Lifting the Lid Off Xinjiang’s Insecurities

The recent riots and attacks in China’s western province of Xinjiang have brought to the forefront the long simmering tensions between the Han Chinese and Uyghur communities. What have often been captured in parts of international discourse on this issue are the socioeconomic inequalities faced by China’s minority communities in the province, particularly the Uyghurs. However, what seems to be new in this conflict is increasing discontent amongst the Han Chinese, who have voiced frustration at their government’s ineffective measures to ensure security. This Insight will argue that while the state has implemented economic and other nation-building policies to ensure what it perceives as overall state security, it has not addressed vital human security needs of the people of Xinjiang.