Urumqi bans assemblies

Days after the riot in Urumqi, the biggest city in Western China, the government said all assemblies without permission are banned in the city. The Public Security Bureau of Urumqi published this notice yesterday to further comply with "social stability and national unity", reported Xinhua news agency. "Assemblies, marches and demonstrations on public roads and at public places in the open air are not allowed without permission by police," read the notice. Under the notice, the police are entitled to take necessary action to dismiss illegal marches if the people refuse to leave. The Chinese government reported 184 deaths in the riot which broke out between Han Chinese and Uighurs last Sunday, and warned a possible climb in the death toll as many of the injured are still in serious conditions. Every victim that was killed in the riot will get 200,000 yuan (US$ 29,266) as compensation from the Urumqi government. The riot also significantly undermined the tourism industry in the region. Inamu Nisteen, chief of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Department of Tourism, told a news briefing that 1,450 tour groups had cancelled plans to visit Xinjiang because of the riot.