More deaths in Xinjiang, Beijing announces tough measures during Ramadan
In recent days there have been a number of unprovoked attacks on passers-by, at least 14 dead and 40 wounded. The authorities announce clampdown on "illegal religious activities". Experts: greater respect for the rights of the Uyghur minority, if you want to avoid a crescendo of violence.
Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Beijing blames Islamic militants for attacks on passers-by yesterday in Kashgar (Xinjiang) which have caused at least 14 dead and 40 wounded, and announced a crackdown against "illegal religious activities", just as today Muslims began the holy month of Ramadan. Experts urge China to respect the rights and culture of the Uyghur Muslims if it wants to avoid an escalation of violence.
On the night of July 30, two men armed with knives attacked and killed a truck driver, then drove the vehicle into pedestrians stabbed and killed six, with at least 28 injured. The crowd surrounded and stopped the truck, one of the attackers died and another was captured.
On the afternoon of July 31 an explosion killed three people. Then a dozen men attacked passersby and police. Police shot and killed "4 suspects", as reported by the state news agency Xinhua. Media sources reported clashes and other incidents in the city, but the rigid censorship prevents clearer information.
The attacks came after the violent clashes between crowds and police July 18 with at least four dead in Hotan, also in Xinjiang, home to the Uyghurs who are Muslim. The authorities speak of a terrorist attack against the police, while Uyghur sources accused them of having opened fire for no reason against peaceful demonstrators.
China has encouraged immigration of ethnic Han to the area, to an extent that the native Uyghurs are now a minority.
Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief of Xinjiang, has announced extensive operations against the religious extremists and the "repression of illegal religious activity." This raises fears that the police crackdown on the Muslim community is a provocation, given the fact that it is the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims.
Many experts agree that the violence has no underlying strategy, rather it expresses the widespread discontent among the Uyghurs at the lack of respect for their rights, culture and religion.
Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, a professor of social and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, explains that, to avoid growing protests, Beijing should reconsider its policy towards Xinjiang, to date concerned only with sending funds to promote its economic development. Instead it should pay attention to respecting the rights of the Uyghurs, their culture, language and religion of the minority. "The central government - said Cheng - has not learned the lessons from previous incidents."
On the night of July 30, two men armed with knives attacked and killed a truck driver, then drove the vehicle into pedestrians stabbed and killed six, with at least 28 injured. The crowd surrounded and stopped the truck, one of the attackers died and another was captured.
On the afternoon of July 31 an explosion killed three people. Then a dozen men attacked passersby and police. Police shot and killed "4 suspects", as reported by the state news agency Xinhua. Media sources reported clashes and other incidents in the city, but the rigid censorship prevents clearer information.
The attacks came after the violent clashes between crowds and police July 18 with at least four dead in Hotan, also in Xinjiang, home to the Uyghurs who are Muslim. The authorities speak of a terrorist attack against the police, while Uyghur sources accused them of having opened fire for no reason against peaceful demonstrators.
China has encouraged immigration of ethnic Han to the area, to an extent that the native Uyghurs are now a minority.
Zhang Chunxian, Communist Party chief of Xinjiang, has announced extensive operations against the religious extremists and the "repression of illegal religious activity." This raises fears that the police crackdown on the Muslim community is a provocation, given the fact that it is the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and prayer for Muslims.
Many experts agree that the violence has no underlying strategy, rather it expresses the widespread discontent among the Uyghurs at the lack of respect for their rights, culture and religion.
Joseph Cheng Yu-shek, a professor of social and public administration at the University of Hong Kong, explains that, to avoid growing protests, Beijing should reconsider its policy towards Xinjiang, to date concerned only with sending funds to promote its economic development. Instead it should pay attention to respecting the rights of the Uyghurs, their culture, language and religion of the minority. "The central government - said Cheng - has not learned the lessons from previous incidents."
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