HONG KONG -- Fifteen years ago in Urumqi, the capital of China's northwestern Xinjiang region, thousands of ethnic Uyghurs took to the streets to demand equal treatment and rights as those enjoyed by Han Chinese.
Xinjiang would never be the same.
Politics
15 years after Xinjiang unrest, China fends off criticism of hardline rule
Beijing cements support from like-minded states, cushioning West's condemnation
Uyghur women protest in front of policemen in Urumqi on July 7, 2009. The unrest, which started two days earlier, prompted a harsh crackdown and led to much stricter governance in the Xinjiang region. © Getty Images
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