A Volatile Triangle: Radical Islam, the Uyghur People, and Chinese Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang

With the rise of ISIS to prominence as a political entity in the Middle East, fears of its further influence dominate headlines. Because most of the discussion surrounding ISIS in particular and radical Islam in general is confined to developments in the Middle East, some scholars overlook these issues in their global context. Islam is a global religion and discontent that fosters militancy is a global concern.

Court Sentences Seven Students of Ilham Tohti to Three to Eight Years in Prison

A court in Urumqi, Xinjiang sentenced seven students of Ilham Tohti to prison terms of three to eight years on charges of separatism, the same charge for which Ilham is currently serving a life sentence.

Prominent Uighur Scholar Ilham Tohti Charged With Separatism

Chinese prosecutors formally charged Ilham Tohti, a moderate Uighur rights advocate, with “separatism,” a charge that carries the death penalty. Tohti has remained in secretive detention in remote Xinjiang Province since January.

Wall Street Journal: Newly Created National Security Commission Likely to Focus on Domestic Security

Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Andrew Erickson and William McCahill argue that recent political developments and official pronouncements indicate that China’s new National Security Commission will focus primarily on maintaining state security and social stability in order to promote economic growth. Chinese Communist Party officials often speak of “maintaining social stability” as a euphemism for vigorously suppressing dissent.