China imposes curfew to quell turbulence

Stephen McDonell, Beijing

Last Updated: Tue, 7 Jul 2009 21:59:00 +1000

As the situation in China's north western Xinjiang province continued to deteriorate, authorities imposed a curfew Tuesday night in the provincial capital of Urumqi.

The intention of the curfew was to stop further chaos amid the growing unrest, as fears grew that the clashes in China's west would spark broader ethnic conflict.

Han Chinese who live in Urumqi have been seen seen attacking local Uighurs in retribution for the killings of Han people by Uighurs protesting during the weekend.

Detained

Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of Uighurs confronted riot police as foreign reporters watched.

The Uighurs claimed their relatives had been arbitrarily detained by police.

According to Xinjiang regional Government, more than 1,400 people were arrested following Sunday's bloody protests.

Meanwhile 15 Han Chinese were arrested over the original killing of Uighur workers at a toy factory last month in southern China.

Street battle

On Sunday, a mass protest by ethnic Uighurs became a full-scale street battle with the police and Han Chinese watching were bashed by the crowd.

Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered outside the Id Kah Mosque in the historic city of Kashgar.

There police and demonstrators reportedly shouted at each other but there was no repeat of the violence seen in Urumqi.

Local people in Yili and Aksu City also tried to organise demonstrations, according to Chinese police.

Local authorities have vowed to stamp out any more conflict and the region is now under a strict curfew.

Tens of thousands of police and soldiers have since been mobilised to retake control of the streets.

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