.. a section of the article at the following URL .. copy and pasted here .. .. https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/persecution-of-uyghurs-in-xinjiang-torture-crimes-against-humanity-and-genocide

China is the largest country in East Asia. It has a population of approximately 1.4 billion, of whom 91% are Han Chinese. Uyghurs are among the largest of 56 officially recognized ethnic groups. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leads the political system. Administratively, China is divided into provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and special administrative regions.1 Xinjiang is China’s largest autonomous region. It has a population of approximately 25.85 million and is rich in resources. It borders eight countries and connects China to Central Asian markets and beyond. Its residents include Han Chinese, Uyghurs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities.2 Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Sunni Muslim group. There are approximately 11.5 million in China, mainly in Xinjiang. Historically, Uyghurs were the vast majority but now comprise roughly 40% of the region's population. Many Uyghurs call the region East Turkestan (Sherqi Turkistan).3 Historical Overview Uyghur history traces back to the Karabalghasan, an early Uyghur empire in what is now Mongolia. In 840 CE, Kyrgyz tribes conquered the empire. Subsequent centuries saw shifting powers among Uyghur, Mongol, and Han-led states. By the 13th century, Mongol rule extended across what is now Xinjiang. The Manchu Qing Empire consolidated control in Xinjiang in the mid-18th century, lost it after 1864, and regained it by 1878.4 After the Qing collapsed in 1911, the emerging Republic of China had limited control in Xinjiang. In the 1930s, discontent over taxation policies that supported Han settlement sparked several Uyghur uprisings, leading up to the short-lived East Turkestan Republics in 1933 and 1944. Both republics were later dismantled. Following the Communist takeover, Xinjiang became an autonomous region in 1955, yet most officials were Han, fueling tensions and resentment.5 The Great Leap Forward (1958-1962) caused significant hardship for Uyghurs and prompted tens of thousands (between 60,000 and 100,000) of Uyghur and Kazakhs to flee China. The 1980s saw unrest tied to Han migration. In 1990, a mosque closure led to the Baren Township uprising, with at least 50 dead. More violence followed through the decade, with the 1997 bombings and attacks in both Xinjiang and Beijing, attributed to Uyghur extremists.6 Major unrest erupted in Urumqi in 2009, leading the then United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to seek an independent investigation. The Chinese government reported and attributed thousands of attacks in Xinjiang, from 1990 to 2016, to terrorist, separatist, and extremist groups. They also characterized several violent incidents outside of Xinjiang as acts of terrorism. Simultaneously, reports of some Uyghurs joining armed groups abroad, including Afghanistan and Syria, heightened domestic and international concerns. In 2014, Beijing began the “Strike Hard” campaign, framing it as a counterterrorism initiative within Xinjiang.7