3 men detained for spreading rumors of ethnic scuffle
0 Comments
Three men have been detained on charges of spreading on-line rumors of an ethnic scuffle involving Uygur people in southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, police said Tuesday.
The three men, surnamed Chen, Nong and Ye, are being questioned for having posted and spread a false message on the Internet a week ago, saying that "a number of people of Uygur ethnic group were beaten by citizens and security guards on suspicion of theft", the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau said in a statement.
But according to police investigation, no Uygur people were involved in the theft case and a subsequent scuffle that Chen had mentioned, the statement said.
The incident took place at about 6 p.m. on Dec. 22 in a garment shop in downtown Guangzhou, when four men, who were later identified as Russian and Kazakstan nationals, allegedly stole a belt and went away, the statement said.
The shop clerks ran after them and stopped them at a nearby square. When two security guards came over to learn about the situation, a scuffle broke out.
The two guards were injured in the scuffle, which was witnessed by a crowd of spectators.
Police went there soon and took them away for investigation.
Chen confessed that he himself saw the scuffle and then fabricated the false information to be posted on the Internet, saying that Uygur people were beaten for theft, the police statement said.
Nong and Ye saw the posting and spread the false message, it said.
The case is being further investigated, it added.
Comments