PAPER BACKS CRACKDOWN IN XINJIANG

Beijing, Aug. 13: Tough security measures have prevented the restive Chinese region of Xinjiang from turning into “China's Syria”, a state-run newspaper said Monday after a UN report raised concerns about the treatment of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.

The Global Times defended the crackdown in the far-west region after the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was told on Friday that some three million people are being or have been held in “counterextremism” and “re-education” camps in Xinjiang.

In an editorial, the daily accused the West of trying to “stir trouble for Xinjiang and destroy the hard-earned stability in the region”.

“The turnaround in Xinjiang's security situation has avoided a great tragedy and saved countless lives,” the newspaper wrote in its English and Chinese editions.

While the tabloid noted that police posts “can be seen everywhere” in Xinjiang, it did not mention the camps.

The editorial said the security crackdown has prevented the region from becoming “China's Syria” or “China's Libya”. The Chinese delegation began responding to the allegations on Monday at the committee in Geneva.

Chinese authorities have denied the existence of such camps despite mounting evidence. –AFP

IN AN EDITORIAL, the state-run daily newspaper accused the West of trying to “stir trouble for Xinjiang and destroy the hardearned stability in the region”.