On Sunday, July 5th at around 9:30pm Beijing time, a riot began which has crippled Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang province. As with any such event here in China, reports are sketchy and numbers vary drastically. Misleading photos and estimations are already circulating all over the web. Reliable details won't be available for at least another 24 hours, but here is a list of what can be confirmed:
- Many Uyghurs have taken to the streets of Urumqi, overturning vehicles and breaking store windows.
- Deaths have occurred (reports of three as of this writing, but not confirmed) SEE UPDATE BELOW
- A curfew has been set for all residents of Urumqi (official government-issued announcement)
- Most videos and pictures about this riot are being blocked in the mainland as soon as they appear on the internet.
What is not clearly known at this time is the reason for the riots. Most people speculate that it has something to do with the incident in Shaoguan in which a toy factory brawl left 2 Uyghurs dead and many more injured. Blame for the Urumqi riot will most likely land on the shoulders of Rabiya Kadeer, one of the most prominent Uyghur leaders who had called for the Uyghurs to protest this incident.
If you are planning on traveling to Xinjiang anytime this week it might be wise to reconsider your plans. Security will definitely be tight and police on high alert at this time.
An update will be made once further information is gathered, but until then you can read more here:
The New Dominion: Riots in Urumqi - VideosESWN - The Urumqi Mass Incident (New Roundup)
Reuters - Riot Strikes China's Xinjiang Region Capital
Update 7/6: The internet has now been cut as well as all international phone lines. Communication outside of Xinjiang has become extremely difficult, rendering regular updates to this article impossible.
Update 7/31: The China Daily reports that the riots left 197 people dead and over 1700 injured. Over the past month over 1,600 people have been detained in connection to the riots with trials to begin in mid-August.
33 Comments:
It's my first comment in your blog. I've been visit your website several times and enjoy your good job as a explorer to guide me learn Xinjiang,the far west side of my mothernation.But what I strongly concern at this time is the current situation over there.One of my colledge schoolmate is the citizen of Urumqi and he back there after graduation.Although it is said that the social had turned to peace,I still can't contact him yet,by both cellphone or Internet.Is the city really calm down?Are all the wounded have proper aid and thugs be controlled?What about those foreigners like you?
Thank you and wish you and your families safe and sound!
It's my first comment in your blog. I've been visit your website several times and enjoy your good job as a explorer to guide me learn Xinjiang,the far west side of my mothernation.But what I strongly concern at this time is the current situation over there.One of my colledge schoolmate is the citizen of Urumqi and he back there after graduation.Although it is said that the social had turned to peace,I still can't contact him yet,by both cellphone or Internet.Is the city really calm down?Are all the wounded have proper aid and thugs be controlled?What about those foreigners like you?
Thank you and wish you and your families safe and sound!
We have a friend who was scheduled (months ago) to go to Urumqi today, and he's still trying to go. He said someone in Dunhuang told him that they wouldn't let buses and stuff go in if it wasn't safe, and that he expected they'd be able to go. I'm in e-mail contact with him and curious to hear about what he sees.
We have a friend who was scheduled (months ago) to go to Urumqi today, and he's still trying to go. He said someone in Dunhuang told him that they wouldn't let buses and stuff go in if it wasn't safe, and that he expected they'd be able to go. I'm in e-mail contact with him and curious to hear about what he sees.
I read your blog regularly and enjoy your posts. However, I think that your post takes too much of the media reports for granted. You are an intelligent fellow--and I can tell that you don't believe everything you read--but when you comment that the "blame" will fall on the shoulders of Rebiya Kadeer, you should probably clarify her role. Kadeer is as responsible for the violence in Xinjiang as the Dalai Lama was for the protests that occurred last year in Tibet--which is to say, not at all. As I'm sure you know, she is currently living in exile with her husband in the US and has very little ability to coordinate this sort of activity back in Xinjiang. You should also indicate that other reports claim that the Uyghur protesters were fired upon by Chinese police. As a member of the (small) English-language Xinjiang blogosphere, you have a responsibility to report accurately and objectively on what is going on.
I read your blog regularly and enjoy your posts. However, I think that your post takes too much of the media reports for granted. You are an intelligent fellow--and I can tell that you don't believe everything you read--but when you comment that the "blame" will fall on the shoulders of Rebiya Kadeer, you should probably clarify her role. Kadeer is as responsible for the violence in Xinjiang as the Dalai Lama was for the protests that occurred last year in Tibet--which is to say, not at all. As I'm sure you know, she is currently living in exile with her husband in the US and has very little ability to coordinate this sort of activity back in Xinjiang. You should also indicate that other reports claim that the Uyghur protesters were fired upon by Chinese police. As a member of the (small) English-language Xinjiang blogosphere, you have a responsibility to report accurately and objectively on what is going on.
