Fresh unrest in Chinese province after claims of stabbings

Published on Thursday 3 September 2009 22:03

PROTESTERS massed in the capital of China's restive far western region of Xinjiang yesterday demanded the removal of the province's top official, who faced the crowd amid a scare over syringe stabbings that has reignited ethnic tensions.

The demonstration was a rare public challenge by Han Chinese to the ruling Communist Party in Xinjiang, where deadly ethnic strife with Muslim Uighurs broke out in early July.

"Resign Wang Lequan, the government is useless!" the protesters shouted outside the regional government building in Urumqi, referring to Xinjiang's Communist Party chief, who has held office for 14 years. Others called for his execution.

"Wang Lequan, apologise to the Xinjiang people!" they yelled, some of them throwing bottles and other objects in his direction, a witness said.

He estimated that by early afternoon 3,000 people gathered at the People's Square in central Urumqi. But by the evening, the streets were empty, he said.

Mr Wang used a microphone to address the crowd from a balcony and the witness said the party chief told the crowd 30 people had been arrested over the claimed syringe stabbings.

The official Xinhua news agency said more than 1,000 people were involved in the main protest, which it said began after claims that a man stabbed a five-year-old girl.

Some witnesses said they saw Uighurs being beaten by Han Chinese.

The Xinjiang health office said that over the past two weeks 476 people have gone to hospitals to report apparent syringe stabbings – 433 of them Han Chinese. Doctors have "found clear syringe marks in 89 cases" regional television reported.

But Nicholas Bequelin of advocacy group Human Rights Watch said it was still unclear how much truth or rumour lay behind the claims of stabbings.