12 people have been killed by explosions and gunshots in the Xinjiang province, stated Chinese officials, as they blamed the flare up in violence on “terrorists”.
The province, home to mainly Muslin ethnic Uigurs, saw 6 killed by explosions in a market and hairdressers, whilst 6 more were shot dead by police.
Government investigations blamed the explosion on “organised, premeditated terrorist attacks” and have led to reports that China will now be seeking to clamp down on the region with thougher laws on religion.
Yu Zhengsheng, a member of the Communist Party's seven-man Politburo Standing Committee, was reported as saying,
"Religious followers must expand consciousness of the state, the law and citizenship within religious circles so that the faithful naturally conduct religious activities within the bounds of law and policy."
Meanwhile, Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the Uighur organisation the World Uighur Congress, has suggested the salon targeted in the blast was a brothel that had angered the local community, adding,
"The forced repression and provocation is the real reason for the confrontation".
He went on to say in a statement,
"China accuses those who resist its oppressive rule of being terrorists, sidestepping the fact that systematic repression is the main factor leading to that resistance".
"Uighurs cannot continue to bear China's provocations and discrimination any longer. If China does not stop immediately, it will cause the local situation to deteriorate even further."
The violence comes as prominent Uighur academic Ilham Tohti had a statement released against him, accusing him of inciting ethnic hatred and separatism. His subsequent detention by Chinese authorities sparked a statement of deep concern by the US State Department, who called on the Chinese government to uphold their human rights commitments.
See the US State Department statement here.
Also see a New York Times interview with Ilham Tohti here.