Why China has clenched its fist in Xinjiang

On July 08, 2009, Dr. Wenran Jiang, Mactaggart Research Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta, was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor on the July 6

13 July 2009

On July 08, 2009, Dr. Wenran Jiang, Mactaggart Research Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Alberta, was interviewed by the Christian Science Monitor on the July 6 Uyghur riots occurred in the capital of China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
With respect to Beijing's harsh crackdown to the riots, Wenran noted that with a rising Han population, the military garrisons, and security "the absolute guiding principle" of Beijing's policy toward minorities, there is no doubt that any means will be used to crush any aspirations to separatism.
But at the same time, Wenran sees signs of a debate within the ruling Communist party. "The first thing the authorities need to do is to actually acknowledge the problem," says him. He believes that "more thoughtful" leaders will seek a "more sophisticated" response to Sunday's unrest than a further crackdown.
You can read the article here.