Conflict Analysis and Pathways to Conciliation: The Communist Party of China and Uyghurs

Identity conflicts are deeply rooted in non-negotiable basic human needs and are often some of the most intense and intractable types of conflict in the world. It is due to the long histories and recent escalations between protracted parties that thorough conflict analysis is essential to understanding the nature of conflicts and to propose appropriate pathways to conciliation. The conflict between the Uyghur population in the Xinjiang province of northwest China and the Chinese government, Communist Party of China (CPC), is one such identity conflict. Established in a perception of divergent basic human needs, this conflict has escalated to the point of violence. The main issues at stake with the Uyghurs and CPC rely on a need for each party to secure their own sense of security, identity, and autonomy. This paper, divided into two sections, includes a conflict analysis and suggested pathways based on contact theories that if applied, could bring together the diasporas of Han Chinese and Uyghurs with the hope of fostering conciliation. The first section includes a conflict analysis that examines the conflict history, a description of parties, the parties’ interest and needs, the parties’ power and resources, and the relationship of conflict theory. The second section proposes intervention options for the Uyghur and Chinese diaspora, taking into account the conflict sensitivities and power asymmetries. The intervention uses an incremental approach by first focusing on trust, then dialoguing, then an opportunity for application between youth and middle-level leaders of both Uyghur and Han Chinese diasporas. Based on extended contact theory and the development of intergroup relationships within the diaspora, the intervention’s objective is to allow for moments of understanding with the hope of de-escalating the conflict and bringing eventual conciliation between the two sides