Hundreds of Muslims arrested for security charges in China

Beijing: China arrested almost 1,300 people for state security charges in the Xinjiang region last year, state media reported on Sunday.

The Procuratorial Daily said the arrests came as the government made "maintaining social stability" a priority last year, when Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympic Games.

A wave of unrest, at times resulting in violence, erupted in Xinjiang ahead of the Olympics. According to state press reports, the unrest was largely fomented by Uighur Muslim separatists.

The paper said 1,295 people were arrested on suspicion of endangering state security, and that 1,154 were formally charged and faced trials or administrative punishment.