Rioting began when the police confronted the march calling for a full investigation into the Shaoguan incident , a brawl in southern China several days earlier in which two Uyghurs had been killed . However , observers disagree on what caused the protests to become violent . The Chinese central government alleged that the riots themselves were planned from abroad by the World Uyghur Congress ( WUC ) and its leader Rebiya Kadeer , while Kadeer denies fomenting the violence in her fight for Uyghur " self-determination . " Uyghur exile groups claim that the escalation was caused by the police 's use of excessive force
Shaoguan incident
Shaoguan incident
July 2009 Ürümqi riots