Strong racial violence in China
156 people have died and more than 800 have been injured in the worst wave of ethnic violence in many decades in China during strong clashes between the Han and Uigur ethnic groups. A curfew was declared today in the Xinjiang region from 9pm until 8am to “avoid more chaos”.
PressenzaXinjiang, 7/7/09The Chinese government declared a curfew in the western region of Xinjiang, two days after the death of 156 people in the worst wave of ethnic violence in this region in several decades, the State news agency reported today.
The official Xinhua news agency said that the curfew will start at 9pm and go on until 8am across the region to “avoid more chaos”, according to Wang Lequan, Communist Party leader in charge of local government. Xinhua also added that Wang called for an end to the clashes between ethnic groups.
Tension continued today in Ürümqi, capital of Xinjiang, with protests in various parts of the city and groups from the Han and Uigur ethnic groups who challenged and insulted each other in front of on looking police, the DPA news agency reported.
At least 156 people died and 828 were injured on Sunday in confrontations between the Han, the minority in the region, but predominant in Ürümqi according to official statistics, and ethnic Muslim Uigur Chinese.
Source: Agencia Télam.
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