Petrol bombs thrown at Chinese consulate in Munich

[Coventina]

Source: The Telegraph

Munich serves as the headquarters of the World Uighur Congress, the largest of many exile organisations. The attack on the Consulate, which inflicted no injuries on any staff, came after the stoning of the Chinese Embassy in The Hague by a large crowd, including many Uighurs. Windows were broken and Dutch police made 142 arrests.

Of the 20 million Uighurs, more than half are believed to live outside China. Those in Western Europe and the United States are the most vociferous opponents of Beijing and the recent violence in Urumqi has given them a new opportunity to highlight what they see as China's oppression of their homeland.

While China calls its western province Xinjiang, Uighur nationalists call it "East Turkestan" and accuse Beijing's Communist rulers of conquering their homeland in 1949.

The leading figure in their campaign is Rebiya Kadeer, a 62-year-old mother of 11 who runs the World Uighur Congress. Although she has been in Washington this week, China's foreign ministry hinted that Mrs Kadeer might have helped stir the unrest in Urumqi.



Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5768292/Petrol-bombs-thrown-at-Chinese-consulate-in-Munich.html