Pictures are ways of telling stories: think about those innocent people who were murdered in the deep alleys when the murderers pretend to be victims themselves and throw themselves at the knees of international media, chanting fake stories.

There is no limit to human degradation: particularly for those who murder others for their own selfish needs.

shii, you made me laugh.

"FreeAsia" is neutral? Do you really think other people are that stupid? If your intention is not to fool us(that means, you yourself truly believe freeasia is a neutral media agency), judging from your IQ, I don't think you are worth to argue with.

picture19&20: from the dress and figure of this crown. It's absolutely not han chinese crowd. I'd suggest you to know the real of the photo before publish with wrong words.

"the neutral site Radio Free Asia"
----------------------------------------------
radio free asia is not neutral at all.......

wanna see something neutral? go to malcolm moore's blog:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/author/malcolmmoore/

All the victims was han chinese...
Uighur terrorist attack the innocent citizens
The chinese cental govenment gives many preferential policy to the uighurs to help them developing but them still planned the riot
The terror attack on 5th July was another 9.11

Really sad. Innocent people loose their lives in clashes like this.

Please remember, all the dead victims was HAN chinese
Terrorist attacked innocent citizens with purpose.
Although china central govement put so much preferential polices on the Uighurs, they still planned the riot.
The terror attack on 5th July was another 9.11

they are great pictures, but they are not the full picture.

the dead people were mostly Han Chinese killed by Muslim mobs on july 5 .

it was only when the police poured in, the photographers were able to be in the center of the chaos to take photos of dead bodies and angry Han Chinese revenging with arms. People see these photos may think the Han Chinese result in the dead bodies. but in fact, they are the result of the dead bodies.

I've always thought that Big Picture does a good job, but in this case, the pictures are - unintentionally or not - quite misleading.

Most of the 156 victims are as good as verified - by independent news sources - to be Han Chinese. Overrepresentation of Han mobs in these photos ignores the fact that the Uighur side is at least as responsible - if not more - for inciting the violence in the first place.

It may just be where the photographic evidence lay, since the Han rioters formed after the Uighur rioters, and Big Picture does give some sort of sequence in the introduction to the pictures, citing that Uighur rioters formed first and the protests turned violent before Han citizens then mobilized. Unfortunately for those who go directly to the pictures - most people I gather if the comments are any indication - may get the wrong, biased idea. With such a sensitive topic, it may be wise to try to post more representative pictures or commentaries.

@yan...What you have said is true...I have lots of Chinese Friends and I stayed in China for long time to know that. Partly the government is here to blame for the ridiculous way they treat the minority people even if they commit serious crimes in that part of China. To those who do not know and who just plainly see the pictures as is then you probably do not know much about China or if you have gone there you do not stay long enough or you do not have any Chinese friends and you do not understand the Chinese way at all.

Buddies,
Plz take a look of these photos!!
That's the truth..
The truth of blood and the death of many innocent cizitzens.
http://cn.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1010/1/5/5/101015529.html?coluid=7&kindid=0&docid=101015529&mdate=0707155614

Please do not try to make photo referring the famous 1989 one on which one man was confronting the whole army on the Chang'an street. It's not the same. Even people at Xinjiang do not know what exactly happened. You don't know what happened there.

Oh..My God... Jesus please come back because most of us are not human beings any more but monsters!!! How can a normal moral human being whom I believe is the image of God can just have the heart of freely taking the life of the other human being... I believe deep in their heart, they are regretting what they have done and this is individual regrets being driven by mob gangs....Remember you peple of the world that every individual has the right to live his/her natural life ...That was the purpose of the God's creation and those who interfere with natural life given by God should prepare big time answers for their actions because in the world we are just travellers and our destination is to almighty God.....Politicians, religious leaders and all well wishers have the obligation morally to heal the world....VICTMS R.I.P

One month ago, I am so graceful to see the great pictures of 20 years' anniversary of Tiananmen Square, but this time, I am so angry to see the biased report here.

The pictures just implied that Han 'mobs" beat Uighur from begining to the end. What a lie! It's shameful for you not to point out most of casualties (nearly one thousand !!!) are Han Chinese!

uigurs people are innocent,t hey are oppressed,all han chinse are cruel,where is all world people? all uigur people are slaughered by han chinse in urumqi, where are human rights, there are no human rights for uigur people, because they are muslim, beceause they are ownerless,they are turkish,where is humanity,mobs han chinse people barbarically,unworty,killed uigur turkish people in the street in urumqi.

Maybe you guys have never lived in China, so you did not really know what happened there. Urumqi is a special city. It close to Afghanistan and Pakistan. there are many different ethnics live there. Some ethnic Uighurs was trained by al Qaeda. There purpose is to establish a country named Islamic Republic. So al Qaeda trained some of them and let them make terrorism action in China like 911 in America. They kill about 156 Han Chinese and injured more than 1000 Han Chinese. Chinese government did nothing because they worry about they would be censure by the other countries. Therefore, the angry Han citizen have to protect their children and their home by themself. Before their children were killed
by

What the hell is wrong with us

I love my nation China, and I believe our government have the ability to deal with it well. Everybody who has obturpemcausams on China will be blamed.

China is killing civilians with an army, they will pay it, u cannot kill people and expect not to receive a response. They began a war, this is the beggining of something really ugly at this part of the world, and they only gulityness is from China. Their brutallity wont have a happy ending. U cannot threat civilians with that attitude and wait to solve the problem.

