Scared to return

A Urumqi resident passes through what used to be a shantytown community, one of the many demolished as part of plans to improve the living conditions of the people who lived there. [China Daily]

Since the trauma of losing her husband, Du and her son have moved to live with her parents just a few lanes away from their old house. She said she fears a repeat of the violence.

"It was the scariest night of my life and the memory will follow me to my grave," said Du Yongshou, Du Li's father, who is in his 70s. Several people were killed and about a dozen vehicles torched on July 5 right outside his home, where he has lived since he was born.

"The regional government gave me 420,000 yuan ($62,000) in compensation on July 19 last year but I don't want money, I want my husband back," said Du Li. "I'd give them double to see my husband back in one piece."

The mother said she spent 30,000 yuan on her husband's funeral and used the rest to buy a flat on the other side of the city for her son.

"I have to be strong for my son. Our lives have to go on," she said. "One year on, I feel better but, like many, I am still scared."

To ease the fears after last year's riot, the regional authorities sped up the process of transferring the Uygur communities from the shantytowns and into modern residential zones. Decades-old buildings were demolished and new six-story blocks were constructed, with residents offered the choice of exchanging their homes for apartments or money.

Among those to make the move were Memet Mumin and his family, who traded their shoddy, mud-brick home on Heijia Mountain for a new apartment.

Instead of having to carry home drinking water in heavy plastic buckets, Memet, a sanitation worker in his 40s, said his family now has the benefit of running tap water. They can also cook using clean, natural gas rather than choke on the smoke from their old coal-fired oven.

Learning lessons

Following a year of constant patrols by armed police with guns and shields, residents in Urumqi have largely become used to tightened security measures in most neighborhoods.

"Their presence makes me feel safe but, at the same time, it also reminds me of the bloody riots," said taxi driver Zhan Haitao, 45.

It has been a year of growth for the city's public security forces, both in terms of resources and experience: While the government has upped the budget, officers have been learning the lessons of the riot to improve their ability in dealing with mass incidents.

"The July 5 riot exposed several security loopholes, such as our poor surveillance system, slow response and lack of coordination between different divisions," said Li Shenhui, chief director of the special police force under the Urumqi public security bureau.

About 10 million yuan has been allocated to the unit by the central government over the last 12 months, which has been used for training and recruitment, he said. The force now has 530 officers, 70 percent of whom are from ethnic groups other than Han.

"Ethnic officers communicate with local residents better and can be sent into ethnic areas undercover so we can obtain intelligence," explained the commander.

The unit has also been equipped with motorbikes so officers can get to troubled areas within minutes even in bad traffic conditions.

"Several central command centers have been set up around the city where commanders of the police, the armed police and the fire department work together to ensure better coordination and response when incidents happen," said Li.

A special team made up the force's best officers - Flying Tiger Squad - was also established in May to combat terrorism, as well as deal with hostage situations, gun attacks and explosions.

Xinjiang public security bureau has also recruited about 2,200 other officers since February to help prevent future unrest. Their duties mainly include routine street patrols, said Li.

Although security in the capital has been beefed up, staff at police bureaus in rural areas of Kashgar, where majority of rioters were from, say their units are still under-staffed.

Only 16 officers serve 40,000 people in Bulaksu township in Kashgar, where 25 people were ordered to return to from Urumqi due to their involvement in the riot, said Mehmut Emet, director of the township's police station.

"Our workload has become heavier after the riot because we have to closely monitor those sent back and make sure none of the villagers in the township cause such a trouble again," he said.