled against what it perceives as the central government's indifference. Faced with a growing Han population that threatens to overwhelm the majority Uighur population, residents of Xinjiang have often protested for increased rights and autonomy, and against the perceived inequities of the government in Beijing. Violent clashes have only served to engender more tension and resentment.

Cultural

• The ethnic Uighur inhabitants of Xinjiang province in northeastern China advocate autonomy, which the Chinese government in Beijing is reluctant to give.
• The Uighur are a group culturally and linguistically distinct from the Han Chinese.

Political

• The northwest region of China, which the Uighurs inhabit, has and still is a hotly contested area, for both...