This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8137824.stm
The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Riots engulf Chinese Uighur city | Riots engulf Chinese Uighur city |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Groups of ethnic Han Chinese have marched through the city of Urumqi carrying clubs and machetes, as tension grows between ethnic groups and police. | Groups of ethnic Han Chinese have marched through the city of Urumqi carrying clubs and machetes, as tension grows between ethnic groups and police. |
| Security forces imposed a curfew and fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, who said they were angry at violence carried out by ethnic Muslim Uighurs. | Security forces imposed a curfew and fired tear gas to disperse the crowds, who said they were angry at violence carried out by ethnic Muslim Uighurs. |
| Earlier, Uighur women had rallied against the arrest of more than 1,400 people over deadly clashes on Sunday. | Earlier, Uighur women had rallied against the arrest of more than 1,400 people over deadly clashes on Sunday. |
| The two sides blame each other for the outbreak of violence. | The two sides blame each other for the outbreak of violence. |
| AT THE SCENE Quentin Sommerville, Urumqi There have been hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Han Chinese marching through the city with homemade weapons - steel poles, bamboo sticks. | AT THE SCENE Quentin Sommerville, Urumqi There have been hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Han Chinese marching through the city with homemade weapons - steel poles, bamboo sticks. |
| They've been chanting that they're going to protect Xinjiang, protect themselves and their homes, and also chanting "down with Uighurs". | They've been chanting that they're going to protect Xinjiang, protect themselves and their homes, and also chanting "down with Uighurs". |
| We've seen reinforcements of armed police arrive in the city. | We've seen reinforcements of armed police arrive in the city. |
| Although there are still Han Chinese wandering around with weapons, many seem to have headed home. | Although there are still Han Chinese wandering around with weapons, many seem to have headed home. |
| Officials say 156 people - mostly ethnic Han Chinese - died in Sunday's violence. Uighur groups say many more have died, claiming 90% of the dead were Uighurs. | Officials say 156 people - mostly ethnic Han Chinese - died in Sunday's violence. Uighur groups say many more have died, claiming 90% of the dead were Uighurs. |
| The unrest erupted when Uighur protesters attacked vehicles before turning on local Han Chinese and battling security forces in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province. | The unrest erupted when Uighur protesters attacked vehicles before turning on local Han Chinese and battling security forces in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province. |
| They had initially been protesting over a brawl between Uighurs and Han Chinese several weeks earlier in a toy factory thousands of miles away in Guangdong province. | They had initially been protesting over a brawl between Uighurs and Han Chinese several weeks earlier in a toy factory thousands of miles away in Guangdong province. |
| On Tuesday about 200 Uighurs - mostly women - faced off against riot police to appeal for more than 1,400 people arrested over Sunday's violence to be freed. | On Tuesday about 200 Uighurs - mostly women - faced off against riot police to appeal for more than 1,400 people arrested over Sunday's violence to be freed. |
| 'Heart-breaking' violence | |
| Later hundreds of Han Chinese marched through the streets of Urumqi smashing shops and stalls belonging to Uighurs. | Later hundreds of Han Chinese marched through the streets of Urumqi smashing shops and stalls belonging to Uighurs. |
| The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Urumqi, says some Chinese protesters were shouting "down with Uighurs" as they rampaged through the streets armed with homemade weapons. | The BBC's Quentin Sommerville, in Urumqi, says some Chinese protesters were shouting "down with Uighurs" as they rampaged through the streets armed with homemade weapons. |
| UIGHURS AND XINJIANG Xinjiang population is 45% Uighur, 40% Han ChineseUighurs are ethnically Turkic MuslimsChina re-established control in 1949 after crushing short-lived state of East TurkestanSince then, large-scale immigration of Han ChineseSporadic violence since 1991Attack on 4 Aug 2008 near Kashgar kills 16 Chinese policemen In pictures: Protests Q&A: China and the Uighurs China tells its own story Accounts of Xinjiang violence | |
| Police used loudspeakers to urge the crowd to stop and later fired tear gas, as the Han Chinese confronted groups of Uighurs. | Police used loudspeakers to urge the crowd to stop and later fired tear gas, as the Han Chinese confronted groups of Uighurs. |
| One Chinese protester, clutching a metal bar, told the AFP news agency: "The Uighurs came to our area to smash things, now we are going to their area to beat them." | One Chinese protester, clutching a metal bar, told the AFP news agency: "The Uighurs came to our area to smash things, now we are going to their area to beat them." |
| The authorities have tried to crack down on dissent since Sunday's protests, carrying out mass arrests, restricting media access and finally imposing a curfew. | The authorities have tried to crack down on dissent since Sunday's protests, carrying out mass arrests, restricting media access and finally imposing a curfew. |
| One official described Sunday's unrest as the "deadliest riot since New China was founded in 1949". | One official described Sunday's unrest as the "deadliest riot since New China was founded in 1949". |
| Xinjiang's Communist Party chief Wang Lequan announced during a televised address that the curfew would run from 2100 until 0800. | |
| State-run news agency Xinhua quoted him as saying any ethnic violence was "heart-breaking" and blaming "hostile forces both at home and abroad" for the trouble. | |
| China's authorities have repeatedly claimed that exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer is stirring up trouble in the region. | China's authorities have repeatedly claimed that exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer is stirring up trouble in the region. |
| But she told the BBC she was not responsible for any of the violence. | But she told the BBC she was not responsible for any of the violence. |
| "Last time during the Tibet riots, [the Chinese government] blamed the Dalai Lama, and now with the Xinjiang riot, they are blaming me," she said. | "Last time during the Tibet riots, [the Chinese government] blamed the Dalai Lama, and now with the Xinjiang riot, they are blaming me," she said. |
| "I will never damage the relationship between two communities and will never damage the relationship between people. For me, all human beings are equal." | "I will never damage the relationship between two communities and will never damage the relationship between people. For me, all human beings are equal." |
| Are you in Xinjiang? Did you see what happened in the region? Tell us your experiences using in the form below. | Are you in Xinjiang? Did you see what happened in the region? Tell us your experiences using in the form below. |
| A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. | A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box below. |
| The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions | The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions |