BBC News
December 9, 2009

Ninety-four people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in ethnic violence in China’s Xinjiang region earlier this year, officials say.  Those detained are said to have fled following last July’s unrest, between ethnic Uighurs and members of China’s Han majority.  Nearly 200 people were killed and another 1,700 injured.

The fugitives were detained as part of a large scale crackdown by the authorities on crime in Xinjiang.  The operation follows last week’s sentencing of a further eight people to the death penalty.  Nine people were executed in November in connection with the ethnic unrest.

The Xinhua news agency quoted Xinjiang police as saying the crackdown was aimed at “consolidating stability and eliminating security risks.” It gave no information on the ethnicity of those arrested.    more …