The fighting was nasty enough in itself, but its underlying causes should worry Beijing even more. Many Uighurs believe their land, traditions and religion are being swamped by decades of Han immigration, which has seen the proportion of Uighurs in Xinjiang shrink from about 75 per cent in 1949 to 45 per cent now. They are less likely to advance in the civil service, and many feel that Han Chinese do better in business too. They are fed up with their lot as despised, second-class citizens. Like Tibetans, Uighurs feel colonised, as Xinjiang's natural resources — it is rich in oil and gas — benefit the rich coastal regions. Meanwhile, for some Han Chinese, the Uighurs seem ungrateful and backward, pampered by the state with preferential policies, such as being allowed to have more children.

These prejudices are fed by another Chinese failing: the habit of secrecy and censorship. Lies and partial truths spread fast. Confronted with a choice of ugly rumours — as about the toy-factory case — many are inclined to believe the ugliest. At least China seems to have learnt from the riots in Lhasa last year: the ethnic-Tibetan violence against innocent Han Chinese got less coverage than China's repressive response. This time, China allowed foreign reporters into Urumqi.

That aside, China's response to the Uighur revolt has been pretty standard. It poured troops in, rounding up hundreds of people and putting them behind bars. If the past is any guide, many will be detained for months; some will be tried and sentenced to death. China will blame an evil minority at home and abroad. It will make no attempt to acknowledge-let alone redress-the grievances behind the outburst. Tibet and Xinjiang will be suppressed as if they were unruly colonies.

... contd.