Dialogue of the Deaf: The Role of Uyghur Diaspora Organizations Versus Beijing

This chapter deals with the possibilities of a dialogue between Beijing and the Uyghurs, inside and outside China. During Mao’s time, such a dialogue was impossible because isolated China was immune to outside pressures and little was known about the Uyghurs. From the early 1970s to the early 1990s, when China was more dependent on the United States against the Soviet Union and more susceptible to external pressures, the dialogue opportunity was missed because the West was not interested and because the Uyghurs were not organized. Since then, the Uyghurs became organized and China has turned into a great power. While interdependent on the global community, China warned against any intervention in its internal affairs. Cautious not to upset China, the West has sidestepped the Uyghur issue.