Urumqi After the Violence (88 images)

Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, was the scene of brutal ethnic violence in summer 2009. The city is divided between two prevailing ethnic groups, the Uighurs and the Hans. The Uighurs are a Muslim ethnicity of Turkic origin, long nomadic and, throughout their history, often at war with the dynasties and governments ruling China. The region is the Uighurs spiritual and historical homeland. The Hans, China's ruling class, have come to the area as part of a...
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Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, was the scene of brutal ethnic violence in summer 2009. The city is divided between two prevailing ethnic groups, the Uighurs and the Hans. The Uighurs are a Muslim ethnicity of Turkic origin, long nomadic and, throughout their history, often at war with the dynasties and governments ruling China. The region is the Uighurs spiritual and historical homeland. The Hans, China's ruling class, have come to the area as part of a Beijing-backed plan of internal migration and ethnic colonization aimed at achieving civil stability and economic prosperity. Urumqi's population, as of 2000, was 12% Uighur, 75% Han, with the remainder divided between small groups of other Central Asian ethnicities. The riots in 2009 between Uighurs and Hans left some 197 people dead and thousands injured, and have led to heightened tensions between the Uighurs and the Chinese government. As a result of the rioting, internet access in the province was banned for almost 1 year, and armed military patrols have become a constant sight, especially in Uighur areas of the city. Now in mid-2010, a new government crackdown has begun. Roadblocks have sprouted up around the city and some 1,000 additional police have been deployed to the city to quell what the government calls "the ongoing separatist threat." Urumqi, a city dating to 600-700AD, is in a strategically important location. The province holds the majority of the country's natural oil and gas reserves. Throughout history, the city's location on the northern Silk Road route served as an economic engine for Chinese dynasties. It provided a valuable transportation hub for Central Asian traders to access the enormous Chinese market. Now, Urumqi plays a central role in the ongoing development of a modern rail and highway transportation network to Central Asia and beyond. The city helps drive the economies of China's western provinces and bordering countries.
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