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Head of Xinjiang said refered the "rumour" as the fuse of the riot.
→‎Causes: totally relavent fact. If anyone doubts the source they should use corresponding tags instead of simply removing it.
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The riots were generally assumed to have started over the killings of two Uyghurs by [[Han Chinese|Han]] co-workers in [[Shaoguan]], [[Guangdong]], on 25 June 2009<ref name=Forbes/><ref name=timesonline/><ref name=reut090705>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE56500R20090706 |title=China calls Xinjiang riot a plot against its rule |author=Reuters|date=5 July 2009 }}</ref><ref name=ND>{{cite web | url=http://www.thenewdominion.net/779/riots-in-urumqi/ | title=Riots in Urumqi | work=New Dominion | date=5 July 2009 | accessdate=5 July 2009}}</ref>&mdash;the killings had been prompted by an allegedly false rumor, made up by a disgruntled former co-worker, that several Uyghur men had raped Han women in a Shaoguan factory.<ref name=nyt090705/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/ethnic-clash-06292009102144.html |title='No Rapes' in Riot Town |work=[[Radio Free Asia]] |date=29 June 2009}}</ref> The Ürümqi riots began after a protest held in the [[Ürümqi#Tourism|Grand Bazaar]] denouncing the government's handling of the incident and demanding a full investigation of the killings.<ref name=guardian/> According to exiled leaders, the death toll in the Guangdong incident was much higher than reported; although Xinhua reported that the person responsible for spreading the rumours was arrested, Uyghurs alleged the authorities also failed to protect the Uyghur workers, or to arrest any of the Han Chinese involved.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aBWP2E9DJPlU |title=China Says 140 Die in Riot, Uighur Separatists Blamed (Update2) |date=5 July 2009 |work= Bloomberg News}}</ref>
The riots were generally assumed to have started over the killings of two Uyghurs by [[Han Chinese|Han]] co-workers in [[Shaoguan]], [[Guangdong]], on 25 June 2009<ref name=Forbes/><ref name=timesonline/><ref name=reut090705>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE56500R20090706 |title=China calls Xinjiang riot a plot against its rule |author=Reuters|date=5 July 2009 }}</ref><ref name=ND>{{cite web | url=http://www.thenewdominion.net/779/riots-in-urumqi/ | title=Riots in Urumqi | work=New Dominion | date=5 July 2009 | accessdate=5 July 2009}}</ref>&mdash;the killings had been prompted by an allegedly false rumor, made up by a disgruntled former co-worker, that several Uyghur men had raped Han women in a Shaoguan factory.<ref name=nyt090705/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/ethnic-clash-06292009102144.html |title='No Rapes' in Riot Town |work=[[Radio Free Asia]] |date=29 June 2009}}</ref> The Ürümqi riots began after a protest held in the [[Ürümqi#Tourism|Grand Bazaar]] denouncing the government's handling of the incident and demanding a full investigation of the killings.<ref name=guardian/> According to exiled leaders, the death toll in the Guangdong incident was much higher than reported; although Xinhua reported that the person responsible for spreading the rumours was arrested, Uyghurs alleged the authorities also failed to protect the Uyghur workers, or to arrest any of the Han Chinese involved.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aBWP2E9DJPlU |title=China Says 140 Die in Riot, Uighur Separatists Blamed (Update2) |date=5 July 2009 |work= Bloomberg News}}</ref>


Central government officials, on the other hand, said the riots were "a preempted, organized violent crime" which was "instigated and directed from abroad, and carried out by outlaws in the country", meaning the [[East Turkestan independence movement]] and external forces supporting Uyghur independence<ref name=Xinhua>{{cite web | url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/06/content_11658819.htm | title=Civilians and armed police officer killed in NW China violence | work=Xinhua News | date=5 July 2009 | accessdate=5 July 2009 }}</ref> led by Uyghur dissident [[Rebiya Kadeer]] working from abroad.<ref name=Xinhua/>. Kadeer has denied the charges.<ref name=nyt090705/>
Central government officials, on the other hand, said the riots were "a preempted, organized violent crime" which was "instigated and directed from abroad, and carried out by outlaws in the country", meaning the [[East Turkestan independence movement]] and external forces supporting Uyghur independence<ref name=Xinhua>{{cite web | url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-07/06/content_11658819.htm | title=Civilians and armed police officer killed in NW China violence | work=Xinhua News | date=5 July 2009 | accessdate=5 July 2009 }}</ref> led by Uyghur dissident [[Rebiya Kadeer]] working from abroad.<ref name=Xinhua/>. Kadeer, who recently encouraged Uyghers to "be brave" and "do something big"<ref name=世界金融报道>{{cite web | url=http://finance.icxo.com/htmlnews/2009/07/06/1393751_3.htm | title=乌鲁木齐发生打砸抢严重暴力事件 | work=World Finance Report | date=6 July 2009 | accessdate=6 July 2009 }}</ref>, has denied the charges.<ref name=WFR/>.