There is indeed a group of people who formed the Eastern Turkurstan. I heard this from my Ugyor friends in 1992. But since I didn't see any report in Chinese media, I didn't take it seriously. I still kept good relationship with the friends. But situation changed year after year.
There is indeed a group of people who formed the Eastern Turkurstan. I heard this from my Ugyor friends in 1992. But since I didn't see any report in Chinese media, I didn't take it seriously. I still kept good relationship with the friends. But situation changed year after year.
But I think there should be a better way to solve the problem. I mean whether we can prevent this kind of thing from happening. For example, if we know this is going to happen, take some preventive actions and have more talks and dialogue. Of course I totally agree that this is a violent incident and it is a crime. Maybe now people understand why Bush wanted to fight terrorism. But the question is now someone supports these terrorist activities and find all the excuse to defend them. Terror is terror.How can we get rid of it?
But I think there should be a better way to solve the problem. I mean whether we can prevent this kind of thing from happening. For example, if we know this is going to happen, take some preventive actions and have more talks and dialogue. Of course I totally agree that this is a violent incident and it is a crime. Maybe now people understand why Bush wanted to fight terrorism. But the question is now someone supports these terrorist activities and find all the excuse to defend them. Terror is terror.How can we get rid of it?
I bet most of the dead are Han Chinese. How crazy these rioters are!
I bet most of the dead are Han Chinese. How crazy these rioters are!
Wish you safe there.
Wish you safe there.
Xinjiang and Tibet were never a part of the so called Middle Kingdom. Just because China moved in its troops there does not mean that they are now a part of China. Why, the Govt of China is not even representative of the original Chinese people, but is only in office by means of "the barrel of the gun"!. It's really a joke how restricted the Chinese people's views are that the blogs/ comments allowed to be published are only the Govt's views. This attrocity has to end soon or mankind will have this cancer growing to worse dimensions in it's collective body.
Hey Josh, stay safe and we will keep updated via your blog. Once we saw it on the news in Turkmenistan, we immediately thought of you and your wife.
Hey Josh, stay safe and we will keep updated via your blog. Once we saw it on the news in Turkmenistan, we immediately thought of you and your wife.
Josh
Came here to see if you had some inside info here. Be careful but probably Lao Wai do not have too much to worry about unless you just get caught between two hostile sides. I enjoy the link to the Xinjiang music and photos from an earlier post and will promote that at one of my blogs. I finally may have a way to post to my old Blogger blog on China. It took some time but I can do it. Maybe time for a face lift there.
Take out there
Bill
Josh
Came here to see if you had some inside info here. Be careful but probably Lao Wai do not have too much to worry about unless you just get caught between two hostile sides. I enjoy the link to the Xinjiang music and photos from an earlier post and will promote that at one of my blogs. I finally may have a way to post to my old Blogger blog on China. It took some time but I can do it. Maybe time for a face lift there.
Take out there
Bill
Great site. Just wonder those who live and work in China (or Asia) ever visited Asia Times online www.atimes.com where learned and intelligent contributions can be found to help mere mortals to better understand the dynamics, economics, geopolitics and crisis that besets the regions. Here is a clear head analysis of the current predicament in Xinjiang:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/KG08Ad02.html
Great site. Just wonder those who live and work in China (or Asia) ever visited Asia Times online www.atimes.com where learned and intelligent contributions can be found to help mere mortals to better understand the dynamics, economics, geopolitics and crisis that besets the regions. Here is a clear head analysis of the current predicament in Xinjiang:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/KG08Ad02.html
Josh,
It really hurts. I read your review on WG's novel again. It is writing on the wall isn't it? Kendine dikkat et and gorusuuruz. Jane
Josh,
It really hurts. I read your review on WG's novel again. It is writing on the wall isn't it? Kendine dikkat et and gorusuuruz. Jane
贼 你妈
“贼 你妈
贼 你妈
“贼 你妈
I sure hope so. Much preferable to have the han invaders dead than the locals!
I sure hope so. Much preferable to have the han invaders dead than the locals!
The Han all deserve to be driven out of East Turkestan. Free ET!!!!
The Han all deserve to be driven out of East Turkestan. Free ET!!!!
Oshama bin lada seems to keep in contact with his supporters with out to much trouble.He has alot more restrictions than Rebiya Kadeer.Living here in Xinjiang her name comes up from time to time with my Uygur friends and they can't say any good things about her or the world wide uygur congress.
Oshama bin lada seems to keep in contact with his supporters with out to much trouble.He has alot more restrictions than Rebiya Kadeer.Living here in Xinjiang her name comes up from time to time with my Uygur friends and they can't say any good things about her or the world wide uygur congress.
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