article_snippet: The repression of The Uighurs has been fanning tensions in the region for more than a year.
article_snippet: In 2013 Chinese authorities flooded into the region after a wave of unrest caused tension between the Uighurs and the Han Chinese, the majority ethnic group .
article_snippet: Violence increased last year and at least 200 people were killed in a series of bombings and deadly clashes with security forces.
article_snippet: the Uighurs now reside in Xinjiang.
article_snippet: Either way, the debate around the origins of the Uighurs is yet another skirmish in the ongoing battle between the majority-Muslim tribe and the Han Chinese, the country's majority ethnic group.
article_snippet: Mainly tolerated during the long rule of the Chinese emperors, the real problems for the Uighurs began in 1949.
article_snippet: After a failed bid for independence, the Han Chinese cracked down on the fledgling state.
article_snippet: Activists accuse the Chinese government of steadily eroding the minority's freedoms, as Activists have curtailed religion, commercial and cultural activities.
article_snippet: Beijing has also been accused of seeking to dilute Uighur influence by arranging the mass immigration of the Han Chinese to Xinjiang.
article_snippet: According to China, Uighur activities are justified because of the terrorist threat posed by Uighur separatists.