An Examination of Separatist Movements in Asia: Comparing the Uyghur in China with the Kashmiri in India

This thesis will examine the separatist movement and ethnic conflict in Xinjiang, China with the Uyghur population, and contrast that against the separatist movement and ethnic conflict in Kashmir between India and Pakistan. The research will show that while the culture and geography are vastly different between the two, there many similarities. The significance of this research is that it will show that at the heart of both conflicts is a fight over resources. In China the resource is oil, and in Kashmir the resource is water. In order to come to this conclusion, much was taken into consideration, including the origins of the conflicts, the resources in each of the regions, as well as the reasons for continued fighting. The larger implications of this research will show that the fight for resources can be found to be at the heart of many conflicts.