Agence France-Presse, 6/28/97

Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS, July 1, 1997

Xinjiang natives living in Shenzhen have been placed under close police surveillance amid fears of possible unrest during the handover period.

The "supervise and monitor" orders, from the Ministries of State Security and Public Security, were issued amid fears Xinjiang people could "collaborate with outside forces" to launch terrorist attacks in support of their campaign for a separate state, media reports said.

Police and security guards were instructed to keep a close watch for suspicious-looking Muslim or Uygur ethnic minorities in the city.

Xinjiang's capital, Urumqi, was rocked by a series of bombs in February and clashes between Uygur separatists and security forces.

Shenzhen authorities had already imposed tight security on the city as President Jiang Zemin and Premier Li Peng are expected to spend a night in Shenzhen before heading to Hong Kong for Monday night's handover ceremonies.