China issues most-wanted list for 15 people it blames for ethnic riots in far-west Xinjiang

October 12th, 2009 China says 6 people get death in Xinjiang riotsBEIJING — China says six people have been sentenced to death for murder and other crimes committed during riots in the western Xinjiang region in July that killed nearly 200 people. The official Xinhua News Agency said a court in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi also sentenced a seventh person to life in prison.

September 28th, 2009 URUMQI - The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region legislature has passed a regulation prohibiting the instigation of ethnic separatist activities via the Internet, The China Daily reports. Online activities compromising national security, damaging national and social interests, undermining ethnic unity, instigating ethnic secession and harming social stability will be severely punished, according to the regulation.

September 3rd, 2009 URUMQI - Following a spate of ethnically motivated syringe attacks in China's Xinjiang province, renewed mass demonstrations and violence was reported in the region on Thursday. Thousands of people gathered at the residential quarter of Xiaoximen, at Renmin Cinema and Beiyuanchun farmers' produce wholesale market and demanded security assurance from authorities, Xinhua reports.

August 9th, 2009 Plane hijacked in China's restive Xinjiang regionBEIJING —China's state news agency says a plane has been hijacked in the restive western region of Xinjiang, which was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency did not give any details about the hijacking in a brief report Sunday.

August 9th, 2009 China reports bomb threat on plane in XinjiangBEIJING —China's state news agency says there has been a bomb threat on a plane from Afghanistan scheduled to land in Xinjiang, the restive western region of China that was rocked by ethnic riots last month. Xinhua News Agency earlier said the incident was a hijacking.

August 5th, 2009 Uighur accuses China of inflaming ethnic tensionMELBOURNE, Australia — China is inflaming ethnic tensions by deceiving its own people about last month's deadly riots in western Xinjiang province, an exiled Uighur activist whom Beijing blames for the unrest said Wednesday. Rebiya Kadeer, a U.S.-based activist who is in Australia for the screening of a documentary about her life, told reporters that Beijing should be held accountable for the violent crackdown.

July 30th, 2009 China dismisses Uighur claim 10,000 are missingBEIJING — China dismissed an exiled activist's claim that 10,000 minority Uighurs disappeared during a recent crackdown after ethnic riots erupted in its far west, calling the figure "completely fabricated" on Thursday. The government has repeatedly said the riots in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi were orchestrated by separatist Uighur groups.

July 29th, 2009 China welcomes 'moderate' US response to riotsWASHINGTON — A Chinese diplomat voiced appreciation Tuesday for what he called the "moderate attitude" of the U.S. toward the ethnic clashes in China's oil-rich Xinjiang region that killed nearly 200 people.

July 28th, 2009 Chinese leader stresses ethnic unity to minoritiesBEIJING — China's president called Tuesday for the strengthening of ethnic unity in the country — his first public comments on the issue more than three weeks after deadly riots in the far west killed nearly 200 people. President Hu Jintao did not directly refer to the violence in Xinjiang between minority Uighurs and majority Han Chinese.

July 21st, 2009 BEIJING — China on Tuesday defended its policies on ethnic minorities, saying the violence in Xinjiang that killed nearly 200 people this month was triggered by separatists and not its treatment of Uighurs. During a televised news conference, the vice minister of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission blamed an underground separatist movement of Muslim, Turkic-speaking Uighurs and said China will never tolerate secession in its far western region.

July 11th, 2009 Woman China blames for violence wants dialogueWASHINGTON — The woman Chinese authorities blame for violent unrest in western China's Xinjiang (shihn-jahng) region is asking for outside intervention to create a dialogue between her ethnic Uighurs (WEE-gers) and Chinese authorities. In an interview with AP Television, Rebiya Kadeer says bad blood caused by Chinese mistreatment and suspicion of its Uighur minority has created a situation that "doesn't come to the negotiating table that easily." Nevertheless, Kadeer says, the Uighurs still want a dialogue with the Chinese government for a peaceful settlement.

July 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq Friday said the Indian government should appeal to the Chinese government to stop the ethnic violence in Urumqi city of Muslim-dominated Xinjiang province of China. "Our government should appeal to the Chinese government to stop the ongoing violence in Urumqi city," Barq told IANS.

July 9th, 2009 GUANGZHOU - Many tourist agencies are calling off group trips to China's Xinjiang region following the recent deadly riots in Urumqi city that left at least 156 people dead and over 1,000 injured. "We are hoping that travel can resume by July 20, but it depends on the status in Xinjiang", said Tang Qiting, deputy manager with Guangzhilu International Travel Service in Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province.

July 7th, 2009 Clinton urges restraint in riots in western ChinaWASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is urging restraint in clashes in western China. Clinton told reporters Tuesday that the United States is "deeply concerned" about worsening ethnic violence in China's oil-rich Xinjiang territory.

July 7th, 2009 Uighur supporters in US blame China for riotsWASHINGTON — An exiled Uighur (WEE-gur) leader is blaming the Chinese government for the rising tensions and ethnic violence in China. Rebiya (ruh-BEE-yuh) Kadeer (kuh-DEER) spoke to Uighur supporters at a rally in downtown Washington on Tuesday.