On July 6, the Central Propaganda Department issued an emergency order to all major Internet sites to list "Urumqi City Riot" and its related words as sensitive information which must be filtered when conducting keyword searches online.

Fearing the further development of the Urumqi City Riot, the Central Propaganda Department specifically required all media agencies to follow and be consistent with the reporting done by Xinhua and People’s Daily. "The content should focus on the "crimes committed by East Turkistan so the Chinese people can know its true nature." the order stated.

Source: Radio Free Asia, July 7, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/cantonese/news/internet_xinjiang-07072009113426.html?encoding=simplified

The International Strategic Research Center of the CCP Central Party School recently published a research paper discussing five major serious social problems the Party now faces. The so-called five “cancers” are: the conflict between efficiency and fairness, the disproportionate development in different geographic areas, the conflict between economic development and environmental protection, the conflict between the economy and available resources, and the lack of social integrity and credibility.

The paper indicated the Reform between 1979 and 1993 was a “win-win” for all groups in society, while the one since 1994 has not been. A portion of society has been turned into “losers.” With the five “cancers,” society may enter an era of turbulence and setbacks.

Source: Secret China, July 2, 2009.
http://www.secretchina.com/news/299484.html

Nearly 10,000 ethnic Uyghur protesters gathered in front of the Urumqi City government, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Sunday, July 5. The government responded with riot police and tanks, using machine guns to kill and injure thousands. The protest spread to Kashgar, the second-largest city in Xinjiang. The government has sent 30,000 riot police to major cities in Xinjiang.

The Chinese government reported 140 deaths and 828 injuries on July 6; on July 7, it revised the numbers to 156 dead and 1080 injured. The spokesperson of the World Uyghur Congress said the true numbers are much higher and that most victims are Uyghurs killed by gun fire. He also accused the Chinese government of attempting to distort the conflict between the ethnic Uyghurs and Beijing as a conflict between Uyghurs and the Han people.

After taking control of the city, the Chinese government opened Urumqi to foreign reporters, intending to show the Uyghur mobs and Han victims. More than 100 reporters have gone to Urumqi since July 6. An official tour backfired when journalists crossed the street to talk to Uyghurs. Beijing’s one-sided story stirred up so much animosity toward the Han people that the rioting constinued on July 7.

The originally Uyghur protest was held to express dissatisfaction with the government’s improper handling of the June 26 incident at a toy factory in Shaoguan City, Guangdong Provice. A disgruntled, unemployed worker had started a false rumor on-line that six males from Xinjiang had sexually assaulted two girls at the toy factory. Uyghur workers were accused of the raping Han workers, which led to a bloody clash between the Uyghur and Han workers, causing 79 Uyghur injuries and 2 Uyghur deaths.

Source:
[1] Epoch Times, July 7, 2009
http://epochtimes.com/gb/9/7/7/n2581460.htm
[2] BBC Chinese, July 7, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_8130000/newsid_8138000/8138098.stm
[3] Deutsche Welle, July 7, 2009
http://www.deutsche-welle.de/dw/article/0,,4462185,00.html
[4] BBC Chinese, June 27, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_8120000/newsid_8122100/8122109.stm