Historical background: Xinjiang is populated by Turkic Uighurs, who claim China suppresses their culture and Sunni Muslim faith, with human rights abuses such as mass abortions, forced termination of marriages AND Han Chinese colonization (now 40% of population) and domination.
Most Uighurs seek autonomy within China, while some support Muslim extremism and independence. Since the attacks on the US on September 11, the Chinese bureaucracy has seized on the pretext of the Bush administration’s “war on terrorism” to justify intensified repression against ethic Uighurs in Xinjiang. Beijing accused separatist groups of having connections with Osama bin Laden’s “global terrorist network” and of receiving training in Afghanistan, to wage a “violent campaign” for an independent Eastern Turkestan.
