DHAKA: China has banned civil servants, students and teachers in its mainly Muslim Xinjiang region from taking part in Ramadan fasting, government websites said, prompting condemnation from an exile group on Wednesday.

China’s ruling Communist party is officially atheist, and for years has restricted fasting in Xinjiang, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.

Xinjiang sees regular and often deadly clashes between Uighurs and state security forces, and Beijing has blamed recent deadly attacks elsewhere in China on militants seeking independence for the resource-rich region.

Rights groups blame tensions on religious and cultural restrictions placed on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the vast area, which abuts Central Asia.

Several government departments posted notices on their websites in recent days banning fasting during Ramadan, which began this weekend. During the holy month, the faithful fast from dawn to dusk and strive to be more pious.

The commercial affairs bureau of Turfan city said on its website on Monday that ‘civil servants and students cannot take part in fasting and other religious activities’.

The state-run Bozhou Radio and TV said on its website that it would ‘enforce the ban on party members, teachers, and young people from taking part in Ramadan activities’.

‘We remind everyone that they are not permitted to observe a Ramadan fast,’ it added.

Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman for the exiled World Uyghur Congress, cited local sources as saying that authorities encouraged Uighurs to eat free meals on Monday, and inspected homes to check if the fast was being observed.

‘China taking these kind of coercive measures, restricting the faith of Uighurs, will create more conflict,’ he said, reports gulfnews.com.

‘We call on China to ensure religious freedom for Uighurs and stop political repression of Ramadan.’

BDST: 1740 HRS, JULY 02, 2014