Though mosques remain open for prayers, foreigners have been banned from entering mosques. Muslims wishing to attend prayer services must first display a national identity card as confirmation of their local residence. Public congregation after the Prayer service is prohibited and students are told avoid public prayer.
The new curbs are attributed for what the officials term as the need to ‘maintain social stability during the Ramadan period. Communist party leadership of the Zonglang township in the Kashgar district has forbidden not only Communist Party cadres but also serving and retired civil officials and students to participate in Ramadan religious activities. Local governments have reportedly urged party leaders to enforce the ban by bringing ‘gifts’ of food to local leaders.
Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the World Uyghur Congress attributed the crackdown to recent ethnic violence in the cities of Kashgar and Hotan but warned the restrictions will incite the Uighur people to resist Chinese rule even further.
Xinjiang province has long history of unrest against Beijing rule. The local government has repeatedly blamed terrorist groups in Pakistan for supporting Uighur separatism.
The ethnic identity of Uighurs is being systematically eroded with repression pronounced, according to Amnesty International Asia Pacific Director Catherine Baber.
Chinese forces opened fire on unarmed demonstrators in February 2007 and unleashed a rein of terror with house-to-house searches, and indiscriminate arrests. Torture in custody led to several deaths. Violence again broke out in July 2009 that killed 197 and left more than 1,600 injured. The crackdown and mass detentions resulted in at least 43 disappearances.
This month a Chinese court jailed 20 Uyghurs for up to 15 years for their involvement in ‘terrorist and separatist crimes’ and for spreading ‘hatred and the creed of violence’ in Xinjiang province. The State-run Xinjiang Daily reported they were convicted in five cases of using internet and removable storage devices to communicate with other terrorists besides leading and organizing criminal activities. Four of them also made explosives besides joining the rest in spreading "hatred and the creed of violence", it reported.
