Reactions to the Claims of Persecution of Ethnic Minorities in Xinjiang: Case Studies of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

This research focuses on the reactions of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan towards the Chinese policy in Xinjiang that is taking place since 2017, when the media resources first started to report about the existence of the so called ‘‘political re-education camps’’ in Xinjiang, and the consequent detention of Kazakh and Kyrgyz minorities, along with Uyghurs in these camps. This research attempts to examine how these Central Asian states have reacted to the persecution of their respective co-ethnics in Xinjiang at the official level. What is the official approach of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan towards the persecution of Kazakh and Kyrgyz minorities in Xinjiang? Besides the indication of the official approach, the research attempts to understand the reasons for these states’ approaches towards China’s policies in Xinjiang on their respective co-ethnics. To accomplish following, this research collects publicly available data on the official reactions of the states under research from the media resources and analyses of the authorities’ speeches. Since the topic is emerging, the research represents consolidated data of the official reactions of these states towards the issue in Xinjiang since 2017 till 2019. Accordingly, this research determines the official reactions of the states as ‘‘soft.’’ Given the aforementioned, this study examines the economic and political reasons which can serve as impeding factors for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to criticize Chinese policy in Xinjiang towards their respective co-ethnics. Even though the reactions of both states are similar, the research identifies some diverging features in the reasons of restrain to criticize China. This Thesis concludes that the states under research refrain from contending with China, because, as rational actors in their foreign policies, they have prioritized the positive relations with China over ethnic kinship solidarity.