Uighur women lead China protests
Updated on 07 July 2009
Hundreds of Uighurs protesting against the arrest of relatives have clashed with police in the capital of China's Muslim region of Xinjiang, two days after ethnic unrest left 156 dead and 1,080 wounded.
Many of the protesters were women, wailing and waving the identity cards of husbands, brothers or sons they say were arbitrarily seized in a sweeping reaction to Sunday's rioting in the city of Urumqi.
One woman said: "My husband was taken away yesterday by police. They didn't say why. They just took him away."
Fighting broke out briefly when Uighur protesters advanced towards hundreds of anti-riot police carrying clubs and shields on Tuesday, but there was no bloodshed.
Along with Tibet, Xinjiang is one of the most politically sensitive regions in China. In both places the government has sought to maintain its grip by controlling religious and cultural life while promising economic growth and prosperity.
Some protesters vowed defiance and denounced the arrests after the protest in Saimachang, a neighbourhood on the outskirts of Urumqi with small shops and brick-and-mud homes along dusty alleys.
Abdul Ali, a Uighur man in his 20s who had taken off his shirt, held up his clenched fist. He said: "They've been arresting us for no reason, and it's time for us to fight back."
Three of his brothers and a sister had been among 1,434 suspects taken into police custody. State television showed victims in hospital and burnt cars and shops. Of the 156 killed, 27 were women.
Watch Lindsey Hilsum's interview with Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer.
