Nearly 130 killed in riots in Chinese autonomous Muslim region

BEIJING. July 6. KAZINFORM  At least 129 people have been killed and over 800 injured during riots in China's Muslim Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinhua said on Monday, Kazinform cites Xinhuanet.

photo: QAZINFORM



Riots started in the regional capital of Urumqi on Sunday when a group of protesters demanded an investigation into the death of two ethnic Uighurs killed at a fight with Han Chinese workers at a toy factory in late June.

Xinhua said that protesters from the Uighur Muslim ethnic minority group began attacking ethnic Han pedestrians, burning vehicles and attacking buses with batons and rocks.

Xinjiang's eight million Uighurs have complained of political, cultural and religious persecution by Beijing and there have been repeated calls by Uighurs for independence, Kazinform refers to Xinhuanet.

See www.en.rian.ru for full version.