Stand-off in China riot cityUrumqi, China
July 9, 2009
Chinese security forces gather at a square in Urumqi, western China's Xinjiang province. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko
HUNDREDS of Uighurs wielding makeshift weapons engaged in a fresh stand-off last night with police in the flashpoint city of Urumqi, in China's far-western Xinjiang province.
About 200 Uighurs, armed with sticks, pipes and rocks, began protesting directly in front of a police cordon that was dividing their neighbourhood from an ethnically Han-populated area.
The Uighurs yelled at police but there were no immediate clashes. Police moved foreign reporters away from the scene after about 15 minutes, preventing them from witnessing the stand-off.
The crowd of Uighurs grew after a helicopter dropped leaflets blaming Sunday's unrest, which left 156 people dead, on exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, on an official visit to Italy for the G8 summit, has decided to return to China because of the situation.
"Given the worsening of the disorder in Xinjiang, President Hu Jintao has decided to move forward his return to China and not participate in the G8 summit," said Tang Heng, first political counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Rome.
State councillor Dai Bingguo would take part in the summit of the G8 and major developing countries on Mr Hu's behalf, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
Although the authorities have declined to break down the numbers of the dead on ethnic lines, reports of casualty lists from some hospitals and an increasing amount of witness testimony suggest that many of the victims of Sunday's violence were Han.
But on the other side of this divided city, another story was being told. Some Uighurs yesterday alleged that a large group of Han had been allowed to attack Uighur areas.
Akbar, 20, said: "Last night about 300 Han came through the security over there (pointing to the police cordon) and they attacked people's homes and smashed up a restaurant.
"They even beat up a man in his 50s. What kind of person would do that?"
It was not immediately possible to verify the accusations. AFP, TELEGRAPH
http://www.theage.com.au/world/standoff-in-china-riot-city-20090708-ddde.html
July 9, 2009
Chinese security forces gather at a square in Urumqi, western China's Xinjiang province. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko
HUNDREDS of Uighurs wielding makeshift weapons engaged in a fresh stand-off last night with police in the flashpoint city of Urumqi, in China's far-western Xinjiang province.
About 200 Uighurs, armed with sticks, pipes and rocks, began protesting directly in front of a police cordon that was dividing their neighbourhood from an ethnically Han-populated area.
The Uighurs yelled at police but there were no immediate clashes. Police moved foreign reporters away from the scene after about 15 minutes, preventing them from witnessing the stand-off.
The crowd of Uighurs grew after a helicopter dropped leaflets blaming Sunday's unrest, which left 156 people dead, on exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, on an official visit to Italy for the G8 summit, has decided to return to China because of the situation.
"Given the worsening of the disorder in Xinjiang, President Hu Jintao has decided to move forward his return to China and not participate in the G8 summit," said Tang Heng, first political counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Rome.
State councillor Dai Bingguo would take part in the summit of the G8 and major developing countries on Mr Hu's behalf, China's official Xinhua news agency reported.
Although the authorities have declined to break down the numbers of the dead on ethnic lines, reports of casualty lists from some hospitals and an increasing amount of witness testimony suggest that many of the victims of Sunday's violence were Han.
But on the other side of this divided city, another story was being told. Some Uighurs yesterday alleged that a large group of Han had been allowed to attack Uighur areas.
Akbar, 20, said: "Last night about 300 Han came through the security over there (pointing to the police cordon) and they attacked people's homes and smashed up a restaurant.
"They even beat up a man in his 50s. What kind of person would do that?"
It was not immediately possible to verify the accusations. AFP, TELEGRAPH
http://www.theage.com.au/world/standoff-in-china-riot-city-20090708-ddde.html
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