Published by: The World Uyghur Network News, April 28, 1997

HONG KONG, April 27 (AFP) - Two people were killed as Chinese troops opened fire on rioters in the northwestern province of Xinjiang, a report said here Sunday.

The deaths in the town of Yining followed the executions of three for earlier rioting there in February, the Chinese-language daily Ming Pao said.

More than 1,000 youths, mainly ethnic Uighurs, rioted Thursday in a bid to rescue another 27 who were imprisoned by a court that day.

Quoting local sources in Yining, the report said the trouble broke out after the group of young men tried to stop a van carrying the 27.

Two people died while seven were injured after police, who numbered more than 200, opened fire. Another local source quoted by the paper put the number of injured at more than 20.

More than 5,000 people turned out to witness the executions, the paper quoted the Xinjiang Daily News as saying.

The area has been placed under curfew following Thursday's unrest, although no arrests were reported. Local Han Chinese had received threats and have been afraid to leave their homes at night, the paper said.

In neighboring Kazakhstan, a spokesman for the National United Revolutionary Front said in Almaty seven ethnic Uighur student activists were "sentenced to death and executed" on Thursday.

Before their execution, they were paraded in the Uighur town of Yining wearing placards around their neck with the word "Criminal" marked on them.

Citing sources from the town, the spokesman said the youths had been judged to have "actively participated" in the February clashes between Han Chinese settlers and protesters which officially killed 10 people, unofficially, around 100.