URUMQI DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 192 -- JULY 16

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIJING 002023 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/16/2034 TAGS: PGOV PREL PROP CH SUBJECT: URUMQI DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 192 -- JULY 16 XINJIANG SITREP REF: BEIJING 2004 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Political Officer Graham Mayer. Reasons 1.4 (b),(d). SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (C) Post has received no reports of new violence or unrest in Urumqi, or other areas of Xinjiang, July 16. The death toll from the July 5 riot climbed to 192 with 1,721 people injured. Xinjiang Party Secretary Wang Lequan was quoted in the local press as saying most of the dead were "innocent." Embassy officers in the southern Xinjiang city of Hotan (Hetian) on July 16, reported normal business and street activity there and a smaller security presence than in Urumqi. Hotan mosques were open during designated prayer times, but closed between formal services. Reports about the Urumqi riots had faded from the top headlines of many Chinese newspapers July 16 but the People's Daily included front-page commentary repeating previous language that the July 5 riot was plotted by "external and internal hostile forces." Global Times led both its Chinese and English editions with a story about alleged attempts by the World Uighur Congress to "join forces with the Dalai Lama." End Summary DEATH TOLL NOW 192 -------------- ¶2. (U) Post has received no reports of renewed violence in Urumqi, or other areas of Xinjiang, July 16. State media announced the evening of July 15 that the death toll from the July 5 riot had climbed from 184 to 192. Media reports quote Xinjiang Party Secretary Wang Lequan as saying most of the dead were "innocent." According to a report in the Beijing News Xinjiang Bao),108 bodies had been positively identified using DNA analysis while funerals have been held for 39. Xinjiang officials announced that 1,721 people were injured in the riot (up from the previous official figure of 1,680), of whom 881 remain in the hospital. 179 of those still hospitalized are suffering from serious injuries and 66 in "dangerous" (weizhong) condition. Officials also reported updated damage figures, reporting that 331 shops were "smashed or burned" and a total of 627 vehicles were destroyed. INTERNET STILL DOWN -------------- ¶3. (C) A Han resident of Urumqi told PolOff July 16 that the situation in the city continued to improve. Internet and text messaging, he said, remained down. HOTAN, LESS SECURITY THAN URUMQI -------------- ¶4. (C) Embassy officers in Hotan (Hetian),a majority Uighur city in the south of Xinjiang, reported normal business and street activity there July 16. The overall security presence in Hotan was much lower than in Urumqi. The Embassy team witnessed People's Armed Police (PAP) patrols the evening of July 15 and PAP units conducting drills in public squares, though this activity had diminished July 16. Unlike in Urumqi, few police and PAP officers were stationed at intersections in Hotan. Also unlike Urumqi, the PAP units in Hotan were seen patrolling the streets in vehicles rather than occupying fixed positions. Hotan mosques were open during designated prayer times, but closed between formal services. Local Uighurs remarked that normally mosques are open to worshippers throughout the day. One Hotan Uighur told the Embassy team that police throughout Xinjiang are checking identification documents closely and are forcing Uighur migrants residing temporarily in large cities to return to their registered hometowns. PEOPLE'S DAILY CRITICIZES U.S. SUPPORT FOR WUC -------------- - ¶5. (U) Reports about the Urumqi riots faded from the top headlines of many Chinese newspapers July 16. However, the Global Times, which is published by the CCP's People's Daily, led both its Chinese and English editions with a story about alleged attempts by the World Uighur Congress to "join forces with the Dalai Lama." The Chinese edition further announced the results of a "survey" conducted on the paper's website which showed 96 percent of respondents favored "punishing" BEIJING 00002023 002 OF 002 foreign businesses, firms and individuals who have given support to "Xinjiang separatists." The People's Daily printed a front-page commentator article, a format which traditionally conveys CCP Politburo policy, repeating previous language that the July 5 riot was plotted by "external and internal hostile forces." The article noted that preserving national unity is the "lofty responsibility" of all citizens. A July 16 People's Daily column accused "some" Western individuals and organizations of ignoring the innocent dead and injured and instead expressing "strong concern" for the "murderers and arsonists." The article also says that the World Uighur Congress, "which incited the riots," has "received long-term financial support from the United States." GOLDBERG