Kazak businesswoman Lyailya (second from right) fills in a form before donating her blood yesterday to victims of Sunday's riot in Urumqi.

Residents in the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region have been rushing to donate blood for victims of the city's riots that have claimed 156 lives and injured more than 1,000, healthcare workers said yesterday.

"The number of blood donors today are more than double from what we normally receive," said nurse Liu Jin at the Love-Heart Blood Donation Hut on Youhao Road in downtown Urumqi, three days after the deadly clashes.

Notices at the facility have appealed to residents to donate blood.

The authorities have not said how much blood is needed but Liu said that by 11:30 am the blood donation center received donations from 20 individuals, with another 40 waiting to donate. Office hours are usually 10 am to 8 pm in Urumqi.

The number of people waiting to donate blood outside the center surpassed 100 shortly after noon.

The outpouring of donations came after the Sunday violence in the city, with officials urging people to avoid confrontation in a region where Han people make up about 40 percent of the population; 47 percent comprise other ethnic groups including the Uygur, Hui, Kazak and Mongolian.

Liu said that in some blood transfusion cases, blood is given by people of one ethnic group to a member of other ethnic groups. "It is a genuine show of solidarity among different groups."

She said many had come to the center after learning that the riots had victimized many innocent people.

For Zhao Pinglan, a law student from Tacheng city in northwestern Xinjiang, donating blood was one way to help victims and mark her birthday.

"I couldn't buy anything for my birthday since most stores are closed so I came here to donate blood," said Zhao, who turned 22 yesterday.

A member of the Dongxiang ethnic group, Zhao said she believed her birthday donation was an act of benevolence.

"Maybe I can help save a life," she said.

She said Sunday's riot only served to jeopardize the lives of many residents who were "united as Xinjiang people".

Wang Jian, waiting for his turn to donate yesterday, said he despised the "beastly deeds" of the rioters.

The 24-year-old migrant worker from Xinjiang's Alaer city said he did not participate in any riot.

"The only thing that I can and will do is to give blood to the injured," he said. "That's my response to violence."

He said he did not believe it was right to answer violence with violence.

"If the violence escalated and damage became more widespread, it would only serve to please (Rebiya) Kadeer."

He was referring to the former businesswoman of Xinjiang and current resident of Washington, who many locals believe was behind the Sunday riot.

A number of foreigners also joined the queue to donate blood yesterday. Lyailya, 34, and her sister Telokova, came to the blood center with their colleague Murat. The three Kazak business professionals said they were engaged in border trade with China.

"I was very sorry to see innocent people on TV, including little children, being beaten in all the bloodshed," said Murat.

"So I'm here to offer my blood and help."

(China Daily July 9, 2009)