Posted on 07/08/2009 8:37:02 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
From early morning, convoys of khaki trucks carrying paramilitary riot police rumbled into Urumqi.
The troop carriers, interspersed with armoured personnel carriers, water cannons and multiple tear-gas launchers, disgorged their cargoes into the streets around Urumqi's People's Square, fanning rapidly out across the city centre.
After Tuesday's chaotic scenes, where the Chinese authorities appeared to be taken by surprise when a 10,000-strong mob of Han Chinese took to the streets with axes, staves and knives, this was an unequivocal reassertion of the controlling power of state.
As soon as curfew was lifted at 8am, the streets reverberated to the tramp of thousands of marching boots as squads of troops that had previously been kept in reserve were pulsing through the streets in tight-packed formations. They belted out their intimidating barrack-room choruses: "We defend our motherland! Defend our people! Defend our country!"
As the surprise news of president Hu Jintao's return from the G8 was flashed around the world a face-losing step which analysts said revealed the depth of Chinese concern over events in Xinjiang it was as if a conscious decision had been taken that the leader's authority would not be undermined.
Helicopters hovered overhead, their bulbous camera pods keeping a watchful eye on the streets below as the scattered leaflets ordering the people to "return to their work units and their communities". Police vans with loudspeakers relayed the same message.
Most appeared to welcome the restoration of order. "We support this. The government has to take action to protect the people," said a middle-aged Han Chinese man as he watched the troops roll by. "But they should have got here sooner. It took them three days to do this. Why so long?" A few younger Han but only a handful compared with
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
You know you’re in hell when the loud speakers belt out,
“Return to your work units!”
I am sure that president obama is “deeply concerned” and is “closely monitoring” the situation.
Fixed it for you.
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