Security forces fanned out in China's Urumqi city today, the first anniversary of deadly unrest that laid bare deep-seated ethnic tensions in the country's far-western Xinjiang region.
Urumqi, the regional capital, erupted in violence on July 5 last year, as the mainly Muslim Uighur minority vented decades of resentment over Chinese rule of Xinjiang by attacking members of China's dominant Han ethnic group.
In the following days, mobs of angry Han took to the streets looking for revenge in the worst ethnic violence that China had seen in decades. The unrest left nearly 200 dead and 1,700 injured, according to government figures.
Security personnel were concentrated in the Uighur areas of Urumqi today. Armed and riot police patrolled in formation, and police vans made regular rounds in the area.
Armed police with helmets and shields also marched on the edges of People's Square in the heart of the city, where the unrest began last year.
China blamed "separatists" for orchestrating the July 2009 unrest.
But Uighurs say the violence was sparked when police cracked down on peaceful demonstrations staged over a factory brawl the month before in southern China in which two Uighur migrant workers were reportedly killed.
Authorities blocked Internet access, text messages and international phone calls in and out of Xinjiang after the riots - restrictions that have been gradually lifted, though some Uighur-language websites remain inaccessible.
So far, about 200 people have been convicted for their roles in the violence. At least 26 of them have been sentenced to death, and nine already put to death, according to press reports.
The United States has urged Beijing to be more transparent in how it handles the court cases related to the violence.
"We have urged China to ensure that the legal rights of all Chinese citizens are respected in accordance with international standards of due process," a state department spokesman Mark Toner said.
Rights watchdog Amnesty International called for an independent probe, citing "excessive use of force, mass arrests, enforced disappearances, torture and ill treatment" of prisoners during the security crackdown after the unrest.
Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking people, allege decades of Chinese oppression and unwanted Han immigration, and while standards of living have improved, Uighurs complain most of the gains go to the Han Chinese.
Tensions in the city again boiled over in September after a spate of syringe attacks - which many victims blamed on Uighurs - led to days of protests that left five people dead.
Authorities keen to ensure no repeat of last year's mayhem have installed 40,000 security cameras throughout Urumqi, a city of about two million people, according to state media. Anti-riot exercises have also been staged.
* AFP
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
