Dialogue 09/07/07 Rampage in Xinjiang

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Intro:

Hello, I am Yang Rui reporting live from Beijing. Barely 16 months after the Lhasa violence, deadly riots in Urumqi, capital city of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on Sunday have left 156 people dead and over 1000 wounded. Most of the victims are said to be the Han ethnic people, including women and children. The death toll is rising as some people are still in critical conditions.

Ethnic tensions are running high in the streets although armed police have been deployed to restore law and order. The social stability in Xinjiang is put to test. Local authorities say that forces of terrorism, extremism and separatism are behind the barbaric rampage. The World Uygur Congress, a US-based pressure group, which is made up of the Uygur secessionists, is accused of instigating the riot. To take a closer look at the event, we are joined here live by Mr. Victor Gao Zhikai and Professor Tao Wenzhao.