Barin uprising

Supporters of the East Turkestan independence movement generally prefer the name "Barin uprising" (Uyghur: بارىن ئىنقىلابى), while supporters of the Chinese government prefer the name "Barin riot" (Chinese: 巴仁乡暴乱).[1] The Chinese government's official name for the conflict is the "Counter-revolutionary armed riot in Barin Township, Akto County" (阿克陶县巴仁乡反革命武装暴乱).[2] The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile describes the events as the "Barin revolution" (بارىن ئىنقىلابى) or "Barin massacre".[3] A seldom used neutral name for the conflict in Chinese is the "Barin incident" (巴仁乡事件).[4]

Because of the Chinese state's restrictions on the flow of information out of Xinjiang, detailed accounts of the Barin uprising have relied heavily or entirely on sources published by the Chinese government itself.[5] A Chinese government editorial published in 2004 claims that the East Turkistan Islamic Party (ETIP),[lower-alpha 1] a clandestine organisation founded in Barin in 1989, held four major planning meetings in the months prior to the uprising, one of which was devoted to the procurement of supplies, including weapons and uniforms.[6] At the fourth meeting held on 25 March 1990, Zeydun Yusup was designated as the group's commander-in-chief, Abduhani Tursun as the deputy commander-in-chief, and Jamal Mehmut as the military commander.[7] The ETIP allegedly ran a training camp for militants toward the end of March 1990, and raised funds for weapons and vehicles by robbing local Bingtuan.[6]

The editorial, as well as an internal report written by the Chinese government immediately after the uprising, identified Zeydun Yusup as the ETIP's leader.[6][1] The Chinese government claims that Yusup and the ETIP wanted to seize Barin to set up a militant stronghold from which they could establish a third East Turkistan Republic.[6]

The following timeline is based on an internal report by the Chinese government written immediately after the uprising and subsequently leaked to the foreign press.[1]

Official figures put the total number of dead at 23 and wounded at 21.[12][13] Of the dead, seven were policemen or soldiers, while 16 were militants.[12][13] Among the Chinese side's dead were Xu Xinjian, deputy instructor of the Akto Border Defence Brigade; and Tian Chongfeng, deputy squadron leader of No. 6 Squadron of Kashgar Prefecture's armed police detachment.[7] No. 6 Squadron's captain Eli Yasin and squadron leader Wu Yong were wounded in the same ambush that left Tian dead.[7]

The uprising shocked regional Chinese Communist Party officials in Xinjiang, who were surprised at the organisation, scale, and openly political nature of the initial protest.[9] Analysts and scholars generally agree that the Barin uprising was the impetus for tightening policies in Xinjiang.[9] In an unprecedented move, Chinese authorities arrested 7,900 people, labelled "ethnic splittists" and "counter-revolutionaries", from April to July 1990.[14]

The East Turkistan Government-in-Exile celebrates 5 April annually as the anniversary of the "Barin revolution".[3]

On 5 April 2021, the 31st anniversary of the Barin uprsing, Turkish politicians Meral Akşener (leader of the Good Party) and Mansur Yavaş (mayor of Ankara) released statements commemorating the Uyghurs killed in the conflict.[15] Akşener said, "[Turkey] will not remain silent on [the Uyghurs'] persecution and martyrdom," while Yavaş said, "[Turkey] still feels the pain of the massacre."[15] The Chinese embassy in Ankara responded with a statement which read in part: "The Chinese side determinedly opposes any person of power that in any way challenges China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and strongly condemns this. The Chinese side reserves its legitimate right to respond."[15] Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs subsequently summoned Liu Shaobin, the Chinese ambassador to Turkey.[15]