Beijing: The worst communal carnage in
China's history was not a spontaneous riot but a "well-planned
criminal incident of terrorist nature," China's official media
claimed on Sunday even as the region's top official said that 12
people were shot dsead by police during the unrest.
Analysing the "salient feature of the riot," a report by
the state-run news agency said that mass of evidences
gathered in the July 5 ethnic violence between Uygur Muslims
and the Han Chinese suggests it was planned in advance and
conducted by people mostly from outside Urumqi.
"If there were no plan or organising in advance, how
could so many people appear in more than 50 places at the same
time with the same violent behaviours?" an expert on public
security was quoted as saying by the news agency.
The local public security department claimed that
several official buildings including the public security
department and media organisations came under attack
indicating that the riot was not a simple violent incident.
Meanwhile, Nur Bekri, chairman of northwest China's
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said while three of the 12
shot died on the spot, nine died after failing treatment.
Bekri admitted that authorities had not expected that a
student parade could turn into such ferocious violence, in
which a total of 192 people died.
Meanwhile, the agency report said the unrest was incited
by people from outside Urumqi and quoted some businessmen as
claiming that sale of knives went up two or three days before
the unrest.
"The perpetrators adopted the tactic of mass rally and
making trouble in the open, which attracted people's attention
and police force, while committing beating, smashing, robbery
and arsons in other places," it said.
China has blamed Rebiya Kadeer, a prominent exiled Uygur
activist, for inciting the recent unrest, a charge denied by
her.
The violence started after protesting ethnic Uygurs went
on rampage, smashing vehicles and clashing with the police and
the Han Chinese. The riot led to the killing of 192 people and
injuring over a thousand.
The unrest that shook China prompted a massive police
crackdown in the Xinjiang region where nearly 1400 people were
arrested, including over 300 women.
Days after the initial violence groups of the majority
Han Chinese armed with knives and sticks went about the city
attacking the Uygurs.
The initial protest was centered on calls for a probe
into the June 25 deaths of Uighur factory workers killed in a
brawl with Han Chinese in southern China.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, July 19, 2009, 20:05