China cracks down on text messaging in Xinjiang

Beijing and agencies
29 January 2010

Burnt out buses after disturbances in Urumqi last year. Photograph: Dan Chung/The Guardian

Authorities in China's troubled north-western region of Xinjiang have punished residents for spreading rumours and "splittist" content via text messages, within days of turning services back on, according to local media.

Officials cut off the internet and short message services across the region after inter-ethnic violence in the capital, Urumqi, left almost 200 dead and 1,700 injured last July. At least 26 people have since been sentenced to death over the riots.

Despite the restoration of text messaging two weeks ago, and the decision to make some internet sites available – albeit with heavily reduced functionality – the authorities remain concerned about ethnic tensions.

Earlier this month, state media reported that the government had almost doubled the region's security budget, from 1.54bn yuan (£140m) last year to 2.89bn yuan.

A report from the Xinjiang website Tianshannet, carried on another Chinese website, said one man was in criminal detention after sending messages with "splittist" content. A police spokesman said that meant the suspect would be held for up to 15 days, although he added that he was not aware of the specific case and had not read the report because it was hard to access websites from Xinjiang.

Another man sent a text with false information about the police, which the spokesman said would have been met with a fine, while a third, a student caught spreading "terrorism" rumours, was dealt with by his university.

The public security department warned residents not to spread rumours about disease, other dangers, unrest, or terrorism.

In September, thousands of Han Chinese took to the streets complaining that authorities were not protecting them, after claims that Uighurs were attacking people with disease-tainted or poisoned syringes.

"They want to send the message that these texts are being monitored," said Nicholas Bequelin, Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, of the report on punishments.

"They are clearly concerned about re-establishing internet and internal communications."

Yesterday, state media reported that China would push for faster development in the region, which is rich in natural resources.

Zhou Yongkang, the Communist party's top official for domestic security, told a meeting of officials and state energy firms of plans "to support accelerated development in Xinjiang and promote lasting order and stability there".

Bequelin said: "There's a little bit more room for acknowledging there are social and economic disparities that played a role in social discontent ... Generally they just say Xinjiang is fine and only a tiny minority of separatists is causing [problems]."

But he added: "People will still be alienated by the suppression of their religious, cultural and economic rights."

Uighurs make up almost half of Xinjiang's of 22 million population. But many resent an influx of Han Chinese migrants and tight restrictions on their culture and religion, fearing their way of life is being eroded.

In July, Uighurs turned on Han Chinese after taking to the streets to protest against Han assaults on Uighur workers in south China that had left at least two men dead. Days later, many Han residents launched revenge attacks.

Human Rights Watch yesterday urged China to disclose the whereabouts and status of 20 Uighurs – including two young children – who were forcibly repatriated by Cambodia last month, having sought refuge there.