Urumqi Residents Denounce Riot

A preliminary investigation showed some 200 shops and 14 homes were destroyed in the riot and some 260 vehicles burned.

Shop owners, residents and passer-bys suffered in the riot.

"Our travel bus was torched before my eyes."
"I have lost all my belongings, such as TV, refrigerator and VCD. All of them. My arms and legs were also hurt." (female)

"The rioters smashed the door with hammers. We have to hide under the bed. They smashed everything in our store, and robbed cigarettes and other goods. Then they set fire to our store."

Aisika'er, a Uygur resident in Urumqi, denounced the violence.

"They disturbed the social order, and what they did was beat, smash and loot."

Maimaiti Kamili, another Uygur resident, voiced his concern that tourism, one of the pillar industries in the city, would be hurt because of the riot.

"It is the peak time for tourism. Some travellers come here for vacation, but it isn't a good environment for tourism due to the riot. Many visitors came to Xinjiang to visit the iconic scenic spots, the grand bazaar. But unfortunately the bazaar is in the epicentre of the riot, and all the stands are now closed."

Traffic blockades were partially lifted Monday morning in parts of Urumqi, but tension still exists in the city.

Debris has been cleared from the roads and normal traffic has resumed. Workers are still pulling away damaged vehicles from the worst-affected roads in the city.

Most shops in areas where the violence occurred remained closed.

Zheng Chenguang, CRI news.