Policy Research Group   - Strategic Insight: Ethnic Violence Claims 160 lives in China

Ethnic Violence Claims 160 lives in China
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editor on 08 July, 2009 04:01:00
 
Race riots in Urumqi in China's far west Xinjiang province have claimed 160
lives since Saturday forcing President Hu Jintao to return home from the G-8
summit in Italy. Uighur exiles, however, put the toll at 600 and attribute the
fatalities to indiscriminate police firing. More than 1,000 people were injured
as local Uighur Muslims rampaged through the city, burning cars and attacking
Han Chinese residents.  The riots also spread to Kashgar, the second-largest
Uighur city. The situation is said to be under control now.
The trigger for the riots was wild rumours that Uighur workers employed in
Guangdong factories in south China were subjected to mass rape and murder. How
the rumour gained currency is unclear. The authorities claim that the report of
rape was found to be false. According to them, some Han Chinese workers had
attacked Uighur workers at a toy factory in Guangdong on June 25, killing two
Uighurs.
July 5 protest in Urumqi took off as a student demonstration demanding the
arrest and prosecution of Han Chinese responsible for the Guangdong attack. It
soon turned into a massive march, though peaceful. The intensity of the protest,
however, unnerved the police and they attacked the protestors, who immediately
went on a rampage. Public transport and Han Chinese owned shops were attacked
and set on fire.
Chinese officials hold Rebiya Kadeer, (62), the head of World Uighur Congress,
responsible for the riots. Kadeer, who lives in exile in Washington, has denied
the accusation.  She attributed current Uighur discontent to ‘years of
repression topped by a confirmation that Chinese officials have no interest in
observing the rule of law’.
Some Uighur leaders have distanced themselves from the violent acts in the city.
Abdurekep, the head of the Xinjiang Islamic Association, said: ‘These are the
actions of thugs. These people do not represent normal Uighurs’.
Deploring Urumqi riots, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference has called
upon Beijing to open an ‘honest probe over the seriously dangerous events and
to bring those responsible to justice’.  From the huge number of civilian
casualties it seems that the use of force has not been ‘cautious and
proportionate’, it said.