Uygurs in Beijing fear backlash over Tiananmen Square vehicle attack
The Muslim minority in Beijing is worried the fallout from the Tiananmen Square car attack will disrupt their businesses and daily lives
Beijing's Uygur communities fear the fallout from this week's suspected terrorist attack in Tiananmen Square could disrupt their daily lives, damage their businesses and increase mistrust with members of the capital's Han majority.
In the three days since a jeep occupied by a family of three Uygurs ploughed into a pedestrian walkway in front of the square's famed tower gate and exploded, killing themselves and two tourists, police have stepped up identity checks in neighbourhoods populated by members of the Muslim minority.
One woman Uygur restaurant owner in Haidian district said police came to her restaurant twice since the incident to check identification cards of her staff.
The restaurant had not received a single Han customer since the attack on Monday, she said. The previous day, Han accounted for roughly 60 per cent of the diners, she said.
"We're Uygurs, but we're also honest and hard-working businesspeople who cherish a prosperous and peaceful life as much as everybody else," said the restaurant owner, who has lived in Beijing for two decades. "We hope everything can go back to normal as soon as possible."
Police have detained five Uygurs from the restive western region of Xinjiang in connection with the incident, according to Beijing police and Xinhua reports. Xinjiang has long been troubled by ethnic clashes, including a spate of violent incidents this summer.
Another Haidian restaurant owner said his establishment, which usually received between 600 and 700 diners each day, had seen a 20 per cent drop.
