Hundreds of Chinese troops swarm restive province

HUNDREDS of helmeted troops in riot gear swarmed the central square of the capital of western Xinjiang yesterday after ethnic riots left at least 156 dead.

The city’s Communist Party boss promised those behind the killings would be executed.

Ethnic clashes have paralysed Urumqi over the past several days — with minority Uighur and Han Chinese mobs roaming the streets and attacking each other. The violence forced President Hu Jintao to cut short a trip to Italy where he was take part in a Group of Eight summit — an unprecedented move by a Chinese leader.

The government further responded yesterday to the violence by pouring columns of troops into the far-flung province, hundreds of which were stationed in People’s Square in the middle of the city.

Communist Party chief Li Zhi told a televised news conference that many people had been arrested, including students. “To those who committed crimes with cruel means, we will execute them,” he said, adding government forces would crack down on any security risk.

More than 1,100 people were wounded in the violence, and hundreds of vehicles were damaged or set on fire in the riots on Sunday. It was not known how many Uiqhurs and Han Chinese died or who was behind their deaths. Li would not say how many of the 156 dead were Han — the majority ethnicity in China — and how many were Uiqhurs — a largely Muslim minority — even though more than 100 of them have been identified and handed over to their families. He said both groups were responsible for the violence.

“The small groups of the violent people have already been caught by police. The situation is now under control.”

China’s top police officer, Public Security Minister Meng Jiangzhu, repeated the government’s accusations that the riot was masterminded by overseas separatist groups. China has specifically accused US-exiled Uighur activist Rebiya Kadeer of being behind the violence. She has denied the allegations, and accused China of inciting the violence among Urumqi’s 2.3 million residents.

Andrew Nathan, who heads the political science department at New York’s Columbia University, said Hu’s departure was “unprecedented”.

“It bespeaks of the new populism of the leadership. The top leader is concerned when things are happening to the people. He goes home because it is not good to be away. I think that’s the signal they want to send. It is not about that things are out of control.”