Monday, August 03, 2009

DTN News: Chinese Police Detain 319 Linked To July Ethnic Rioting

DTN News: Chinese Police Detain 319 Linked To July Ethnic Rioting *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - August 3, 2009: Chinese police detained 319 people suspected of involvement in deadly ethnic rioting in northwestern Xinjiang region last month, after a "wanted" list of suspects spurred tip-offs, the official Xinhua news agency said Sunday. Security forces patrol the streets of Urumqi moments before Friday noon prayer, known as Jumu`ah to Muslims, Xinjiang province, China, 17 July 2009. The Public Security Bureau of the regional capital Urumqi made public July 30 a list of names and photos of 15 Uighurs it was seeking for their suspected role in the violence. "When the public security of Urumqi made an announcement... about those suspects who had been detained and those who were still on the 'wanted' list, it aroused the feelings of local residents and they had more initiative in exposing those suspects," Xinhua said. The report, which cited local security officials, didn't give a total for the number of people now being held in connection with the riots. Officials have previously said more than 1,500 had been detained. None has been publicly charged or released. In Xinjiang's worst ethnic violence in decades, Uighur rioters attacked majority Han Chinese in Urumqi on July 5 after taking to the streets to protest attacks on Uighur workers at a factory in south China in June that left two Uighurs dead. Hans in Urumqi sought revenge two days later. Officials said the violence left 197 dead, mostly Han Chinese.

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