China's War on Terror

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Inside China's Xinjiang "re-education camps"

Separatism, extremism, and terrorism

When it comes to terrorism in China, there is usually talk of the so-called “three forces”—namely separatism, extremism, and terrorism—which are blamed on militant Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

 

In response to the riots, assassinations, and bombings that started in the late 1980s, the Chinese government deployed various strategies to stabilize Xinjiang, including “soft” measures such as economic development and “hard” measures such as “strike hard” anti-crime campaigns. These stabilizing efforts, however, were unable to prevent the deadly riot in 2009.

 

Manifestations of religious extremism were described by Nur Bekri, the then governor of Xinjiang, in his article in April 2014. He stated that the extremists prohibited other people from watching television, listening to the radio, reading newspapers, singing and dancing; they did not allow laughter at weddings or crying at funerals; they forced women to wear burqas and men to grow beards; they advocated a pan-Islam society, demanding not only food, but also medicine, clothing, and even government-subsidized housing to be halal; they misled people, especially young people, into acts of terrorism; they distorted religious teachings; they made up heresies such as “jihadist martyrs go to heaven,” “killing a pagan is worth over 10 years of piety,” and “one gets whatever one wants in heaven”; they pitted believers against “pagans” and condemned those who do not follow their distorted beliefs as “traitors” and “scum.”

 

Approaches to de-radicalization

To implement the strategy, the authorities in Xinjiang have proposed various significant approaches such as “five keys,” “four prongs,” “three contingents,” “two hands,” and “one rule.”

 

Read more: Chinese Strategy for De-radicalization

 

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RaiThioS's picture
Beta Tester

extremist thoughts appeared in my head

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