The violence that has claimed at least 156 lives in the western Chinese region of Xinjiang this week is rooted in long-standing grievances among China’s Uighur minority. The Turkic-speaking Muslim Uighurs were traditionally the dominant ethnic group in the region whose Mandarin name, Xinjiang, means simply “New Frontier” — perhaps a reflection of the fact that the region was only brought under Beijing’s control in its entirety during the 19th century rein of the Qing dynasty.
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Party chief dismissed over China unrest
The Communist Party chief in the restive Chinese city of Urumqi was dismissed from his job Saturday after deadly protests over a series of syringe stabbings, state-run media reported. The Xinhua news agency didn’t cite a reason for Li Zhi’s sacking