国内英语新闻:Xinjiang to speed up legislation against separatism, regional top lawmaker

URUMQI, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region would accelerate local legislation against separatism, said the region's top lawmaker on Sunday.

    Eligen Imibakhi, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Regional People's Congress, said the regional congress would unswervingly safeguard the dignity and authority of the Constitution and other laws .

    The July 5 incident involving beating, smashing, looting and burning, was a severe violent crime colluded, planned and organized by "three forces" of extremism, separatism and terrorism both at home and abroad, said the regional top legislator.

    A most urgent problem to be solved was the lack of law booklets in ethnic minority languages, he said. The region had organized experts to do the translation work and the booklets would soon be distributed to farmers and herdsmen across the region, he added.