Authorities in the capital of the mainly Muslim Uighur homeland of Xinjiang voted to ban the wearing of burqas in public, media said on Thursday, as China confronts unrest with tough measures that critics have labelled discriminatory.
Hundreds have died in ethnic clashes across the restive far western region in recent months, with Beijing vowing to “strike hard” against violence.
The local legislature of Urumqi yesterday “considered and adopted ‘Regulations for the banning of wearing of burqas in public areas in Urumqi’”, the Sina web news portal said.
The measure will next go to the regional legislature to “examine and then to implement it”, the report added.
China has previously launched drives to discourage women from covering their faces, and security officials often log details of those wearing burqas, an Islamic garment that covers the eyes as well as the whole face and body.
A “Project Beauty” campaign in the predominantly Uighur city of Kashgar saw a publicity offensive encouraging women not to wear traditional Islamic clothing. Authorities in another Xinjiang city, Karamay, in August banned people wearing hijabs, niqabs, burqas, or clothing with the Islamic star and crescent symbol from local buses.