Ilham Tohti
An Uyghur economics professor living in Beijing.
Arrested on charges of promoting separatism and convicted in September 2014.
Weird because
- he was not a proponent of Uyghur independence
- well respected among Han intellectuals
- his writings were focused on promoting integration of Uyghurs and their homeland into the PRC.
- He was a PRC patriot who believes Uyghurs and Xinjiang belong within the Chinese state.
- His real crime was putting the fate of Uyghurs and PRC on equal footing.
- He was advocating for a Xinjiang wher Uyghurs had more control over their destiny and were respected as equals with the Han.
- He was not criticizing Xinjiang being part of China, but Han settler colonization.