World

Ethnic Riots In China's XiaJiang Province: 156 People Dead

by Yuliya Talmazan | July 5, 2009 at 07:04 pm

553 views | 30 Recommendations | 3 comments

[UPDATE -- July 6, 2009] It was reported today that yesterday's riots have lead to 156 people dead and hundreds more injured. About 800 people are believed to have been arrested.

Chinese state media says that 156 people have been killed in violent riots in the country’s western Xinjiang region.

The official Xinhua News Agency did not immediately give any other details in its one-sentence report early Tuesday. It had said earlier that at least 140 people were dead and that the number “was still climbing.” Another 828 people have been injured in the deadliest ethnic unrest to hit the region in decades.

Three civilians have died and many were injured during Sunday's riots in the town of Urumqi, the capital of the province of XinJiang in the northwest of China. An estimated 1000 people assembled in the capital to hold a peaceful protest on Sunday, but refused to disperse later, prompting police to use batons and tear gas to scatter the crowds. The three people killed in Sunday's riots are believed to be of Han ethnicity. However, more reports have surfaced that t he number of dead is still unknown.

China’s official Xinhua News Agency said protesters attacked passersby, burned public buses and blocked traffic.

Local police arrived quickly and tried to control the swelling crowd by erecting barriers in the street, but “people pushed them over,” the witness said. “They were throwing rocks at passing cars and buses.” As the violence escalated, hundreds of anti-riot police arrived on the scene, the witness said.

“They used tear gas and fire hoses to disperse the crowd. I saw fire trucks, ambulances, armed personnel carriers, and what looked like tanks. I heard random gunshots.”

The ethnic tensions between Han Chinese and Uyghurs in the XinJiang region are believed to have sparked today's riots.

On June 25, a confrontation took place between Uyghur and Han Chinese workers at the Xuri Toy Factory in Shaoguan City in southern China. Two Uyghurs died in the incident, 118 people were injured. Today's riots were sparked by protesters demanding an unbiased investigation into the brawl. Allegations surfaced that a wave of crimes ensued at the factory after the arrival of Uyghur workers. The Turkic-speaking, Muslim ethnic minority of Uyghurs has long been advocating for their independence from China. The Chinese government says the riots in XinJiang is a plan against its rule. They say the violence was likely premeditated from abroad.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Paschen

at 19:45 on July 5th, 2009

China is still battling issues that have been put to rest in the West since the early 50th.

Its ethnical diversity and multi cultural society as well as its multi lingual make up, are starting to show and demand to be dealt with and be acknowledged in their rights and cultures.

The greatest challenge yet, will be to deal with and tackle the extreme social differences with in Chines Society, that are of grave concern and may turn into another land slide of revolts.

158

at 12:41 on July 8th, 2009

One thing is for sure

China will never let any region leave China.

mloy

at 07:35 on July 9th, 2009

There is nothing that is happening in the world today that is not in the Bible.

2nd Timothy Chapter 3. tells of some of the stuff happening right now.

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of
themselves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.

5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

7. Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth -

I would think that this verse hit the nail on the head - There are many well learned scholars, scientists, professors, with a bag load of degrees, paleontologists, and all the others "gists" and still they can never come to the knowledge of the truth that JESUS CHRIST IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR - they go searching all over the world, digging into false religions, even going on this crazy rant about evolution. They have even built this massive machine, and try to dig into the earth to find the "supposedly god particel" WHAT MADNESS - DO YOU REALISE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY SPEND (BILLIONS) ON THESE USELESS PROJECTS - THEY COULD HAVE ASKED ME AND A SIMPLE PERSON UNKNOWN TO MANY BUT HAVE A LOT OF COMMON SENSE, WHICH MANY OF THEM DO NOT. SPEND THIS MONEY OF THE POOR AND SUFFERING IN COUNTRIES ALL OVER THE WORLD AND GO AND BUY A BIBLE, SIMPLE.