Victims of Uighur riots to get compensation

Crowds of Han Chinese and Uighurs were separated by riot police

July 10th, 2009

Families of 'innocent' people killed in unrest in China's Urumqi city will each receive 200,000 yuan (S$42,800) in government compensation, state media reported on Friday.

The family of each 'innocent civilian' killed in the violence in the capital of China's Xinjiang region would get the money, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Wang Fengyun, director of the Urumqi Civil Affairs Bureau.

Urumqi's government will also provide 10,000 yuan towards each funeral, the news agency said.

At least 156 people died and more than 1,000 were injured in the unrest, Chinese authorities have said, after a protest by the city's Muslim Uighur population turned violent.

Chinese authorities have accused exiled Uighurs of masterminding the 'riots'.

But they have denied those accusations and said security forces over-reacted to peaceful protests. The exiled leaders said hundreds of people may have died.

Source: AFP