China says it 'rescues' 82 children from Xinjiang religious schools

BEIJING Sat Aug 16, 2014 4:44am EDT

(Reuters) - A sweep on illegal religious activity in the capital of China's unruly far western region of Xinjiang has resulted in 82 children being "rescued" from unlicensed Islamic schools and the seizure of religious clothing, a state-run newspaper said on Saturday.

Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people who speak a Turkic language, has been beset for years by violence that the Chinese government blames on Islamist militants and separatists.

Hundreds have died in violence in Xinjiang in the past 18 months, prompting a sweeping crackdown by the government, including on religious activities.

The latest campaign, in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi, resulted not only in the "rescue" of the children from religious schools known as madrassas, but closure of 27 places used for "underground" preaching and detention of 44 illegal imams, the official Xinjiang Daily reported.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/08/16/us-china-xinjiang-idUSKBN0GG04Y20140816