"Its crazy expecting different ressults from the same techniques"

comment 40, Fred, get your history lessons right. Nazis and motto "Gott Mit Uns"? Sounds familiar? 6 millions Jews died...Not a religious issue? Waow, I wonder how many deaths you need to consider....
Communism under Staline and others could be seen as a religion as well. Just love and don't question a living god or parrty...

Here comes again! A distorted report toward non-western country from a western news media. If I did not do my study from both sides about the Xinjiang incidence, from this report I will logically assume the whole event as the Han Chinese mob attacked the Uighur people and Uighurs, including a Uighur woman are defending the neightborhood. Sadly, the fact is more than 100 Han Chinese were killed during the first day of riot caused by a mob of Uighurs. On the next day, a mod of Han Chinese tried to revenge. The government police was in the middle to disperse the mob of both sides. Tell world the truth, please.

What's wrong with the world ? Muslim needs respect & job.

I am in Delhi. Muslims plan to build a mosque in a area where there is no mosque and the whole neighborhood came against of it . Why ?? we just need basic right to live and earn.

calm down , we are together ,family

I would remind each of you that, up to the dawn of 6 July, the second day after the civil riot, most victims (totally 156) were Han people. Among more than 1,000 wounded, most were Han. Although several pictures posted here are Uyghurs's protesting, you should have noticed that except the only scene from TV, all Uyghurs were safe, not wounded at all. But all wounded/death in these pictures were Han race. It well disclosed that how radiculous that some overaseas Uyghurs claimed that several hundreds Uyghurs were killed. Uyghurs=liers

Just tell you a few fact in China:
(1) If a Han Chinese kills a person, he will be sentence to death. If a Uighur people kills a Han Chinese, he will be in jail for one week. Why is that? Because the government is afraid of them.
(2) One child policy applies to Han Chinese only. Uighur families can have as many kids as they want.
(3) Uighur students can add 20 points for College admission. For example, if he gets 425 points in Chinese SAT, his actual points will be 445. Why is that? Because they are Uighurs. The government encouges them to get high education at the cost of social fairness.
(4) Double 60% policy. In Xijiang, at least 60% officials must be Uighur. The state-run companies have to hire as least 60% Uighur workers. Why is that? The government wants to protect these guys with less completeness in the market.
(5) Such stories happen many times in China. If you ask prices and negotiate in a Uighur store, but then you decide not to buy in this store, be careful. You will be hit if you are lucky. You will be killed if you are not lucky. Will they be penalized for their behavior? Most likely not. Why is that? The government is afraid of them. Insane.
In summary, the Han Chinese, instead of Uighur, have been discriminated since 1949. The Han Chinese emphasize hard working and fairness. Han Chinese are always friendly to Uighur except that they feel they are threatened.

Most of the dead are Han Chinese on 07/05. Who killed them? And why?

Israel and Palestinian, China and Tibet, now Han and Uighur( and many more I know!). In all cases the media chooses an aggressor and a victim and who's in the right. The rage rises because the media is faulted. So long as people continue to justify their violent acts, violence, pain, and death will ensue. That's just the reality of it.

This situation, like others similar to it, needs people from both ends of the conflict to start speaking to each other with their voice and not their spiked clubs. Who will be brave enough to do that?

why not show the pictures that Uighurs killed Han and other ethnics!
there were over 200 Han killed, but photographers ignored them.
this is absolute prejudice.
image that if Muslim killed american, what would your meida say?
You never know what is really going on, because people who live in a country with pathetic some 200-year history don't understand this historical issue.
You think you can push china? and your journalists noble men?
come on! your media is the last chance!

I am just sitting on the border and wondering, why again Muslims ?Anywhere there is a conflict or killings, be it killing their own people. You will always find muslims involved i.e. Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Israel, Somalia Bali, Kenya bombings, Chechnya and now China.

Inshallah may god give peace to all, and fill their heart with love instead of hatred !!

#7 looks like a human meteorite hit, this shows, how much hatred some humans carry in our heart.

I'm so sad for people died/hurt in the riot, Han and Uygur.
ALL are CHINESE PEOPLE, don't they!!
I believe this tragedy will end. Family members fight sometimes and learn how to get along better.

To those "schemers" hiding and holding the string and taking advantages: China will never ever fall apart again!! Nothing is excusable to challenge our territorial integrity and sovereignty.
To those fanning the flame: ���в�����ԱС�Give a thief enough rope and he'll hang himself. I guess you just not yet have enough dose.

And in regard of the policy of our government and CCP, yes, some of it is controversial, and some is with iron hand, some turns to be wrong. Yet, please understand it's not an easy job to lead 1.5 billion population with 56 ethic groups rising from hundreds of years of foreign invasion and war!! And rising in a speed like this!! Whoever else could do better???

Thanks for your concerns.
We Chinese people can manage our own country WELL.

Thanks for the pictures. But attention please. #20. There are couple of Hui Chinese (whit white hats) in the picture, that means, not only Han Chinsese but also Hui Chinese were angry with the violence by Ethnic Uighurs. And most of Hui Chinese are Muslim. Don't forget 156 people were killed in the riot on 5th July, by Uighur mobs.
P.S. the word "Urumqi" is not Uighur, but Mongolian, this might be helpful for you to understand the history of XinJiang.

