17 officials punished for lapses in security after Xinjiang attack in September
Xinjiang’s Communist Party committee gives officials “party and government disciplinary” punishment for lapses including those related to security and publicity duties
China has punished 17 officials in the northwest Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region for security lapses surrounding deadly explosions and riots in September, state media said, as the Communist Party boss in the area warned the fight against “terrorism” had entered a “more intense” phase.
Dozens were killed near Xinjiang’s Luntai county in the unrest after explosions killed six people, triggering a shootout with police. Police shot dead 40 rioters, some of whom were seeking to blow themselves up, said state media at the time.
The incident was one of a series of deadly attacks that have rocked the region in recent years. The government has blamed the violence on ethnic Uygur separatists, who it says want to form an independent country called East Turkestan.
It is difficult for journalists to report in Xinjiang, rendering it almost impossible to reach an independent assessment of the security situation.
Zhang Chunxian, Xinjiang’s party secretary, said at a meeting on Wednesday that the region’s security situation “remained extremely grim”.
