Post-Olympic clamp on Muslim Xinjiang possible

From AP

URUMQI, China — As police with riot clubs patrolled nearby, a merchant whispered that he feared a sweeping crackdown in China’s northwestern Muslim region once the Olympic spotlight fades.

"After the Olympics, the government will waaaaah!" said the Muslim businessman, grimacing and using his hands to make a gesture as if he were strangling someone. He would only give part of his name, Enwer, because he feared arrest if caught talking to a reporter about the issue.

Residents and human rights groups fear the Chinese government will crack down after the Olympics to punish Xinjiang for three deadly breakouts of violence this month, including an attack that killed 16 police officers. The assaults, which claimed 31 lives, came as China was trying to use the Olympics to present itself as a modern, powerful and harmonious nation.