The bodies in the picuture #5 and #7 are obviously Han or Hui Chinese people, not Uighurs, and it happened on 5th July, at the very beginning of the clashes.

To DD from China

What labels the Uighers as Chinese people? Did they have a saying in who they wanted to be?

This is like labeling Tibetans as Chinese people, Taiwanese people as Chinese people and any region that China lays their hands on as their own.

These people have nothing in common with Chinese people, they don't even look the same and have an entirely different culture. Why must you force them and label them as Chinese?

I'm sure you're going to argue that these regions were once a part of China and you must preserve your territorial integrity. So should you consider Moscow a part of China? Since Ghangis Khan once took over Moscow? NO...This is just how absurd China's mentality is, it just defies all logical sense.

The Chinese are writing lie here, poor Uighurs, there is no any human rites in thier homeland, they are useless in thier won homeland, what a shameless Chinese wrote following (the truse is the opposite of these):
(1) If a Han Chinese kills a person, he will be sentence to death. If a Uighur people kills a Han Chinese, he will be in jail for one week. Why is that? Because the government is afraid of them.
(2) One child policy applies to Han Chinese only. Uighur families can have as many kids as they want.
(3) Uighur students can add 20 points for College admission. For example, if he gets 425 points in Chinese SAT, his actual points will be 445. Why is that? Because they are Uighurs. The government encouges them to get high education at the cost of social fairness.
(4) Double 60% policy. In Xijiang, at least 60% officials must be Uighur. The state-run companies have to hire as least 60% Uighur workers. Why is that? The government wants to protect these guys with less completeness in the market.
(5) Such stories happen many times in China. If you ask prices and negotiate in a Uighur store, but then you decide not to buy in this store, be careful. You will be hit if you are lucky. You will be killed if you are not lucky. Will they be penalized for their behavior? Most likely not. Why is that? The government is afraid of them. Insane.

if the killer is Uighur who will be punished even hard than Han.
Uighur families can have 2 children.
more than 70% of the workers are Hans in Xinjiang, the local Uighurs are homeless in thier homeland, because the country is the Han's and the imperator in Han.

So much hatred in their faces, I don't want to blame one side or the other. These are ethnic tensions that have built up for years between the two groups, that now are unleashed.

It saddens me to hear anti-muslim statements here, I am not muslim, but isn't it obvious that this has nothing to do with religion and especially not with fundamentalism? Are you anti-muslims that blind? The Uighurs in those pictures don't dress any differently from the Han, they don't look like religous muslims. Well, some Uighur women wear head pieces but that's normal for muslims.

The people in those mobs are ordinary citizens, fundamentalists looks different. It's actually quite sad, because it means the hatred has spread among the oridnary, non-political, non-religious men and women.

The role of the police is to keep both mobs apart from each other. This is nothing like Tibet, where the police and military may had a different role. Also it's irrelevant which side kills more of the other, it's more relevant to ask why is this possible in a multi-ethnic nation like the PRC? Why the outbreak of racism on all sides after 60 years? What went wrong? Why is the PRC so nationalistic, isn't communism supposed to be internationalistic?

Despite the outcome of the riot results 150 innocent dead, i still cant help to amuse with #18. Anyway, respect the deads, it should never happen again

As some people complained the media release much less records about Uighurs mobs attacking Han, I think basically all media, including Chinese ones, don't have much photos to show to the public: those Uighur mobs launched the riot in the evening on 7.5, in the next 5 hours they killed about 150, wounded more than 1000, typically beat the head and cut the throat. All thses were done very professionally, rapidly, often in the dark laneways, so recorded scenes are really rare. I suspect those Uighurs have been trained some killing skills, and they are possibly not Urumchi natives.

July 5 evening, hundreds of Chinese civilians in the streets were under attack by Uighur, see all the photos of those who died: all were hit head,and their throat were cut --- only the terrorists will use this mode. In Hospital, the wounded are all head injuried, and its almost Han Chinese.

to comment 75:
picture19&20: definetly Han Chinese, on 20 Han and Hui (with white huts) Chinese.

You can see on some videos or pictures army guys carrying video camcorders.
If it is said that it all started violent on Sunday, let us see those videos and pictures.

ZOMG #19

Ben (#91) the historian,
I think Fred's point is that way more people have been killed by governments opposed to religion or religious freedom (like the Communist examples) than by people with religious motivation (Crusades, Jihad, etc.). And at a time when people pride themselves on their modern superiority to those "superstitious religious old days." The problem isn't religion, it's willingness to kill people we disagree with. "If only we didn't have religions" wouldn't have prevented most of the 20th century genocides. Our other differences breed enough hate. We don't need to scapegoat religion.

Chinese People, we are sad to see so many Han found death in this massacre.
We hope peace will come soon and see your country unite once again.
China is a big country but has to be stable to be a great country.

China, we are with you !

From Tokyo, Japan

So Uighurs are hunting Chinese down? What kind of BEAST is this Uighurs? Uighurs are minority people, and like many of their counterparts all around the world, they evidently lack the military training and equipment to cause havoc. If otherwise, please enlighten us by telling what advanced weaponry they are using, who are the suppliers, and where they get the military training. I don't believe there are sound answers to these questions. This is no war. What we are witnessing is military sponsored violance, fuelled by stupid ethnic hatred. Same all around the world.

