Two to die Over Clash That Left 21 People Dead

Two men have been sentenced to death and three more jailed over a clash in China's far-west Xinjiang region that left 21 people dead.

The incident happened on 23 April in a town in Kashgar prefecture. Fifteen officials or security personnel were among those killed. China said it was a planned attack by a "violent terrorist group".

But other accounts dispute this, attributing the confrontation to ethnic tensions in the restive region.

Xinjiang is home to the Muslim Uighur minority, who make up about 45% of the region's population but say an influx of Han Chinese residents has marginalised their traditional culture.

The authorities often blame violent incidents in Xinjiang on Uighur extremists seeking autonomy for the region.

Uighur activists, meanwhile, accuse Beijing of over-exaggerating the threat to justify heavy-handed rule.

Verifying reports from Xinjiang is difficult.

While foreign journalists are allowed to travel to the region, they frequently face intimidation and harassment when attempting to verify news of ethnic rioting or organised violence against government authorities.