Uyghurs Protest in China's Remote Xinjiang Region

Posted on April 3, 2008 4:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

By RADIO FREE ASIA
01 April 2008

Several hundred ethnic Uyghurs have staged protests in China's remote and restive Xinjiang region following the death in custody of a prominent Uyghur businessman and philanthropist.

Witnesses report protests at two locations in Khotan prefecture--in Khotan city March 23-24 and Qaraqash county March 23, RFA's Uyghur service reports. Several hundred protesters were taken into custody, numerous sources said, and security remains tight.

Numerous sources said the demonstrations followed the death in custody of a wealthy Uyghur jade trader and philanthropist, Mutallip Hajim, 38. Police returned his body to relatives March 3 after two months in custody, saying he had died in hospital of heart trouble. According to an authoritative source, police instructed the family to bury him immediately and inform no one of his death.

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	This article is filed under the categories of Beijing 2008 , Human Rights , News , Tibet , Uyghur minority group Tags: beijing 2008 · brutality · human rights · Olympics · oppression · Tibet · Uyghur