Monday, July 18, 2011

Hotan, Xinjiang deaths: They (Chinese gov't) said, they (Uyghur activists) said


Xinjiang, which every Western media outlet describes as "restive", has been peaceful for a while.  That is, until today.  A number of people were killed today in the town of Hotan.  What happened?

Official Chinese state media: Four people were killed in a terrorist attack on a police station.  Two were Uyghur terrorists, one was a brave cop, and the fourth an innocent bystander.  The terrorists took hostages and set fire to the police station.  Security forces were able to free the hostages.

Exiled Uyghur group: 20 Uyghur protestors were killed in a clash with the police at the town's bazaar.  14 were beaten to death, 6 were shot.  The protestors wanted the return of disappeared relatives (from the 2009 Uyghur uprising) and an end to forced land seizures.  70 people were detained and more are being hunted down.

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