Most of the victims in this event are Han Chinese. The Uighurs are murders and terrorists. They can never get along well with other people no matter where.

The Uighurs are not Chinese and have no wish to be Chinese. Can you blame them for being resentful of being an 'occupied territory'? China is less interested in 'national harmony' than they are in the oil and coal in Xinjiang.

The number of Chinese government agents and sympathizers posting anti-Uighur statements on here is ridiculous. The photo of the Han man chasing down an independent photojournalist to try to keep him from sharing truth with the world pretty well sums up the problem.

We should blame this tragedy partly to some Uighurs extremists, partly to the wrong policies carried out since 1949 . These policies, along with the dictatorship harm not only the Uighur, but also all the Chinese people. They are the main reason why Uighurs become more discontented about their situation and some of them have to resort to violence to claim their human rights which they deserve. Sadly, people are always victims.

However, there is still some optimism we have, for there is no real hatred between Han and Uighur people, or any other ethnic minorities living in this land. From historical point of view, the relationship between Han and Uighur can be traced more than 2000 years ago, although there have been conflicts or even WARs now and then, the relationship between people become tighter, especially in Han and Tang Dynasty.

I believe Han and Uighur people will come to reconciliation again, in a future democratic China. Now we only need some time and a little bit of wisdom.

I'm no fan of China's oppressive government and believe all marginalized minorities should have a chance at self-determination and self governance, yet even I have to admit that the western bias has been pretty bad. It looks as if the Uighurs simply attacked and killed a lot of innocent Han people, for no good reason. Sure, they're oppressed by the Chinese government and their culture is being obliterated in a wave of Hanification, but as the Iranians made clear, nonviolence does more to garner sympathy for ones cause than killing innocent people. Then the Han population of the city began seeking vengeance, and although the police seem to have done a good job of keeping both sides from violence, I wonder if the Han who retaliate will be punished (executed?) to the extent of the Uighurs who started it? This entire incident was self-defeating for the Uighur cause, and will undoubtedly reflect poorly upon the Chinese who will make martyrs of the Uighurs they execute and raise condemnation by what promise to be oppressive measures to ensure stability.

One thing is certain-- a state that must regularly deploy its armed forces to suppress the discontent simmering within its own population (Chinese students, Tibetans, and now Uighurs) is NOT a state with the prospects of a future superpower. With the Olympics last year, the 'Chinese superpower' trend got pretty big (just like the 'Japanese superpower' trend did in the 80s-- these riots highlight that China is too divided and internally conflicted to survive in the long term without serious political reform.

#7 is a very old man. Obviously, he is an innocent and very very poor. very sad, pray for the deads.

1. I am 88#, Jennifer, not the same person with#90. I disagree with her point of Chinese government.
2. Being a Chinese, I think 97# to tell you the truth. If you don not believe that, you can live there to observe by yourself instead of only reading news or photos by local newspaper.
3. I am sure that 105# is a liar. If you guys really want to know the truth in this area, I suggest you can come there if you have the chance. Then you can understand 97# is honest.

I couldn't agree more Melanie poster#20, and to poster #49, religion is not evil, it is the people that make up lies after another lies that created evil. They want to
look smart and they enjoy writting up bunch of bullshut stuff about people.
They might get away with today, but I am not sure if they can get away with it all their life.

There's no protest for religion, only protests you see are for freedom.

Chinese ppl taking out lands, easy to understand and hard for Chinese to face it.

Isaac@96 "I would remind each of you that, up to the dawn of 6 July, the second day after the civil riot, most victims (totally 156) were Han people. Among more than 1,000 wounded, most were Han. Although several pictures posted here are Uyghurs's protesting,"

What a bunch of lies! Just by examining the pictures you can see who the offenders are. The uyghurs are creating barricades to protect themself while the han chinese cowards are filling up the streets with their cowardly mobs. Since 1949 the han cowards have been abusing the indigenous population of East Turkmenistan

I can't wait for China to take over as the next major Super-Power....

Isaac@96

Since 1949 the han cowards have been abusing the indigenous population of East Turkmenistan, yeah, thats the real name of the area and not the chinse "New Provience". Official chinese statistics do not lie about the facts that the han cowards are discriminating, the unemployeement rate among uyghurs is very high. And read any post listings where they tell "non-han coward dont even bother replying to this listing". You are even worse than the israeli treatment of palestinians, israel is much higher morally than you, you sick cowards! I do truely hope that this communist crap china breaks down and all the people can be free in china, and split in to smaller countries that are later united like EES in cooperation for prosperity of the masses not of the few cowards and disgusting han cowards.

The big security apparatus of the han cowards is also a very strong tell of how the han cowards are breaking down and stealing other peoples resources. You are nothing than pre-modern japanese shits. I do really hope Japan decides to again deal with china and specifically the han cowards to put them in place once and for all and free the the rest of chinese, turkish and other peoples under the han coward control.

And im going now to write complaints and letters to different markets to stop selling chinese food where there are alternatives. China is not the only asian country.

After living in the United States for 10 years, it occurs to me that western media was part of the reason for many of the conflicts. It is what happens when normal conflicts involved with western media taking sides, causing nationalism to revenge. If the western media don't take the side that "Chinese government is evil," there will be less motivation for extremenists to fume the conflicts, causing less nationalistic confrontation, and probably the conflict won't be upgrade to what it is now.

