Uighur group estimates China death toll at up to 800
AFP
BERLIN - Between 600 and 800 people died in violence in the Chinese city of Urumqi between Muslim Uighurs and Han Chinese, the vice-president of the Uighur World Congress told AFP Wednesday.
Asgar Can, who lives in exile in Germany where the organisation is based, said: "Some have told us 600, others have said 800. We estimate that it is between 600 and 800."
China has said that 156 people were killed in clashes in Urumqi on Sunday. Over a thousand people were injured.
Authorities said Wednesday that the situation was now "under control" after thousands of troops entered the city in a bid to prevent further unrest.
Beijing has blamed exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer for instigating the violence, which she strongly denies.
Xinjiang's eight million Uighurs make up nearly half the population of the region, a vast area of deserts and mountains rich in natural resources that borders Central Asia.
The Turkic-speaking people have long complained of repression and discrimination under Chinese rule, but Beijing insists it has brought economic prosperity to the region.
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