Beijing: State media says China will send thousands of police officers to patrol rural villages in Xinjiang amid concern about religious extremism in the heavily Muslim region.
The official Xinhua News Agency reported on Monday that 8,000 police will be recruited so every village in Xinjiang has at least one officer on patrol. It said they will help manage migrants and crack down on illegal religious activities.
Xinjiang, in far northwestern China, is home to the traditionally Muslim Uighur ethnic group. Long-simmering resentment among Uighurs over rule by China's Han majority and influxes of Chinese migrants has sporadically erupted into violence.
China has responded by boosting police presence and at times restricting the practice of Islam.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, January 30, 2012, 15:56