20 jailed on terrorism charges in China's Xinjiang

Chinese courts sentenced 20 people to jail on charges of inciting violence and separatism in the Xinjiang autonomous region, home to a large Muslim population of minority Uighurs, The Guardian reported. Courts in Aksu, Kashgar and Urumqi found the defendants guilty of promoting violence and terrorism on the internet, state media reported. Four of the defendants were said to have made explosives, although there were no reports of bombings or violence. The defendants have been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. Beijing has sought to stamp out dissent in the region, where ethnic tensions have long simmered and occasionally boiled over, most notably in 2009 when riots left nearly 200 dead. Critics, however, say the government’s repressive policies, including restrictions on religious practice, are to blame for the unrest.