The inevitable comparison was to last year's rioting in Lhasa in which years of Tibetan grievances erupted into rioting. At least 19 people were killed, according to Chinese authorities, while Tibetans say the figure is much higher.
Like the Tibetans, the Uighurs are angry over an influx of Han migrants, who they believe have taken away land and jobs and are endangering their languages and religion. Tibetans, who are Buddhists, and Uighurs, who are Muslim, are barred from observing many religious customs if they work as civil servants. For example, Uighurs who work in government jobs say they cannot freely observe the fasts required during the Ramadan period.
The initial international response Monday to the Urumqi violence was more cautious than after the Tibetan riots, with most nations calling only for China to allow an impartial investigation of the events.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs declined to blame the Chinese government, saying the uncertainty about what happened made it "premature to comment or speculate further."
Urumqi has been under a virtual lockdown since the violence erupted. Scores of riot police wearing helmets and carrying shields surrounded Urumqi parks and intersections late into the night on Monday.
Shops in the central business district were tightly shuttered with metal gates hours before closing time.
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david.pierson@latimes.com
barbara.demick@latimes.com
Tommy Yang in The Times' Beijing Bureau contributed to this report.
