China tightens rules on Muslims

KHOTAN, China, Oct. 19 (UPI) -- Chinese officials say restrictions on Islam in northwestern China are meant to curb insurgents and increase government stability.

The government increased its controls of Islamic practices in the vast autonomous region of Xinjiang after attacks in August killed 22 security officers and one civilian, The New York Times reported Sunday.

The region is home to Muslim Uighurs, a Turkic people whose leaders allege the Han Chinese, the country's dominant ethnic group, have long discriminated against Uighurs, the Times reported.

Government control of religious activities guarantees a "barometer of stability in Xinjiang," said Nuer Baikeli, chairman of the region. Muslims in the region, however, said it just makes people angry, the Times reported.

The restrictions forbid prayer in public areas outside of a mosque and ban government officials who are Muslim from attending worship at all, the Times reported. In addition, Uighurs applying for a passport for even a short trip say they now must leave a deposit of nearly $6,000 with the government, the Times reported.