==Initial demonstrations and escalation==
==Initial demonstrations and escalation==

Revision as of 18:51, 6 July 2009

2009 Ürümqi riots
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in red
LocationÜrümqi, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region,  China
DateJuly 5, 2009
Deathsat least 156
Injured816

The July 2009 Ürümqi riots broke out on 5 July 2009, in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in Northwestern China. They involved between 1,000[1][2][3] to 3,000[4] Uyghurs. The total death toll has risen to at least 156, according to Chinese government sources.[3][5][6]

The violence was part of an ongoing ethnic conflict between Han Chinese and Uyghurs, a Muslim minority. Many assume that these specific riots were sparked by dissatisfaction with the Chinese central government's handling of the deaths of two Uyghur workers in Guangdong province.[1][4][7][8] Xinhua said more than 800 others have been injured and that many motor vehicles were burned.[2] Police attempted to quell the riots with tear gas, water hoses, armored vehicles, and roadblocks.[2][9][10]

Causes

The riots were generally assumed to have started over the killings of two Uyghurs by Han co-workers in Shaoguan, Guangdong, on 25 June 2009[1][4][7][8]—the killings had been prompted by an allegedly false rumor, made up by a disgruntled former co-worker, that several Uyghur men had raped Han women in a Shaoguan factory.[11][12] The Ürümqi riots began after a protest held in the Grand Bazaar denouncing the government's handling of the incident and demanding a full investigation of the killings.[10] According to exiled leaders, the death toll in the Guangdong incident was much higher than reported; although Xinhua reported that the person responsible for spreading the rumours was arrested, Uyghurs alleged the authorities also failed to protect the Uyghur workers, or to arrest any of the Han Chinese involved.[13]

Central government officials, on the other hand, said the riots were "a preempted, organized violent crime" which was "instigated and directed from abroad, and carried out by outlaws in the country", meaning the East Turkestan independence movement and external forces supporting Uyghur independence[14] led by Uyghur dissident Rebiya Kadeer working from abroad.[14]. Kadeer, who recently encouraged Uyghers to "be brave" and "do something big"[15], has denied the charges.[16].

Initial demonstrations and escalation

The New York Times cites an eyewitness who said the riots started sometime after 6 p.m. on 5 July. The protesters took to the streets, burning and smashing vehicles and confronting security forces, following a protest there to denounce government handling of a conflict involving Han Chinese and Uighur factory workers in far southern China in late June, when two Uyghurs died.[11] At least 1,000 Uyghurs were involved in the rioting when it began,[1][2][3] and the number of rioters may have risen to as many as 3,000.[4]

The exiled World Uyghur Congress said the demonstration began as a peaceful assembly, but police started firing indiscriminately. There were thousands of people shouting to stop ethnic discrimination, demanding an explanation..."[7] According to third party accounts, the confrontation involved about 3,000 Uyghurs some of whom were, according to a Han, armed with batons and knives. Apparently, some 1,000 police officers were dispatched with tasers and weapons. They fired gunshots into the air to try to quell the unrest, and that at least 300 protesters had been arrested.[17]

Xinhua reported that 140 people were killed (57 of whom were found in alleyways[18]), 816 injured.[5] Among the 291 injured people received by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region People's Hospital, 233 were Han Chinese, 39 were Uygurs, while the rest were from other ethnic minorities like Hui and Kazak.[5][19] The World Uyghur Congress has claimed that the death toll was much higher, at around 600.[3]

During the riot, 260 vehicles were destroyed, including 190 buses. 220 arsons occured and 2 buildings were burnt down.[20]

Curfew and communications blackout

Chinese bloggers wrote that at least one bomb exploded during the incident. The police imposed vehicular curfew, and had reimposed order by the morning of 6 July.[21]

China Mobile suspended its service in the region "to help keep the peace and prevent the incident from spreading further," while China Unicom said there was no interruption of its service in Xinjiang.[21] Internet connections in the region had been locked down,[22] and many unauthorized postings on local sites and Google were claimed to have been "harmonised" by government censors; images and video footage of the demonstrations and rioting, however, were soon found posted on Twitter, YouTube and Flickr.[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Epstein, Gady (5 July 2009). "Uighur Unrest". Forbes. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  2. ^ a b c d Agencies (5 July 2009). "Civilians die in China riots". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d "China's Xinjiang hit by violence". BBC News. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  4. ^ a b c d Macartney, Jane (5 July 2009). "China in deadly crackdown after Uighurs go on rampage". The Times. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  5. ^ a b c "Death toll in Xinjiang riot rises to 140, still climbing". Xinhua. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  6. ^ "China says 140 dead in Xinjiang unrest". Reuters. 2009-06-06.
  7. ^ a b c Reuters (5 July 2009). "China calls Xinjiang riot a plot against its rule". {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ a b "Riots in Urumqi". New Dominion. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  9. ^ Macartney, Jane (5 July 2009). "Uighur unrest threatens Beijing rulers' biggest party for a decade".
  10. ^ a b Branigan, Tania; Watts, Jonathan (5 July 2009). "Uighur Muslims riot as ethnic tensions rise in China". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  11. ^ a b Wong, Edward (5 July 2009). "Riots in Western China Amid Ethnic Tension". The New York Times. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  12. ^ "'No Rapes' in Riot Town". Radio Free Asia. 29 June 2009.
  13. ^ "China Says 140 Die in Riot, Uighur Separatists Blamed (Update2)". Bloomberg News. 5 July 2009.
  14. ^ a b "Civilians and armed police officer killed in NW China violence". Xinhua News. 5 July 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
  15. ^ "乌鲁木齐发生打砸抢严重暴力事件". World Finance Report. 6 July 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference WFR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ Barriaux, Marianne. "Three die during riots in China's Xinjiang region: state media". {{cite news}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  18. ^ 乌鲁木齐“7-5”事件中死亡人数达到140人. Ifeng.com. July 6, 2009
  19. ^ Recalling the nightmare: witnesses' account of Xinjiang riot. Xinhua. July 6, 2009
  20. ^ 乌鲁木齐暴力事件已致140人死亡 数百疑犯被抓. Sina.com. July 6, 2009
  21. ^ a b Demick, Barbara (6 July 2009). "140 slain as Chinese riot police, Muslims clash in northwestern city".
  22. ^ Graham-Harrison and Yu Le, Emma (6 July 2009). "Residents say Internet down in Xinjiang riot city". {{cite news}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  23. ^ Doran, D'Arcy (5 July 2009). "Savvy Internet users defy China's censors on riot". AFP.
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