Beijing, July 21: China today said it will not tolerate secession in its far-western region dominated by Muslims, with top leaders asserting that there could be no adjustment of policies towards ethnic minorities. Blaming the worst-ever riots in three decades in Xinjiang province on separatists and not its treatment of the minority Uyghurs, a Chinese vice minister, Wu Shimin, declared that there would be no changes in its policy towards minority.
“The violence in the Xinjiang capital Urumqi was triggered by separatists and had nothing to do with the country”s ethnic policies,” Wu, the minister for ethnic affairs, claimed in a televised press conference. The minister claimed that Beijing”s policies towards 56 ethnic groups in the country was tailored on their needs and development, but there was no plans for any specific changes in the wake of riots.
Wu”s comments came against the backdrop of violence by mainly Muslims in central Asian region, who went on rampage on July 5 attacking the Han Chinese settlers leaving about 200 dead and over thousand injured. Attributing the violence to terrorists, Wu said, “They were seeking independence for Xinjiang.
To this I can clearly tell them it will never happen.” But at the same time, the Chinese government held out an olive branch to the Uyghurs, saying that the authorities were prepared to meet their “reasonable demands.
—Agencies