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Wednesday 9 September 2009
Death, jail threats hang over Urumqi offenders
The troubled far-western city of Urumqi has spelt out potential punishments for spreading rumours after days of sometimes deadly unrest and panic about reported syringe attacks that have fanned ethnic tensions.
The troubled far-western city of Urumqi has spelt out potential punishments for spreading rumours after days of sometimes deadly unrest and panic about reported syringe attacks that have fanned ethnic tensions.
Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, has been struggling to return to the rule of law after days of panic and protests over claims that Muslim Uygurs used syringes to attack residents of the city, especially Han Chinese.
Officials have said five people died in the protests, but they have not said how they died.
The government has cast the alleged syringe attacks as a separatist plot by Uygurs, who call Xinjiang their homeland. Many Uygurs resent government controls on their religion and culture, as well as the growing presence of ethnic Han Chinese.
Xinhua reported on Sunday that Urumqi authorities had said anyone found guilty of injecting others with dangerous substances would face a long prison term or even the death penalty.
The full notice, detailed in a later Xinhua report, also warned residents they could face prison sentences for rumour-mongering.
“Those who deliberately concoct and spread false information about innocent members of the public being stabbed with needles” could be tried and sentenced to up to five years in jail, the notice said, according to Xinhua.
The announcement appeared to be another step in government efforts to restore order in Urumqi, where thousands of Han Chinese residents took to the streets to demand the ousting of Wang Lequan , who has been Xinjiang’s Communist Party secretary for 15 years.
Wang appears likely to survive the tumult, for now at least, but Urumqi party chief Li Zhi and Xinjiang’s police chief, Liu Yaohua , were both sacked over the weekend.
Some Han Chinese residents of Urumqi said they were still not satisfied. “I felt the government should have been able to control the situation very well,” said one Urumqi resident, who gave only his surname, Feng. “But in reality, the situation is not under control.”
Security was still very heavy on Urumqi streets yesterday and people were advised to cut back on unnecessary outings. The city announced last night it would implement overnight traffic controls in main streets. The controls would last from 9pm last night till 9 this morning, municipal traffic police said.
The city yesterday ordered that all schools, including elementary, middle and high schools, suspend classes due to swine flu outbreaks. Local media reported that 43 students at a middle school had tested positive for the swine flu virus. No other city on the mainland has suspended all school classes because of the flu.
A teacher at a middle school near the provincial government building said his school had not reported any swine flu cases but was still closed. “We’ll have to wait until further notice to resume classes,” he said.
Local colleges have banned students from leaving campus. An engineering student at the Xinjiang Agricultural University said they had to obtain written approval from the university to go out. People without written invitations were not allowed to enter campuses.
Most Urumqi shops remained empty, except the supermarkets, where panic-stricken people were buying food to stockpile. Some shoppers said they would only buy goods in places where there were closed-circuit television cameras.
At a supermarket in downtown Urumqi, shoppers were piling pork chops, vegetables and fruit into baskets. “Our business has doubled over the past few days,” a saleswoman said. “Many people are scared by the needle attacks. Supermarkets were installed with closed-circuit television. Shopping here feels safer than at wet markets.”
For jewellery store manager Wendy Zhong, it was a bad time. There had been no business at her shop since protests against the mysterious string of syringe attacks broke out last Wednesday. “The situation is worse than in the July 5 riots,” she said. “Now we don’t know when this fear is going to end. The government must take strong action against Uygurs. Otherwise, there will be no end to it.”
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Death, jail threats hang over Urumqi offenders
Reuters and Chloe Lai in Urumqi
08 September 2009
The troubled far-western city of Urumqi has spelt out potential punishments for spreading rumours after days of sometimes deadly unrest and panic about reported syringe attacks that have fanned ethnic tensions.
Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang region, has been struggling to return to the rule of law after days of panic and protests over claims that Muslim Uygurs used syringes to attack residents of the city, especially Han Chinese.
Officials have said five people died in the protests, but they have not said how they died.
The government has cast the alleged syringe attacks as a separatist plot by Uygurs, who call Xinjiang their homeland. Many Uygurs resent government controls on their religion and culture, as well as the growing presence of ethnic Han Chinese.
Xinhua reported on Sunday that Urumqi authorities had said anyone found guilty of injecting others with dangerous substances would face a long prison term or even the death penalty.
The full notice, detailed in a later Xinhua report, also warned residents they could face prison sentences for rumour-mongering.
“Those who deliberately concoct and spread false information about innocent members of the public being stabbed with needles” could be tried and sentenced to up to five years in jail, the notice said, according to Xinhua.
The announcement appeared to be another step in government efforts to restore order in Urumqi, where thousands of Han Chinese residents took to the streets to demand the ousting of Wang Lequan , who has been Xinjiang’s Communist Party secretary for 15 years.
Wang appears likely to survive the tumult, for now at least, but Urumqi party chief Li Zhi and Xinjiang’s police chief, Liu Yaohua , were both sacked over the weekend.
Some Han Chinese residents of Urumqi said they were still not satisfied. “I felt the government should have been able to control the situation very well,” said one Urumqi resident, who gave only his surname, Feng. “But in reality, the situation is not under control.”
Security was still very heavy on Urumqi streets yesterday and people were advised to cut back on unnecessary outings. The city announced last night it would implement overnight traffic controls in main streets. The controls would last from 9pm last night till 9 this morning, municipal traffic police said.
The city yesterday ordered that all schools, including elementary, middle and high schools, suspend classes due to swine flu outbreaks. Local media reported that 43 students at a middle school had tested positive for the swine flu virus. No other city on the mainland has suspended all school classes because of the flu.
A teacher at a middle school near the provincial government building said his school had not reported any swine flu cases but was still closed. “We’ll have to wait until further notice to resume classes,” he said.
Local colleges have banned students from leaving campus. An engineering student at the Xinjiang Agricultural University said they had to obtain written approval from the university to go out. People without written invitations were not allowed to enter campuses.
Most Urumqi shops remained empty, except the supermarkets, where panic-stricken people were buying food to stockpile. Some shoppers said they would only buy goods in places where there were closed-circuit television cameras.
At a supermarket in downtown Urumqi, shoppers were piling pork chops, vegetables and fruit into baskets. “Our business has doubled over the past few days,” a saleswoman said. “Many people are scared by the needle attacks. Supermarkets were installed with closed-circuit television. Shopping here feels safer than at wet markets.”
For jewellery store manager Wendy Zhong, it was a bad time. There had been no business at her shop since protests against the mysterious string of syringe attacks broke out last Wednesday. “The situation is worse than in the July 5 riots,” she said. “Now we don’t know when this fear is going to end. The government must take strong action against Uygurs. Otherwise, there will be no end to it.”
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