Throughout the 1990s, China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region faced increasing repression against its Uyghur population. Ethnic, cultural, and political grievances were met not with dialogue, but with intensified state control, surveillance, and violent crackdowns. The Chinese government responded to unrest and militant incidents—including those attributed to the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)—with the “Strike Hard” campaign in 1996, which targeted not only alleged militants but also ordinary Uyghurs practicing their religion, speaking their language, or expressing cultural identity.
mandag 16. februar 2026
Blood in Ghulja: The 1997 Massacre and China’s War on Uyghur Dissent in Xinjiang
On the 29th anniversary of the Ghulja Incident, also known as the Yining Incident, memories of one of the most consequential episodes in modern Xinjiang history continue to resonate deeply among Uyghurs and international human rights observers. What began as localized protests in early February 1997 escalated into a violent confrontation that left lasting political, social, and human consequences—many of which are still unfolding today.
Throughout the 1990s, China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region faced increasing repression against its Uyghur population. Ethnic, cultural, and political grievances were met not with dialogue, but with intensified state control, surveillance, and violent crackdowns. The Chinese government responded to unrest and militant incidents—including those attributed to the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)—with the “Strike Hard” campaign in 1996, which targeted not only alleged militants but also ordinary Uyghurs practicing their religion, speaking their language, or expressing cultural identity.
Throughout the 1990s, China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region faced increasing repression against its Uyghur population. Ethnic, cultural, and political grievances were met not with dialogue, but with intensified state control, surveillance, and violent crackdowns. The Chinese government responded to unrest and militant incidents—including those attributed to the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM)—with the “Strike Hard” campaign in 1996, which targeted not only alleged militants but also ordinary Uyghurs practicing their religion, speaking their language, or expressing cultural identity.
