Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive DSpace Repository Theses and Dissertations 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items 2006-09 China's Muslims separatism and prospects for ethnic peace McKinney, Evan W. Monterey California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/2567 Downloaded from NPS Archive: Calhoun NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS CHINA’S MUSLIMS: SEPARATISM AND PROSPECTS FOR ETHNIC PEACE by Evan W. McKinney September 2006 Thesis Co-Advisors: Alice Lyman Miller Tuong Vu Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED September 2006 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE China’s Muslims: Separatism and Prospects for Ethnic 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Peace 6. AUTHOR(S) Evan W. McKinney 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) The Uighur issue is of vital regional and global security importance to China. Although minority separatists are not well armed and seem to be largely disorganized, the violence poses a very real threat to China’s ability to develop Xinjiang. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s behavior toward its Muslims has received renewed Western attention in the aftermath of 9/11. China’s Uighurs have responded to CCP policies with violence and separatist activity, but the Hui (ethnic Chinese who are Muslim) have reacted with relatively high levels of accommodation. Some have blamed Uighur separatism on external influences (such as transnational terror) and Islam. However, the puzzle is, why do the Uighurs engage in separatism where the Hui do not? This study contributes to existing literature by directly comparing the Uighurs and Hui in order to determine the reasons behind Uighur separatism and Hui accommodation. This thesis argues that the Uighurs and Hui have faced different social and economic realities which have led to different perceptions of inequality and thus, different reactions to CCP policy. Also, unlike Uighur ethnic identity, Hui identity stems from and is compatible with the PRC and Chinese society. This study uses primary sources including interviews with Uighurs, Hui and Han Chinese conducted in western China during June and July of 2006. 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF China, Islam, separatism, secession, Uighurs, Hui, minority relations, PAGES 91 Muslims, Xinjiang, ethnic identity 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited CHINA’S MUSLIMS: SEPARATISM AND PROSPECTS FOR ETHNIC PEACE Evan W. McKinney Second Lieutenant, United States Air Force B.S., United States Air Force Academy, 2005 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL September 2006 Author: Evan W. McKinney Approved by: Alice Lyman Miller Thesis Advisor Tuong Vu Co-Advisor Douglas Porch Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The Uighur issue is of vital regional and global security importance to China. Although minority separatists are not well armed and seem to be largely disorganized, the violence poses a very real threat to China’s ability to develop Xinjiang. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s behavior toward its Muslims has received renewed Western attention in the aftermath of 9/11. China’s Uighurs have responded to CCP policies with violence and separatist activity, but the Hui (ethnic Chinese who are Muslim) have reacted with relatively high levels of accommodation. Some have blamed Uighur separatism on external influences (such as transnational terror) and Islam. However, the puzzle is, why do the Uighurs engage in separatism where the Hui do not? This study contributes to existing literature by directly comparing the Uighurs and Hui in order to determine the reasons behind Uighur separatism and Hui accommodation. This thesis argues that the Uighurs and Hui have faced different social and economic realities which have led to different perceptions of inequality and thus, different reactions to CCP policy. Also, unlike Uighur ethnic identity, Hui identity stems from and is compatible with the PRC and Chinese society. This study uses primary sources including interviews with Uighurs, Hui and Han Chinese conducted in western China during June and July of 2006. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. CHINA’S MUSLIMS, HISTORICAL LEGACIES AND THE UIGHUR QUESTION ..................................................................................................................1 A. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................1 B. HISTORICAL LEGACIES ............................................................................2 1. PRC Minority Policy Under Mao Zedong.........................................2 2. PRC Minority Policy After Mao Zedong...........................................6 3. The Uighur Civilization.....................................................................10 4. Uighur Separatism in Recent Years.................................................12 5. China’s Hui Minority ........................................................................14 6. Hui Reactions to Chinese Minority Policy.......................................15 C. LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................17 1. Separatism Literature .......................................................................17 2. Uighur Literature...............................................................................20 3. Hui Literature ....................................................................................24 D. METHODOLOGY AND SOURCES...........................................................27 II. THE POLITICS OF MINORITY GRIEVANCES ................................................31 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................31 B. HAN MIGRATION, INTERNAL COLONIALISM AND ASSIMILATION............................................................................................32 C. UIGHUR PERCEPTIONS AND REACTIONS TO HAN MIGRATION .................................................................................................33 D. INTERNAL COLONIALISM, RELIGIOUS POLICY, AND THE UIGHURS.......................................................................................................36 E. HUI PERCEPTIONS AND REACTIONS TO HAN MIGRATION........39 F. INTERNAL COLONIALISM, RELIGIOUS POLICY, AND THE HUI..................................................................................................................40 G. CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................42 III. THE POLITICS OF MINORITY IDENTITY .......................................................45 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................45 B. THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY..................................................................45 C. MAPPING CONTEMPORARY HUI IDENTITY: PRIMORDIAL FACTORS ......................................................................................................47 D. MAPPING CONTEMPORARY UIGHUR IDENTITY: PRIMORDIAL FACTORS ......................................................................................................51 E. MAPPING CONTEMPORARY HUI IDENTITY: SECONDARY FACTORS ......................................................................................................56 F. MAPPING CONTEMPORARY UIGHUR IDENTITY: SECONDARY FACTORS ......................................................................................................58 G. CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................59 IV. THE FUTURE OF UIGHUR SEPARATISM AND U.S. POLICY