This paper focuses on the resistance strategies adopted by Uyghur groups and their transformation over time. Since the 1950s, Xinjiang has been the theatre of frequent upsurges of violence (uprisings, riots, terrorist attacks…). The results of repeated attempts of the successive Chinese governments to tame violent opposition within this province, using both heavy-handed repression and inducement strategies, have had very mixed results. We argue that the factors commonly associated with these peaks of violence (deep-rooted nationalist sentiments, inter-ethnic tensions, socio-economic backwardness, the rise of Islamism and repression) do not explain alone the persistence of violence as a strategy, given the high costs its use may entail for the individuals involved in contentious politics. We rather propose to focus on the horizontal solidarities (ethnic, religious and local ones) that structure the Uyghur society. To better understand how these social dimensions shape violent strategies over time, we use the concept of ‘social space’ to capture the changing social dynamics that characterize the social environment in which violent groups operate. Based on interviews done among members of the Uyghur Diaspora who recently emigrated from China, we show that the Chinese social reforms, along with repressive measures, have has a strong impact on the Uyghur society and contributed further to its (social and spatial) fragmentation. This prevents political consolidation to happen, opening the door to the emergence of very local violent groups with local and non-coordinated violent strategies. While addressing the issue of the social dimensions of violent actions, this paper also questions the relationships between both direct and indirect repressive measures and contentious politics.