While discussed with an american policial scientist, I was told journalist can take sides, it doesn't mean they are biast, it just means they are reporting one side of the story. It still discusts me when saying people who don't speak Chinese or even know some Chinese people all agree with what the media says. I believe that's because they are nice people as well, being compassionate makes them feel good. You wonder why extrememists in China are always portraited as "spiritual leader" by western media.

@Fred: Your Statement proves that you have definitely no Knowledge about how these System have worked. The Nazis in Fact have worked very well with both churches together.

It's hard for me to see this pictures and i'm cannot see the truth from Germany, but i can say this: The Problem are the religions. They were maybe a improvement in mankinds development. But today they only the glue to enslave the human minds and to shield them from freeing their minds.

And that's sad. Humankind is such a great, impressive species and we're totaly ruin this place and killing each other, driven by fear and anger.

Thanks for the links to YouTube footage on here...but sadly we STILL cannot easily get YouTube here in China. A good portion of the net is jumbled and next-to inaccessible here. SO frustrating. Even all the proxies and sneaks don't work very well for the moment.

There has been much sophistry claiming that the reason minorities in China commit massive collective crimes can be all traced to the oppression of government and discrimination. That is oversimplification. Among over 50 minorities, the most violent riots are always conducted by the two with strong religious indoctrination, while other groups always resolve problems peacefully. From historical point of view, Chinese government, either current Communist party or earlier Manchu Emperors or even earlier ones, generally their policy on Tibet and Uighurs are rather moderate, but of course with some very bad cases. Just think about European's behavior in North America and Australia, and Africa, they solved the native minority problem rather "neatly":

"The immediate objectives are the total destruction and devastation of their settlements. It will be essential to ruin their crops to the ground and prevent their planting more." - George Washington
"This unfortunate race, whome we had been taking so much pains to save and to civilise, have by their unexpected desertion and ferocious barbarities justified extermination and now await our decision on their fate." - Thomas Jefferson

I don't mean be blind to flaws, but as a big nation on Asian Continent, the ethnic dissension is inevitable due to the diversity on the continent. The independence some people dream is definitely impossible: central Asia is always in quasi-stable, every big power wants to play there.

Whole ethnic cultures, nations, and people ridicule and criticize for that action of a selected few. (and vice versa). It's sad.

I'm not taking either sides, it's pretty messed up what both sides are doing to innocent people.

Politics aside - Great job Big Picture in posting these photos. They are all wonderful in capturing the essence of the scene.

(I hope these Chinese can find a way to live in peace.)

Ethnic divisions will always exist and flare into conflict now and then given the right catalysts. The Chinese government does have a deal similar to Affirmative Action to help minorities, which breeds resentment among Han people. In reality though Affirmative Action, just like it is in the US, isn't nearly enough to offset the existing vast difference in socioeconomic status between any minority group and the Han majority. Without having gone through the same difficult process of self-discovery in racial relations and the associated bloody history as the US has, the Chinese simply do not yet have the capability for a higher level of racial acceptance and therefore equality. Until then this kind of conflict is inevitable.

Please read
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/world/asia/09han.html?ref=asia
Migrants Describe Grief From China��s Strife .
Pay attention to the below sentences:
"The government, apparently hoping to tamp down racial violence, has not released a breakdown of the ethnicities of the 156 dead. But Mr. Lu��s father said that of more than 100 photographs of bodies that he looked through at a police station to identify his son, the vast majority were Han Chinese, most with their heads cut or smashed."

heads cut or smashed.
Each victim had a number. His son was 51.

It comes down to people fundamentally don't like what is different. Uighurs probably aren't treated as fairly as Han Chinese and are not given the same opportunities for employment. They're a minority and probably get screwed over a bit.
There's probably no love lost between either of the two cultures and they ideally should be living completely separately.

http://www.truthout.org/070909G

At some point reading the above comments I saw a relation between this and the classic debate between Hamilton and Jefferson: whereas Hamilton believed that all unrest must be never be allowed and suppressed as Washington had done in the Whiskey Rebellion, Jefferson believed that conflict should break out once in a while in order to vent public sentiments. Both tries to preserve stability, but with opposite means. The big question that's provoked by this incident is what effect does it have on China's political, cultural, and ethnic unity -- somewhat related to the above, yes?
US's cold war foreign policies along with expanded power of government have definitely left a deep root on journalism for bias, but probably moreover made reporting on Communist or so related countries sensitive after USSR collapsed. In other words journalists, though trying to be neutral, may still be interpreted as partial to one side. Thus, at least partly, we are ourselves responsible for biased reports. (That is not to say, however, that the severity of bias does not deserve alert and criticism) The most just report is probably a presentation of all numbers relevant, but then it will be quite useless because a normal person with a regular job has no leisure to read up on everything and build a interpretation of his/her own.
With my limited knowledge of Chinese policies toward minority groups, I can see similarities between this incident and the clashes between, at first, peaceful Blacks who led by King advocate integration and the corrupt officials that violently beat them, and later between Black separatists like the Black Panther and Malcom X who indirectly incited several sabotages of neighborhoods and the innocent whites hurt. Expanding the similes a little we can probably see the connection between the Civil Rights movement and the current problem in China. I would go further on my analysis but I'm afraid my limited information will only lead to bias.
Nevertheless, this is a truly tragic episode. If a pair of Romeo and Juliet can fix up the feuding families of Montague and Capulet, I sincerely hope that the 156 dead can ameliorate the conflicts between the Hans and Uighurs.

