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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Chinese riot city leader sacked | Chinese riot city leader sacked |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The Communist Party chief of the troubled western Chinese city of Urumqi has been sacked, the official Xinhua news agency says. | |
| No official reason was given for the dismissal of Li Zhi. | No official reason was given for the dismissal of Li Zhi. |
| It follows days of ethnic unrest in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang region, in which at least five people have died. | It follows days of ethnic unrest in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang region, in which at least five people have died. |
| The protests came after a spate of stabbings with syringes blamed on Uighur Muslim separatists. Unrest in Urumqi in July left nearly 200 dead. | The protests came after a spate of stabbings with syringes blamed on Uighur Muslim separatists. Unrest in Urumqi in July left nearly 200 dead. |
| Li Zhi is to be replaced by Zhu Hailun, the head of Xinjiang region's law-and-order committee, the Xinhua report said. | Li Zhi is to be replaced by Zhu Hailun, the head of Xinjiang region's law-and-order committee, the Xinhua report said. |
| The statement added that there had also been a leadership change in the Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Public Security Department, but gave no details. | The statement added that there had also been a leadership change in the Xinjiang Autonomous Regional Public Security Department, but gave no details. |
| Correspondents say that protesters who have marched in their thousands through Urumqi in recent days have demanded Mr Li's dismissal for failing to provide public safety. | |
| The BBC's Michael Bristow in Urumqi says the sacking is unusual as it shows the Chinese authorities believe they may have made mistakes in the handling of the unrest. | The BBC's Michael Bristow in Urumqi says the sacking is unusual as it shows the Chinese authorities believe they may have made mistakes in the handling of the unrest. |
| Tight security | |
| Security in Urumqi has been tight this week, after thousands of Han Chinese demonstrated over the alleged hypodermic syringe stabbings. | Security in Urumqi has been tight this week, after thousands of Han Chinese demonstrated over the alleged hypodermic syringe stabbings. |
| In fresh unrest on Saturday, angry Han Chinese rushed to the city's main square following reports that three Uighur men had attacked a child with needles. | |
| Police took away a boy allegedly stabbed with a needle in Urumqi on Saturday | |
| Video of the incident showed police driving the boy away and the crowd being dispersed. | |
| China's top security official, Meng Jianzhu, arrived in the city on Friday to try to restore order. | |
| He was quoted by Xinhua as saying the syringe attacks were a continuation of the July unrest in which 200 people - mostly Han Chinese - were killed in ethnic riots. | |
| Xinjiang's population is evenly split between Uighurs and Han Chinese - the country's majority ethnic group. But Hans make up three-quarters of Urumqi's population. | |
| Tension between the Uighur and Han communities has been simmering for many years, but July's ethnic unrest was the worst for decades. | |
| It began when crowds of Uighurs took the streets to protest about mistreatment - but their rally spiralled out of control and days of violent clashes followed. | |
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