The Chinese government said Thursday that have evidence that the organizers of the violent protests in Urumqi, in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, have involvement with al-Qaeda network and other militant groups.

Despite the statements, the spokesman of the Foreign Ministry, Qin Gang, presented no evidence that allegedly confirmed the allegations. According to Gang, the government expects the international community to assist China to maintain social stability in the country.

In Urumqi, thousands of troops are on the streets to try to restore normalcy. Helicopters dumped leaflets on the city, and trucks with loud speakers moved through the streets with appeals for calm and blaming the wave of extremist violence that has killed at least 156 people.

The crisis has made the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, withdrew to go to Italy for a meeting of G8 leaders (France, United States, United Kingdom, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada) and G5 leaders Brazil, People’s Republic of China, India, Mexico, and South Africa).

The violence began on Sunday, when the ethnic Chinese Muslims uigur came into collision with the police. The uigur are in tension with the ethnic Chinese han.

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Many Uighurs are separatists and complain that they are not participating in the Chinese economic growth, due to discrimination.

Via: BBC Brasil.