Celebrating Ramadan Under Beijing's Repression

Uighurs used to be the overwhelming majority in their homeland, but for decades Beijing has exported Han Chinese to Xinjiang and today the balance is about 50-50. Official Han favoritism and efforts to snuff out Uighur identity have bred increasing resentment and violent backlash, including attacks on local security forces and acts of terror in Xinjiang and beyond. Beijing paints all Uighur rights activists as separatists and terrorists, and its sensitivity grows as the region’s energy resources and strategic proximity to Central Asia rise in importance. So repression intensifies along with resistance.