Just a couple of facts here:

1) Policy about ethnic minority commiting crimes:
There is a written policy in China since 1984 called "兩少一寬", roughly translates as: TWO "LITTLE" (catch little, kill little) ONE "LENIENCE"
which says when it comes to ethnic minority commiting crimes(especially small crimes), police should apply this "mercy rule" on them.

2) Ethnic minority are legal to carry knives with them because of their cultural/ethnic needs, including Uighurs. While Hans are not allowed to. So when the riot broke out, they already got weapons with them.

The "western" media portraying "Chinese government is evil", perhaps, because "Chinese governemnt is exactly evil..." First to the Tibetan, and now to the Uigher.... what is next in line?

Agree with 138 comments, Han Chinese can help Uyghurs to develop their economics, but MUST be fair while Uyghurs committing crimes! otherwise, always encourage them move forward to the wrong direction...
Recommend a song, Stacey Kent's song: Want the world need now is LOVE.

"There is no smoke without China"

It is obvious that the tyranny of Han chinese makes Uighur people rush into riot.
Ton's of brain-washed rich Han chinese don't know how evil that their goverment is.

They are just dreaming in the cradle of communisy party.

TO: #104 ptben

==QUOTE==
"These people have nothing in common with Chinese people, they don't even look the same and have an entirely different culture. Why must you force them and label them as Chinese?"
==UNQUOTE==

Then tell me if Eskimos and Indians are Americans? Tell me if Blacks and Whites should not be in the same country? Tell me how many more countries should Europe be divided into according to your "definition of COUNTRY"?
Ethnic diversity is part of the evidence of history. �����˴�The sea can hold the water from thousands of rivers, it's big because of its capacity. Ethinic diversity of a Country tells about its abundance of history.
If you know that little of ethnology, go learn some.
I'm so sorry for you, Mr/Ms pathetic narrow mind.

Everybody can have different political opinion and their own religion, but I don't think it is right to massacre civilian. If a religion advocate violence, I think it should be a heathendom.

The 2nd pic was not taken in Urumqi. It was shot in Shishou City, Hubei Province.

Just an MJ song for the alive and deceased. For those of you who've never once been there and prefer to watch CNN/CBS/Reuters or whatever, pls. DO shut up!

There's a place in your heart
And I know that it is love
And this place could be much
Brighter than tomorrow.
And if you really try
You'll find there's no need to cry
In this place you'll feel
There's no hurt or sorrow.
There are ways to get there
If you care enough for the living
Make a little space, make a better place.

Chorus:
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for
You and for me.

If you want to know why
There's a love that cannot lie
Love is strong
It only cares for joyful giving.
If we try we shall see
In this bliss we cannot feel
Fear or dread
We stop existing and start living
Then it feels that always
Love's enough for us growing
Make a better world, make a better world.

Chorus:
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me and the entire human race.
There are people dying
If you care enough for the living
Make a better place for
You and for me.

Bridge:
And the dream we would conceived in
Will reveal a joyful face
And the world we once believed in
Will shine again in grace
Then why do we keep strangling life
Wound this earth, crucify it's soul
Though it's plain to see, this world is heavenly
Be God's glow.

We could fly so high
Let our spirits never die
In my heart I feel
You are all my brothers
Create a world with no fear
Together we'll cry happy tears
See the nations turn
Their swords into plowshares
We could really get there
If you cared enough for the living
Make a little space to make a better place

People of East Turkmenistan are beaten when they recite Quran (the holy book of Muslims), prisoned when try to learn Quran. They meet with all kinds of prohibitions even before birth, if the government claims that they are of excess, they are killed in their mothers wombs.

They do not have the right to learn their language and history. It's more than a dream for them to choose a university for education or find a good job. They are questioned for their identites in every part of their lives.

If their guilt is to claim a right, they're paying far too much for what they want. They are tortured and left to death in prisons. The lucky ones who are able to survive the prison, are subject to physical and mental disorder for all their lives.

The Chinese government is forcing mothers to abortion if they are found pregnant "out of plan", meaning having children more than a certain limit, decided by the government under the law of population planning.

The Chinese people, look with hatred and anger when they seen an Uighur. The police forces can anytime stop and interrogate the Uighurs. When an Uighur enters a shop, people look at him like he's an evil robber. Taxis and buses refuse to take Uighurs. The Chinese government labels them as "terrorists who are enemies of the state".

The government can arrest Uighurs by their wish, with no reason. The worse happens to their families, because it's forbidden for anyone to help the families who are left behind according to the laws.

The freedom of thought, speech and religion are by no means available for these people. They do not have education, working, religion, free election, proprietorship and immigration rights. They do not have their most basic right of free worship (praying) in schools or at work. The mosques are being closed, all signs of Islamic rituals are being banned.

These are a few examples of ethnical mistreatments, which these people are encountering each day.

