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| Police out as torch hits Xinjiang | Police out as torch hits Xinjiang |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The Olympic torch is passing through northwest China's predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang, a sensitive part of its journey to Beijing. | The Olympic torch is passing through northwest China's predominantly Muslim region of Xinjiang, a sensitive part of its journey to Beijing. |
| Security was tight as the flame left People's Square in the capital, Urumqi, for its journey around the city. | Security was tight as the flame left People's Square in the capital, Urumqi, for its journey around the city. |
| The torch will spend three days in the region, which is home to around eight million Muslim Uighur people. | The torch will spend three days in the region, which is home to around eight million Muslim Uighur people. |
| Ties between Chinese authorities and the Uighurs are tense. Officials fear separatists could target the relay. | Ties between Chinese authorities and the Uighurs are tense. Officials fear separatists could target the relay. |
| The relay has been moved forward by a week, in an apparent attempt to avoid unrest. The torch's visit to another potential hotspot, Tibet's main city, Lhasa, has also been moved up. | The relay has been moved forward by a week, in an apparent attempt to avoid unrest. The torch's visit to another potential hotspot, Tibet's main city, Lhasa, has also been moved up. |
| Terror allegations | Terror allegations |
| In Urumqi, extra security was put in place ahead of the relay. | In Urumqi, extra security was put in place ahead of the relay. |
| Police carried out vehicle checks, firecrackers were banned and spectators told to stay away from footbridges. | Police carried out vehicle checks, firecrackers were banned and spectators told to stay away from footbridges. |
| People entering People's Square had to pass through metal detectors while police searched their bags, AFP news agency reported. | People entering People's Square had to pass through metal detectors while police searched their bags, AFP news agency reported. |
| The majority of the 3,000-strong crowd that gathered there were Han Chinese, the agency said. | The majority of the 3,000-strong crowd that gathered there were Han Chinese, the agency said. |
| Many Uighurs resent the large-scale influx of Han Chinese settlers into the resource-rich region. | Many Uighurs resent the large-scale influx of Han Chinese settlers into the resource-rich region. |
| Some groups are fighting to establish an independent Islamic nation, leading to periodic violence in Xinjiang. | Some groups are fighting to establish an independent Islamic nation, leading to periodic violence in Xinjiang. |
| Beijing accuses the groups of links to al-Qaeda and this year claims to have foiled at least two Xinjiang-based plots targeting the Olympic Games. | Beijing accuses the groups of links to al-Qaeda and this year claims to have foiled at least two Xinjiang-based plots targeting the Olympic Games. |
| But human rights groups accuse the Chinese authorities of using the alleged terror links as a way of cracking down on the independence movement. | But human rights groups accuse the Chinese authorities of using the alleged terror links as a way of cracking down on the independence movement. |