The Dragon’s Tail in Flames
July 2, 2023

In the first sign that all is not well in the state of Shina, its province of Xinjiang has broken out in revolt. Famously, from the 1990s to the 2010s, the East Turkestan independence movement, separatist conflict and the influence of radical Islam have resulted in unrest in the region with occasional terrorist attacks and clashes between separatist and government forces. Now, with the failure of the Taiwan War and massive unrest throughout Shina, Xinjiang splinters from the country and breaks into four competing factions.

First, the East Turkestan Republic, led by Mamtimin Ala. Dr. Mamtimin Ala is an Australian Uyghur based in Sydney, Australia, and currently serves as the President of the East Turkistan Government in Exile. He managed to find his way into Xinjiang and now leads the East Turkestan Republic separatist movement. His movement is western-backed.

Second, the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, led by Chen Quanguo. Quanguo is a retired politician who was the Party Secretary of Tibet from 2011 to 2016 and the Party Secretary of Xinjiang from 2016 to 2021. He leads the pro-Shina forces that would see Xinjiang annexed back into Shina should they succeed.

Third, the East Turkestan Liberation Organization, led by Zuhayr Salameh. The ETLO is another secessionist Uyghur organization that advocates for an independent Uyghur state, but with a salafist bent. Salafism is a conservative religious movement within Sunni Islam that aims to purify the faith by emulating the practices of the early, righteous generations of Muslims (the Salaf).

Fourth, Hizb ut-Tahrir, led by Ghunwah Yassin. This faction is another pro-salafist movement and is an international pan-Islamist and Islamic fundamentalist political organization whose stated aim is the re-establishment of the Islamic caliphate to unite the Muslim community and implement sharia globally.

Nippon must decide whether to intervene under the auspices of a peacekeeping mission.