The same day, state media reported that the authorities in the regional capital, Urumqi, had passed a regulation banning the wearing of burqas. Over the past two years, violence involving Uighurs, the predominantly Muslim indigenous ethnic group in Xinjiang, has increased in ferocity and spread beyond Xinjiang to cities nationwide.
Nationwide seasonal migration during the lunar new year holiday next month will make transport hubs prime targets for attack.
The most likely cause of any business disruption is tighter public security and censorship.
Public prejudice against Uighurs may increase, exacerbating their social alienation and economic disadvantage.
The prospect of Uighur discontent coalescing into a movement that poses a threat to public order is remote.
Restrictions on religion may reinforce it as a source of ethnic identity, increasing susceptibility to radicalisation.
