Viciousness of rioters 'unexpected'
- Source: China Daily
- [09:13 July 20 2009]
- Comments
Nur Bekri, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur regional government, accepted an interview by overseas reporters on July 18. (Xinhua photo)
Police shot dead 12 mobsters during the July 5 riot in Urumqi, a senior official has said - the first time the government revealed the extent of force used by security forces in the worst violence in that region in decades.
On the night of the riot, police in Urumqi "resolutely" shot the mobsters after firing guns into the air had no effect on these "extremely vicious" thugs, Nur Bekri, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur regional government, said in an interview over the weekend.
Bekri said three of them died on the spot while nine died later. He did not reveal which ethnic group the mobsters belonged to.
"The police showed as much restraint as possible during the unrest," Bekri said, adding that many officers were injured and one was killed after being hit by mobsters.
He also said the death toll from the unrest had risen by five, to 197, and most of them were innocent people injured by thugs with iron rods, stones and bricks. Knives were also used.
Families of the victims could receive a compensation of 200,000 yuan ($29,270) from the government and possibly another 200,000 yuan from an ethnic unity foundation set up after the riot with donations from the public, Bekri said.
Bekri said authorities had received information about the protest beforehand but had not expected such violence to erupt.
"We could never imagine that the mobsters were so extremely vicious and inhumane," he said, adding that the government believed the rioters had prepared weapons in advance for use in coordinated attacks.
"We really didn't expect that," he said.
Xinhua News Agency cited police authorities as saying it received reports that rioters had attacked people and property in more than 50 locations across the city on July 5.
It said the rioters, most of them from other parts of the region, appeared to have been well organized, saying weapons were gathered in advance.