Authoritarian regimes against terrorism: lessons from China

Abstract

Throughout history many terrorist organisations have originated in both democratic and authoritarian regimes. In their efforts to eradicate the terrorist threat, democracies and their authoritarian counterparts have employed a vast array of measures. Such measures, however, differ according to regime type. Thus, democracies generally have more constraints on their counterterrorist means than authoritarian regimes that are not bound by similar considerations. And while scholars agree on the differences in counterterrorist arsenals, no consensus exists as to whether democracies or authoritarian regimes are superior counterterrorists. This article presents a case study of China, a regime that has been fighting Uyghur separatism and terrorism since its founding in 1949 with authoritarian means. However, while authoritarian crackdowns in Xinjiang have ensured tactical respites leading to periods of relative stability, strategically China has facilitated the construction of a threat more radical than the initial Uyghur challenge. Thus, before September 11 China acknowledged links between Uyghur terrorism and separatism. After September 11, however, China announced it was fighting a war against international terrorist groups in Xinjiang. And while this rhetoric gained international acknowledgement, it at the same time has affected the nature of Uyghur terrorism, which has shifted in response to China’s framing. As a result, today we are witnessing transformations in the East Turkistan Islamic Movement activities, which are becoming increasingly reliant on al-Qaeda’s guidance and support.

Keywords:

• counterterrorism
• China
• authoritarian regime
• Xinjiang
• ETIM
• Uyghur

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elena Pokalova

Elena Pokalova received her PhD in political science from Kent State University. Her dissertation “Shifting Faces of Terror after 9/11: Framing the Terrorist Threat” focuses on how September 11 and the war on terror have affected ways of dealing with ethno-nationalist separatist conflicts. The dissertation analyses the cases of Chechnya, China, Turkey and Sri Lanka. Elena’s fields of interest include ethnic conflict, terrorism and post-communist transformations, and she has published articles on counterterrorism and separatism. After receiving her BA in linguistics from the Ural State Pedagogical University, Elena worked at the American Councils for International Education and the Transatlantic Partners against AIDS in Russia. In 2004 Elena moved to Izmir, Turkey, where she taught Russian and English as foreign languages at Izmir University of Economics. While at Kent State (where she received her MA and PhD), Elena engaged in several international education programmes, including a course on Political and Economic Systems in Prague, Czech Republic, and a course on quantitative research methods in Michigan (ICPSR). In the course of her research career, Elena has served as a reviewer and editor for several academic journals. In addition, Elena is a recipient of several research grants, including the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy dissertation research grant and Open Society Institute grants.