Xinjiang official gives overseas media interview

A senior official of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on Saturday that Xinjiang is back on track and stable. He added he is confident that the negative impact of the July 5th riots will be erased "in the shortest time", and the region will remain stable.

Two weeks after the riot, the chairman of Xinjiang's regional government, Nur Bekri, repeated the government's stance and actions over the issue to several overseas media organizations.

He said the July 5th riot was not an accidental event. It was a violent riot plotted and instigated by separatists, terrorists and extremists.

Nur Bekri, Chairman of Xinjiang Regional Government, said, "They plotted to disrupt Xinjiang and separate the region from China. That's their real aim."

According to Nur Bekri, the riot left 197 people dead, most of them innocent residents. He added that the next step is to have the criminals punished according to law.

Nur Bekri said, "In China and in Xinjiang, separatist activities are never acceptable. It is against the will of the people and the country's law. So the criminals will face tough punishment by the law."

Nur Bekri said the local government has taken timely actions to prevent more emergencies and the situation in Xinjiang is becoming more stable.