Tension remains in Urumqi after riots killed 156

By Mu Qian and Cui Jia (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-09 07:23

URUMQI: There was tension in the air despite the calm on the streets Wednesday as President Hu Jintao cut short a G8 summit trip to rush home in the wake of the bloody riots.

Hu arrived home Wednesday from Italy "due to the situation" in Xinjiang, where the deadliest riots in the autonomous region in decades left 156 people dead and more than 1,000 injured on Sunday.

Tension remains in Urumqi after riots killed 156

Helicopters dropped leaflets appealing for calm among Urumqi's 2.3 million residents as banks of helmeted paramilitary troops in riot gear saturated the city to establish order.

The heavy security presence brought calm to central parts of the city, with armed personnel carriers standing by as helicopters hovered overhead.

But sporadic standoffs and minor clashes were still reported, according to Xinhua News Agency, which did not give any details.

Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in northwest China, imposed an overnight traffic curfew on Tuesday after thousands of Han people, armed with sticks, knives and metal bars, stormed the streets, demanding redress for Sunday's violence.

Special police officers from across the country were sent to Urumqi to assist local police forces in maintaining public security, Meng Jianzhu, state councilor and public security minister, said, while visiting residents injured in the riots and family members of the victims.

The officers arrived in Urumqi at about 5 am Wednesday, Meng said.

He did not mention the number of personnel involved and the locations they were sent from.

Streets back to normal

Those who led the riots should be punished with the utmost severity and those who took part in the riots, who were provoked or misled by separatists, should be re-educated, Meng said.

The Party chief of Urumqi also said Wednesday that the government will seek the death penalty for anyone found to be responsible for the killings.

Li Zhi told a televised news conference Wednesday afternoon that Urumqi was stable after several days of ethnic violence.

He said security forces had control of the streets.

Li said many people accused of murder had already been detained and that most were students.

Police are using DNA technology to identify the dead, Urumqi Mayor Jerla Isamudin said.

"More than 100 people killed by rioters have been identified," he said.

"The government will compensate their families."

A total amount of 100 million yuan ($14 million) of consolation money will be given to victims, the mayor said.

Some restaurants and supermarkets opened Wednesday, but most were still closed.

Although the traffic curfew has ended, traffic restrictions were imposed on major streets, with armed police on guard or patrolling. Armored personnel carriers were standing by.

People began to emerge in the streets Wednesday, but Xinhua reporters said they saw less traffic in the morning, and even fewer buses.

The city has about 1,000 buses, of which 190 were damaged or torched in the riot.

Urumqi Airport was crowded with people anxious to leave. Those who were not able to obtain a ticket swarmed nearby hotels.

"We fear Xinjiang is not safe anymore," said a passenger who refused to be named.

In the city, women hustled to store extra groceries and some office workers were given a day off.

At a roadside morning market, where 50 armed police were patrolling, at least one-third of the stalls were empty.

Prices of vegetables were generally two- to three-times higher than normal.

A kg of haricot beans, previously 2 yuan (about 30 cents), was sold for 6 yuan, while potatoes, originally 1.5 yuan, soared to 3.5 yuan per kg.

Li Gang, a local resident, said his company gave the workers a day off and asked them not to leave their houses.

"I know from the news report that many rioters were arrested," he said.

"Now that the streets are guarded and helicopters are hovering, I think social order could be restored."

Xinhua contributed to the story