China has ordered mosques in its restive western city of Urumqi not to open for Friday prayers.

The order comes after several days of ethnic violence between Uighur Muslims and Han Chinese. At least 156 people have died, with more than 1,000 hurt.

Thousands of troops remain in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province, to try to maintain order.

Meanwhile, many thousands of people - both Han Chinese and Uighur - are reported to be leaving the city.

An official at the main bus station told the AFP news agency some 10,000 people had left via the station since the weekend's violence - double the normal traffic.

The Chinese authorities have vowed to administer "severe punishment" to those involved in the riots.

'Patriotic move'

Thousands of Uighurs in Urumqi had been expected at Friday prayers, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in the city says.

But officials posted notices outside Urumqi's mosques, instructing people to stay at home and worship there.

The government is afraid that people will use religion to support the three forces

Many mosques have been closed since the fighting broke out on Sunday. Friday is the holiest day of the week in Islam.

A Uighur man outside the Hantagri mosque told AFP news agency there was "nothing we can do" about the banning of Friday prayers in mosques.

"The government is afraid that people will use religion to support the three forces," said the man, identified as Tursun.

The "three forces" is a term used by the Chinese government for separatists, terrorists and extremists.

However, an ethnic Han woman in Urumqi said it was obvious that the mosques had to remain closed.

"Just look at all the damage that has been done. This is a patriotic move for the sake of the well-being of all the ethnic groups," she was quoted as saying by Associated Press.

Our correspondent says the government has clearly decided it is better to risk upsetting Muslims in Xinjiang by banning prayers than to allow tens of thousands of people to gather at mosques.

'Al-Qaeda links'

The violence began on Sunday when Uighurs rallied to protest against a deadly brawl between Uighurs and Han several weeks ago in a toy factory in southern Guangdong province.

Ethnic Han vigilante groups have been threatening to take revenge, leaving many Uighurs afraid to leave their homes.

The atmosphere remains tense, with troops in place across city and armed police surrounding Uighur neighbourhoods, says our correspondent.

More than 1,400 people are thought to have been detained.

On Thursday, China said it had "a great deal of evidence" that some of those involved in the violence had "training from foreign terrorist groups including al-Qaeda".

Foreign ministry official Qin Gang did not say what the evidence was, but said the groups were "inextricably linked with three vicious forces from abroad".

Beijing has also accused US-based Uighur leader-in-exile Rebiya Kadeer of organising the disorder. She has denied the allegations.

Tensions have been growing in Xinjiang for many years, as Han migrants have poured into the region, where the Uighur minority is concentrated.

Many Uighurs feel economic growth has bypassed them and complain of discrimination and diminished opportunities.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/8143554.stm
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This is to show the hypocrisy of the zionist (not those peace loving Jews) controlled media in the western world specifically the U.S.  I mean damned everynight I go home and trying to rest Iran this Iran that it was over obsessed to the point of unhealthy.  Now the communist China doing all the illegal things agaisnt the Chinese Muslim but the media is all quite about it.

Don't worry once we took the so powerful Soviet, God willing we can take the current so called super power communist China as well.  It is a matter of time only.  

PS:  Not looking for sympathy just showing the double standard of the zionist media how the reprt things they way it fits for their own benefit perhaps.  Oh and I am not an "anti-semitic" (just because I dislike zionism does not make me an "anti-semitic") just stating the truth.