China arrests 110 in Xinjiang for spreading online rumours
BBC News, 8 October 2013
Nearly 400 people in China’s north-western Xinjiang region have been investigated for spreading online rumours, state media report. From 26 June to 31 August 110 people were detained and 164 received a warning, the Xinjiang Daily reports.
The suspects disseminated religious extremism and material that threatened stability, it said.
Xinjiang is home to mostly Muslim Uighurs who are a minority in China and have often clashed with authorities.
The Xinjiang Daily, regarded as the mouthpiece of the local Communist Party committee, says the rapid rise of internet users in Xinjiang has seen an increase of religious extremism spreading online.
Criminal offences online such as instigating violence and creating and spreading rumours have also increased, the paper says.
China’s leaders are currently trying to stamp out online rumours, which they believe stir unrest.
The Xinjiang Daily report did not say whether any suspects had been released.