STORY:
At Khotan's bazaar vendors barter livestock and haggle over spices. It's business as usual again. But just two weeks ago demonstrations broke out here, which is just what China's communist authorities fear -- all the more so since the wave of unrest throughout ethnic Tibetan areas.

The western city of Khotan, known as Hetian in Chinese, lies on the route of the ancient Silk Road in China's
Xinjiang Autonomous Region. It borders Pakistan and Afghanistan and is rich in oil.

Uighurs, are Turkic-speaking, Muslim people who make up about half of the population of Xinjiang.

Overseas Uighur groups reported increased security throughout Xinjiang, following the demonstrations in Tibet.
Discontent between Uighurs and the Chinese population is a sensitive topic. Most were loathe to even admit witnessing the demonstration and said they knew nothing about it.

A report from U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia said that the gathering on March 23 at the Sunday bazaar was to protest against the death in custody of a prominent Uighur member of the community.

On the surface, there was little to suggest any tension but some Uighurs complain about their economic difficulties and a lack of governmental assistance for their ethnic group.

[Ali, Uighur Vendor]:
"The Muslim people have a lot of difficulties. This bazaar is a Muslim bazaar, but we don't make much money here, just not enough money for us. We don't get much help (from the government). We have a lot of difficulties, just look at this bazaar, everything here is so old.”

The protest has come at a tense time for China as it confronts ethnic unrest in Xinjiang as well as Tibet. The Chinese communist crackdown in Tibet has galvanized protests worldwide.