Order restored under tight security in Urumqi

• Source: Global Times
• [07:56 July 09 2009]
• Comments

Chinese armed police rest yesterday as they guard a street corner in Urumqi, in China’s far west Xinjiang region. China sent military police to the restive city yesterday in a show of force, but sporadic unrest was reported as Han residents and Uygurs armed themselves with makeshift weapons. Photo: AFP

By Cheng Gang and Wu Gang in Urumqi and Qiu Wei in Beijing

Police forces seemed to have regained control yesterday of the riot-torn streets of Urumqi that had been filled with angry protesters since unrest erupted Sunday.

Under the tight security presence, Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, began to recover from the turmoil, with people returning to the streets after an overnight curfew expired yesterday morning.

Traffic restrictions remained imposed on some major streets, where armed police could be seen patrolling, and armored personnel vehicles were on standby. A police helicopter was also clearly visible hovering above the city.

Loudspeakers attached to police cars broadcast warnings against further violence. “Only a small number of gangsters took part in the riots. It is not correct to blame a whole ethnic group for the violence,” the police said.

More people turned out on the streets than a day earlier, but there appeared to be less traffic yesterday.

“Han and Uygur people are seen walking together on the streets, quite different from a day before, when both sides, with confrontational emotions, would not be around each other,” reported Wang Nan, a People’s Daily correspondent.

The Urumqi railway station also reopened yesterday, and Urumqi Airport was packed with outbound travelers.

Reporters assailed by mobs

Sporadic protests were reported early yesterday, but the official casualty count stood at 156, with more than 1,000 people injured.
 
“Police are identifying victims before allowing bodies to be claimed by their families,” a police officer in Urumqi said on condition of anonymity.

People’s Daily reporters were assaulted in the early hours yesterday. A mob surrounded the reporters’ two cars and smashed them with hatchets, clubs and knives, crying “Beat them to death!”

A 100-strong contingent of riot police moved Tuesday night onto the campus of Xinjiang Medical University, where ethnic Uygurs make up the majority of its 18,000 students. The move came in the wake of an attempt by about 3,000 Han to break into the campus and attack Uygur students, Wang said.