The Effectiveness of Freedom of Religion or Belief as a Framework in International Relations: The Case of Uyghur Muslims and Other Religious Minorities in Xinjiang, China

This article assesses the effectiveness of religious freedom as a framework in international relations for its ability to define the issue in Xinjiang and propose solutions. In defining the problem, religious minorities other than Muslims, such as Christians, are ignored. This prevents social awareness and policy from addressing the issue, and fosters the Muslim majority to appropriate the Uyghur identity, marginalizing the non-Muslim religious minorities. Moreover, other identities (e.g. national, ethnic or linguistic) and causes of the conflict (e.g. socio-economic inequalities or historical resentment) are often overlooked. In solving the problem, no solutions are proposed to the underlying issue (separatist movements). On the other hand, China’s alternative framework defines the problem (terrorism, separatism, and extremism) and provides the basis from which to propose (savage) solutions: sinicization.