Exceptionally Equal: Emergency States and the Production of Enemies in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Abstract

AbstractThis article argues that the Uyghur ethnic group is, more than any other ethnic group in Xinjiang, subject to heightened surveillance. I highlight the existence of such a phenomenon through describing various ways in which Uyghurs alter their speech and actions in relation to certain topics. By way of contrast, I draw attention to the relative lack of modifications when engaging with Han Chinese on similar topics. Such a discrepancy, I argue, is symptomatic of a broader political situation in which Uyghurs are targeted by a state of exception . Such exceptional measures aid in preventing the translation of experience between these two groups.