I don't know why all photo is Han Chinese attacking Muslim? These are many case that Muslim attack Han Chinese, why? I think it want to make Han Chinese a bad looking in world's eyes

@105., It is true that Uighers commited a serious crime in China and received less penalty or no penalty. These Uighers in Guangdong raped and killed Han girls, and received no charge sparks the Han factory workers revolt against them. The communists covered the news as they don't want to spread the haterals on Uighers or even Muslims. That's is how everything start.

Communists party are really shitty for their ethnic policy, and the reverse racism is everywhere against Han in China. One Child policy is typical example. The uighers exiled leader Rebiya Kadeer have 11 children, all these children were born in China before she ran away to USA.

These pictures are so untrue as what I experienced in Xinjiang, American (Western) mainstream media will never give up any chance to demonize Chinese government. Well, be careful this time, how Uighurs think and treat Han, is same as how Muslim radicals treat Americans, Jihad believers, insane.....

I protest the racist Han chinaies because of their massacre .I protest also the chianis government because they didn't take necessary precaution.Uigurs people are innocent, t hey are oppressed,all han chinse are cruel, where is all world people? all uigur people are slaughered by han chinse in urumqi, where are human rights, there are no human rights for uigur people, because they are muslim, beceause they are ownerless, they are turkish, where is humanity, mobs han chinse people barbarically,unworty,killed uigur turkish people in the street in urumqi.

e of their masacres and genoside against

thanks

To Ari-san @126
Whichever country u come from, u'r pathetic.
Beware of ur tongue.
You have no right to insult the Chinese before u come to know China.

bueno estan fuertes esos problema pero se que un dia tomaremos conciencia y tendremos un pais justo donde el imperio no triunfara. dijo el che una vez que es mejor morir de pies que vivir arrodillado.
rafael baez. age 25 rep. dom. 829-333-4310.

All is Okay... Really nice answers and comments here by Chinese ppl or Chinalovers.
But please tell me, what the heck is Han Chinese doing in Uighur land? Who placed them to there? When and why??
anyone knows the meaning of the word "assimilation" here ??
Everyone knows there aren't any human rights and respect to human life in China, remember TIBET ??? Huh? yea TIBET !!
I can't hear you...???
Come on people whats ur problem? its not about religion can't u get that?Did not Chinese government also blamed the Buddhist monks as "Terrorists� ??
And my last word is coming to simple minded, low lifes who connected Uighurs with
Al Qoada or someshit on their stupidass comments:
�Try to be a human before to blame human�

>>146 okkesthoughtbuble
You are a shabby lier, a miserable Quran-parrot:
Even in the center of Urumchi there are several mosques. In some remote areas, conservative muslims built more mosques than schools, their brightest boys study intensively the Quran as the ultimate intellective knowledge, and mosques in Arab nations/Turkey are their uppermost working place. This is the reason they fail to be competitive and can't find better jobs than Han people.

Minorities are not constrained by one child policy, Rebiya Kadeer, self-claimed "the mother of Uigurs", married at the age of 14, gave birth to 11 children. She is a woman with no political talent, she can only frame Chinese with a fake picture as "proof".

Han people don't hate Uigurs, but those extremists can not be excused. When I was in university, there were some Uigur students. The have special dining-room and dorm, they prayed, they lived normally as everyone else. These Uigurs are bright ones, open-minded, surely they will be successful in their profession.

As you have talked about the Islam problem, ok, let's talk bluntly more about Islam.
The current media mood follows a "politically correct" path try to aviod any discussion about possible relation between Islam and violence/poor/extremist. Too many people are coward to face the basic idiosyncrasy of violent Islamic mob groups, in the west it's liberalists, in China the official media thoroughly avoid it.
Why some Islamic groups, when they face the modern word, fell so uneasy, despair, threatened, and then hate others? Because on the one hand they want to enjoy the benefit of modernization, on the other hand they refuse to accept new ideas, espeically those not accord with Koran, simply speaking, they feel insecure in the changing word.

when can all these ignorance and prejudice come to an end?? if you don't know the truth,keep your mind open and mouth shut! So many inocent Han people were killed by those Uighur mobs but all these pictures only biased showed Han took revenge and police took to restore the stree and protected both people....

To #154��
Just some facts:
The land's name was recorded in documents dated in ~200 BC.
Thanks to the Silk Road, the culture and civilization prospered.
In this land, Uighur accounts for ~46% of the population
If u look at the word assimilation from its face value, then I'm telling u the Uighur have their very own customs and cultures.
And don't take it for granted that "everyone knows" something, at least u don't. U never get a clear picture if u stick to some snapshots from this Chinese Negative
News Network which is also under strict censorship. All you see are what they want u too see.
If u turn back the clock and look further into the history of US, what they did to the Indians can hardly be forgiven by God. And pls., learn some history of Australia.

Where is the proof of Uighur rape at this toy factory?

If you have some, please present to the Chinese authorities. They concluded that the Uighurs raping Hans story was fiction.

I hope Americans could also have your judgement.
Picture-20, as a general knowledge, An ethnic Uighur usually wears that white hat.
it is obviously not Han people crowd.

Riot death toll rises to 184, Chinese media say

30 minutes ago

URUMQI, China (AP) China's state news agency says the death toll in ethnic rioting in western Xinjiang region has risen from 156 to 184.

Xinhua News Agency reported Friday that the dead included 137 people 111 men and 26 women from the dominant ethnic Han Chinese group. The agency says the other fatalities include 46 Uighurs and one man from the Hui ethnic group. Xinhua says the Uighur victims include 45 men and one woman.

