Situation basically under control in Urumqi: deputy mayor

 2009-09-04 23:03:35

·The situation in Urumqi was under control, said Executive Deputy Mayor Zhang Hong. ·Syringe attacks have resulted in panic and resentment from the public, the official said. ·Zhang said the attacks were premeditated and organized to create terror in society.

    URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) --

A senior government official said Friday the situation in Urumqi, the capital city of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was under control after local residents had taken to the streets over two days to protest against hypodermic syringe attacks.

    There were no major protests in the city Friday, a day after massive protests that left five people dead Thursday, said Executive Deputy Mayor Zhang Hong.

    Small crowds gathered "in a few locations" Friday, but soon dispersed and nobody was killed, said Zhang.

    Syringe attacks carried out since Aug. 20 have resulted in panic and resentment from the public, the official said.

    Suspects were caught Wednesday when attacking members of the public. They were beaten by a angry crowd and one was seriously injured.

    Five people have been confirmed dead and 14 others injured and hospitalized following Thursday's protests, Zhang said.

    Of the five dead, two had been confirmed as innocent civilians, while police are trying to identify the remaining three.

    He said investigations showed those carrying out the syringe attacks were from the Uygur ethnic group while the attacked included Han Chinese and other ethnic groups.

    By Thursday, local hospitals had dealt with 531 victims of hypodermic syringe stabbings, 106 of whom showed obvious signs of needle attacks.

    Zhang said the attacks were premeditated and organized to create terror in society.

    "The 'three forces' (separatism, terrorism and extremism) at home and abroad are not willing to see ethnic unity and their failure when the July 5 violence died down quickly," he said. "So they are using 'soft violence' to disrupt social order and instigate ethnic hatred."

    China's Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu arrived in Urumqi Friday to direct work to defuse ongoing unrest in the city.

    Meng, also a State Councillor, urged local governments and Communist Party of China (CPC) committees at all levels in Xinjiang "to restore social order as soon as possible."

    "Maintaining stability is the central task of overriding importance in Xinjiang at the present time," he said in a meeting with local officials.

    Meng said the spate of syringe attacks, which were premeditated, masterminded and conducted by law-breakers and instigated by ethnic separatist forces, were a continuation of the July 5 riot in the city which left 197 people dead. He said the separatists' purpose was to undermine ethnic unity.

China's police chief urges stability in Xinjiang

2009-09-04 19:33:32  

    URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) --

The "current overwhelming central task" in Xinjiang was to safeguard stability, China's Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu said Friday.

    Meng, also a State Councillor, came to Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Friday morning to direct work to defuse unrest in the city, at the request of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council.

    "Local government and CPC committees of all levels in Xinjiang should restore social order as soon as possible for the fundamental interests of the public," Meng said.

    "Those involved in violence, assaults, vandalism, looting and burning, and those who disrupt social order by different means or undermine ethnic unity, shall be punished according to the law without exception, whatever their ethnicity is," he said.

    Tens of thousands of people in Urumqi took to streets on Thursday to protest against syringe attacks, and the city did not quieten down until late in the night.

    Urumqi Deputy Mayor Zhang Hong said Friday the situation was basically under control in the city but that five people had been confirmed dead and 14 others injured in the protests Thursday.

    Zhang said investigation had showed those involved in the syringe attacks were from the Uygur ethnic group while those attacked included people from Han and other ethnic groups.

    Meng said the recent syringe attacks, which were premeditated, masterminded and conducted by law-breakers and instigated by ethnic separatist forces, were a continuation of the July 5 incident in the city.

    "They plotted to undermine ethnic unity and stir up ethnic division. Fellow citizens of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang should sharpen their vigilance and not be fooled by law-breakers," he said.

    Meng visited hospital patients who had been injured during the protests as well as local residents, police officers and officials. He also visited a Uygur family, and said Han and Uygur people could not be separated from each other.

    "Traffic controls imposed in the city on Thursday were aimed at ensuring normal social order. I hope you understand and support us," Meng said while talking with residents in the streets.

    The police chief also urged the acceleration of legal proceedings against suspects arrested in the July 5 violence.

    "The masterminds should be dug out while murderers must be punished according to the law," he said.

Five dead in Urumqi protests

2009-09-04 22:45:55  

    URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) --

Five people were confirmed killed and 14 others injured and hospitalized during massive protests Thursday against hypodermic syringe attacks in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the city's executive deputy mayor Zhang Hong said Friday.

    Among the five dead, two were innocent civilians. Police are trying to identify the remaining three, Zhang said.

    He said a spate of syringe attacks, since Aug.20, had triggered terror and dissatisfaction among people in Urumqi. On Wednesday, some victims and people of Han ethnic group attacked suspects who were allegedly syringe attackers and one of them was seriously injured.

    "Since Thursday, there have been several syringe attacks, which caused protests and small-scale confrontation," he said.

    He said investigations showed those carrying out the syringe attacks were from the Uygur ethnic group while the attacked included Han Chinese and other ethnic groups. He also said no one had died during the smaller-scale protests Friday.

    By Thursday, local hospitals had dealt with 531 victims of hypodermic syringe stabbings, 106 of whom showed obvious signs of needle attacks.

    Zhang said the attacks were premeditated and organized to create terror in society.

    "The 'three forces' (separatism, terrorism and extremism) at home and abroad are not willing to see ethnic unity and their failure when the July 5 violence died down quickly," he said. "So they are using 'soft violence' to disrupt social order and instigate ethnic hatred."  

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Victims of syringe attacks in Urumqi rise to 531      

URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hospitals in Urumqi are treating 531 victims of hypodermic needle attacks, the local police authorities said Friday.

    Statistics from the city's 24 hospitals say 106 of the 531 were showing obvious signs of needle attacks. Full story Urumqi imposes rules to ban unlicensed demonstrations     

URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Authorities in Urumqi City have banned unlicensed marches, demonstrations and mass protests, a municipal government spokesman confirmed Friday.

    The announcement was publicized by the city government Thursday night, shortly after tens of thousands of people took to streets during the daytime to protest against syringe attacks in the city, said the spokesman. Full story

Urumqi protesters confront police over syringe attacks 

    URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) --

Urumqi residents confronted armed police Friday during protests against further hypodermic needle attacks as uncertainty stalked the streets of the city.

    More than 1,000 protesters faced armed police who blocked them from entering Nanhu Square at about 1:40 p.m..  Full story Uncertainty stalks Urumqi residents after needle stabbings         URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- Uncertainty was still stalking the streets of Urumqi, in western China, Friday despite heavy security and patrolling helicopters in the sky in the wake of a wave of hypodermic needle stabbings and massive protests.

   Helicopters were seen hovering over the city Friday morning, the second time here since the July 5 riot that left 197 people dead. Full story

Urumqi quiets down after protest against syringe attacks

    URUMQI, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) --

The city of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, quieted down late Thursday night after tens of thousands of people took to streets to protest against syringe attacks.

    There were few pedestrians on the Youhao, Karamay, Altay and Beijing Roads. Police were persuading about 100 people to leave the Nanhu Square in front of the municipal government.  Full story

Tens of thousands of protesters demand security guarantees in Urumqi after hypodermic syringe attacks

    URUMQI, Sept.3 (Xinhua) --

Crowds gathered at a number of sites in downtown Urumqi Thursday to protest against hypodermic syringe attacks in the capital city of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and demanded security guarantees from authorities.

    The protest, attended by tens of thousands of people, crippled city traffic and forced shops in major commercial streets to shut.

Editor: An