Author Description

Who are the Uyghurs of Xianjiang? This book offers a comprehensible view of one of modern China's most seemingly inscrutable, publicized, and complex issues -- the treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the northwest region of Xinjiang. After a brief historical background, historian Morris Rossabi describes the Chinese Communists' policies toward the Uyghurs since 1949. Many authors who write about and identify with the Uyghurs have been highly critical of Communist rule in Xinjiang. This book attempts to achieve a balance in perspective, noting that the Chinese government has vastly improved the Uyghurs' health, education, and standard of living, which some critics scarcely mention. On the other hand, this book also details China's repressive governmental policies, particularly towards the Uyghurs, including developments during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Rossabi addresses limitations on Uyghur religion and culture by the Chinese government, including the recent establishment of re-education centers, as well as the violence unleashed against ethnic Chinese citizens and officials by Uyghur militants and terrorists. The book concludes with a discussion of possible U.S. responses and proposed solutions to the current crisis.