China detains 319 more people in riot probe

October 15th, 2009 Urumqi (Xinjiang, China), - A local court here sentenced six people, who were convicted of murder and other crimes in the deadly riot in Xinjiang in July, to death on Thursday. The Urumqi Intermediate People's Court also sentenced another three to life imprisonment, Xinhua reports.

September 17th, 2009 Urumqi (Xijiang, China), - Chinese security forces said they have broken up a terrorist bomb-making operation in Xinjiang in Northwest China. A China Daily report quoted security officials as saying that six alleged terrorists had been taken into custody during the pre-Aug 26 swoops.

September 5th, 2009 URUMQI - The communist party chief of Xinjiang capital Urumqi and the police chief of northwest China's Xinjiang region were removed from their posts Saturday. Li Zhi, secretary of the Urumqi Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was replaced by Zhu Hailun, secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, according to a decision by the CPC Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Committee.

August 24th, 2009 BEIJING - Over 200 suspects have been arrested to face trial for their alleged involvement in Xinjiang's riots, China's deadliest in 50 years. The trials are expected to start this week in the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in Northwest China.

August 4th, 2009 URUMQI - Chinese authorities Tuesday formally arrested 83 people in connection with the July 5 riots that left 197 people dead and more than 1,600 injured in the country's northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, officials said. Prosecutor Utiku'er Abudrehman made the announcement at a press conference in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

July 31st, 2009 BEIJING - The trials of suspects involved in the deadly July 5 riot in Urumqi are expected to start the middle of August, a source told the China Daily Thursday. The Urumqi Intermediate People's Court has been preparing for the hearings, according to the source.

July 19th, 2009 BEIJING - Government of China's riot-hit Xinjiang region has said that police "resolutely" shot 12 mobsters in the regional capital Urumqi. The chairman of the regional government, Nur Bekri, said that on the night of July 5, policemen tried to warn rioters by firing guns into the air, but it had no effects on these "extremely vicious" thugs.

July 10th, 2009 DUBAI - Friday prayers were cancelled in China's Urumqi city where riots have left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured, a media report said. "Chinese authorities have cancelled Friday Muslim prayers in Urumqi amid security concerns as troops try to keep control following days of deadly unrest in the city," Al Jazeera reported Friday.

July 10th, 2009 Some Urumqi mosques open for Friday prayersURUMQI, China — Several mosques in riot-hit Urumqi opened for Friday prayers, despite notices posted earlier saying they would be closed in the wake of ethnic violence that left 156 dead. It was not immediately clear if there was a change of policy or if the mosques were opened because crowds gathered outside them.

July 9th, 2009 URUMQI - A senior official has warned that China will execute anyone found to be behind the 156 riot killings in the north west city of Urumqi. Sky News quoted Li Zhi, the Communist Party boss of Urumqi, as saying that the government would seek the death penalty over bloody protests in the capital of Xinjiang.

July 9th, 2009 BEIJING - More traffic and shoppers returned to the streets of China's riot-hit city of Urumqi Thursday as thousands of paramilitary police patrolled. Markets and car parks were busier than Wednesday as the government appealed for calm and stressed after ethnic-related violence there that life in Urumqi was "returning to normal".

July 8th, 2009 URUMQI - Riot-hit Chinese city Urumqi appeared calm under heavy paramilitary police presence Wednesday after an overnight traffic curfew, though sporadic violence was still reported. Traffic restrictions continued to be imposed in some major streets Wednesday, with members of the Armed Police patrolling.

July 7th, 2009 BEIJING - Several hundred Uighurs staged a protest Tuesday as Chinese officials took a group of foreign journalists on a tour of Urumqi, the riot-hit capital of the far western region of Xinjiang. The protesters sat down after they were blocked by riot police, reporters in Urumqi said.

July 7th, 2009 URUMQI - Internet connectivity was cut in parts of Xinjiang's capital Urumqi following Sunday's riot to prevent violence from spreading, an official said Tuesday. "We cut Internet connection in some areas of Urumqi in order to prevent violence from spreading to other places," said Li Zhi, the Communist Party of China (CPC) chief of Urumqi.

July 6th, 2009 BEIJING - At least 140 people have been killed in China's northwestern region of Xinjiang in what has been described by the government as the area's worst case of ethnic unrest in years. Hundreds of rioters have been arrested, the official Xinhua news agency reported, after rock-throwing Uighurs took to the streets of the regional capital on Sunday, some burning and smashing vehicles and confronting ranks of anti-riot police.