Independent Reports about Xinjiang Rioting Censored in China

Title	Independent reports about Xinjiang rioting censored in China
Publisher	Reporters Without Borders
Country	China
Publication Date	7 July 2009
Cite as	Reporters Without Borders, Independent reports about Xinjiang rioting censored in China, 7 July 2009, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/4a5304cd14.html [accessed 7 July 2009]

Reporters Without Borders condemns the Chinese government's filtering of online information about the rioting in the Urumqi, the capital of the western province of Xinjiang, in which hundreds of people have been killed or injured. More than 50 Uyghur-language Internet forums were closed yesterday and communications were cut in the city.

"Urumqi is currently cut off from the rest of the world," Reporters Without Borders said. "Once again, the Chinese government has chosen to cut communications in order to prevent the free flow of information. We firmly condemn this behaviour, which is serious violation of Uyghur freedom of expression and an unacceptable act of discrimination."

The microblogging website Twitter has been inaccessible since yesterday afternoon. Uyghur PEN Centre general secretary Kasser said: "All the leading media are controlled by the state but only independent and privately-owned news sources are inaccessible. We have not been able to access any forum since this morning. It has so far been very difficult to confirm the reports we have been getting."

Sites that are inaccessible because of the rioting: http://www.twitter.com http://www.youtube.com www.tianshannet.com.cn/ www.wlmqwb.com

Freedom of expression is strictly controlled in Xinjiang. At least three journalists are in prison there, one of them for writing a poem in favour of Uyghur culture. Under regulations that have been in force since January 2007, foreign journalists are free to visit the province but, once there, are closely monitored by the authorities.

Radio Free Asia's Uyghur-language services are jammed in China. The authorities have cracked down hard on Uyghur culture activists since September 2001, creating a great deal of frustration in the province, which has an ethnic Uyghur majority.

The official Chinese press has covered the rioting but continues to be very evasive about its motives.