Xinjiang Muslim preachers jailed for 'stirring up religious hatred'
Government says defendants are 'wild imams' and clerics fuelling disorder, terrorism in region
Twenty-two religious preachers in Xinjiang, the scene of a series of violent attacks the government has blamed on Muslim separatists, were jailed for inciting ethnic hatred and disturbing public order, state media reported yesterday.
They were given prison terms ranging from five to 16 years, the China News Service said.
The preachers were given prison terms at a public sentencing at the Kashgar People's Court.
The mayor of the city, Ainiwaer Tuerxun, was quoted as saying that Xinjiang had been plagued by religious extremism and that this had fuelled terrorism in the region.
The preachers jailed were either "wild imams" who had been sacked from official positions or clerics still holding religious posts, the report said.
A photograph showed the preachers wearing prison uniforms standing in a line with boards hung from their necks detailing their crimes.
They were convicted of a range of offences, including instigating ethnic crimes, using superstitious thoughts to impede the law, gathering a crowd to disturb public order and rape.
Kashgar's mayor said the public sentencing would act as a deterrent and help crack down on people who broke the law through religion.
Mass public sentencing has become common in Xinjiang in recent months for people accused of involvement in terrorism, even though the mainland has banned the public display of criminal suspects or convicted felons.
A court in Kashgar last month gave 12 people the death sentence for their roles in a series of terrorist attacks in Shache county in Xinjiang in July. In all, 37 civilians died in the attacks.
Meng Caixia, a teacher at Kashgar Teachers' College, said the preaching of religious extremism, often in secret, was a serious problem and had a deep impact on society in the region.
"Some are engaged in this activity and it's very difficult for them to be open-minded and accept what you try to tell them," Meng said.
Human rights groups and exile organisations representing Uygurs, a Turkic Muslim minority in Xinjiang, accuse the authorities of inflaming tensions by discriminating against Uygur culture and religion, an allegation the government strongly denies.
