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The western province of Xinjiang in China is witnessing trouble in a similar way as that of Tibet. Uighurs, a minority Muslim group in the region has stepped up protest against Chinese rule. Chinese officials acknowledged that on 23rd March that Uighur separatist staged a protest in the provincial city of Hotan. The Uighur protesters have spread their wings and caused trouble in Istanbul on 2nd April shortly before the Olympic torch was to pass through the Turkish city.
The Uighurs claim that the Chinese government is aiming to completely eradicate their culture. The minority group still refers to East Turkistan as their homeland. With the Olympic games fast approaching, global attention is now on China, giving the rebels a vast platform to voice their concern. Human right activists are now openly lamenting over assigning the Olympic games to Beijing. Since the Uighurs have resorted to violence during protests, they have been termed as terrorists by the Chinese authorities.