It is the first time China's government has given an ethnic breakdown in the riots.
...

While looking at these pictures I was struck by the thought: Modern clothes, modern city, caveman behaviour. As if all humanity and civility have been forgotten.
May God have mercy on them and reveal Himself to them, that they may come to know the one true God who said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" Matthew 5:44

My comment is to the person who said that Urumqi is a Mongolian word. Yes, you are right about that Urumqi is a Mongolian word which means "beautiful grassland", but Urumqi is not a Chinese word. I like to tell you this Uighur and Mongolian languages belong to a same language system which is the Altayic Language System. And Mongolian also addopted anceint Uighur written language. The current Mongolian written language is actually the ancient Uighur written langauge. Uighur stopped to use it after they converted to Islam. Go and do your research about it. I think this tells you that Uighurs and Mongolians have some language relations. Do not forget that what happen to your people when the Janapess envaded your country.

The picture doesn't tell a story of what happen...I never pay much attention to the news and this is the first time seeing the pictures but i can't really draw conclusion base solely on the pictures so you guys need to chill. The photographer did a good job, i don't believe they are trying to portray anyone as the people who started this. The pictures seem to be more random.

Can't help noticing the desperate defensiveness of the comment-spamming here by Han Chinese drones. It's almost as telling as the picture essay, and makes me wonder if the real story, versus the Xinhua version of reality, is even worse than anything we've heard or seen so far...

to freedom for every human@162

The following description may explain why languages connection.

"The Kyrgyz invasion, while putting an end to Uighur power, did not annihilate the people. Fleeing Uighur groups settled on the Chinese border in what is now Kansu province and in East Turkestan in the Turfan (T��u-lu-p��an) region, which had been an Uighur protectorate since the end of the 8th century. Falling back now on the Turfan oases and setting up their capital city in Kucha (K��u-ch��e), the fugitive Uighurs created a remarkably stable and prosperous kingdom that lasted four centuries (c. 850�C1250). Because of the dry climate of the region, many buildings, wall paintings, and manuscripts written in a variety of languages have been preserved. They reveal a complex, refined civilization in which Buddhism, Manichaeism, and Christianity existed side by side, practiced by Turks as well as by Tokharians, Sogdians, and other Iranian peoples in the region.

When the time of the Mongol conquests came, the Uighurs lived up to their best cultural traditions. Realizing that resistance would be vain and would lead only to the destruction of his country, Barchuk, the ruler of the Uighurs of Kucha, of his own free will submitted to the Mongols. Uighur officials and scribes were the first ��civil servants�� of the Mongol empire and exerted a beneficial civilizing influence on the conquerors. The Sogdian script used by the Uighurs was adopted by the Mongols, who in turn passed it on to the Manchus. Side by side with the Cyrillic alphabet, it is still in use in Mongolia."

Encyclop�0�3dia Britannica. 2009

Encyclop�0�3dia Britannica. 2009

to Albert @ 164

These clash was in China, so you can hear the voices from American Asian who know about the situation and history in that area even better than the reporters. We need an open mind before jump into any conclusion.

How about the stories from the other corners of the world, the fact you've never seen iraqi or north korean guys commented on related stories and fighted for them on some untrue claims doesn't mean they
would agree with you! It simply because they have no access to these reports.

I want to remind everyone arguing here that while it's understandable to express your rage, sorrow, etc., please do not let it contaminate the basic principle of supporting your statements with evidences. Some of the enraged commentators here talk more hyperbole than truth, which might mislead uninformed readers. Also, name calling and biased words decrease your credibility. For example, post 146, though I daresay the events in it must have happened to some people in the history of China, has so many words and details of extremity as to suggest the exaggerated nature of it without one's checking up any relevant sources.

To the photographer that took these photos.

I recently heard that the punishment will be death for them that took part in these protests. ok im sure the chinese police takes photos from the protesters. But maybe you should start hidding the faces of the protesters since these photos could cost them their life.

to alion @ 166,

So, wait, you're claiming "Asian Americans" are each automatic experts on the doings in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and are collectively moved to post here from say, their homes in Iowa or Wisconsin or wherever, to try to set the record straight with all the inside information they have, as American citizens, living seven thousand miles away? And I, as an "Irish American" should feel moved to step up and defend the loyalist mob that kicked a Catholic to death in Londonderry last month, based on all I "know of the situation and history" of the Troubles in Ireland, as an American who has lives on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean? Are you seriously claiming each "Asian American voice" posting above is a direct expatriate of Xinjiang who despite coming to live the United States, still has a fierce need to give a voice to the helpless, innocent Han Chinese they left behind, based on having a direct line to the actual facts from on the ground, that belie the evil, slanted and Sinophobic photojournalism of the West?

i lived in Urumqi for 9 years. this seems unreal! so hard to imagine that
city in such chaos.
thank you for reporting!

aha!!! when the slaughter happens in 7/5 , the media could not and missed occasion to take the photos, so when HAN peoples were killed , you media just "blind"

you put lots of pics of "han mobs" in this set of photograph, i should say the photos are true, but you aslo misguided readers , you know, that's not the real situation

It's absolutely not han chinese crowd. I'd suggest you to know the real of the photo before publish with wrong words.