The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) condemns yesterday's attack by a Uighur on a police patrol in the city of Aksu (Xinjiang Autonomous Region/East Turkestan) in northwestern China. Seven people were killed and 14 wounded in the attack. "Violence is not the solution to the growing problems in northwestern China; it just fuels tensions in the region," declared Ulrich Delius, head of the Asia section at the STP. "That is why most Uighurs endorse peaceful efforts to promote human rights and democracy. We fear that China's officials will exploit this attack to intensify their persecution of Uighurs who are committed to campaigning peacefully for human rights."

Background:

Four police officers were among the 7 killed in the attack. The police were under orders to run identity checks during their hourly patrols through Aksu, particularly targeting Uighurs wearing beards or the traditional clothing of this Muslim minority. Once identified, Uighurs are routinely taken to the local police station for political re-education. Those who refuse are transferred to police headquarters for interrogation

Such arbitrary compulsory measures against the Muslim population fuel the tensions between Han Chinese and Uighurs in Xinjiang. In July 2010, the STP published a 62-page human rights report documenting the background, the development and the consequences of the violent conflict in Xinjiang/East Turkestan in 2009/2010. In July 2009 alone, at least 197 people died in bloody clashes in Urumchi, the Xinjiang/East Turkestan capital.

Translated by Elizabeth Crawford