Xinjiang's top political advisor said Monday that the first and foremost prerequisite for Xinjiang's fast development is ethnic unity.

"Greater efforts must be made to boost ethnic unity in Xinjiang after the July 5 deadly violence," Ashat Kerimbay, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the region's top political advisory body, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

Soundbite: Ashat Kerimbay, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of CPPCC "The July 5 riots, which have left 197 dead and more than 1,600 injured, were well premeditated and it had burst the bubble of the so-called democracy and human rights claimed by the 'three forces'. The 'three forces' of extremism, separatism and terrorism both at home and abroad could not represent any ethnic group in China. Instead, they are the public enemy of all ethnic groups in the country because they are unwilling to see the reunification and development of China. We will have a vehement and long-term struggle against the 'three forces', it's life or death."

Kerimbay said the CPPCC and the parties in Xinjiang are all against any attempt to damage the ethnic unity.

Soundbite: Ashat Kerimbay, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of CPPCC "Members of both the CPPCC and the parties in Xinjiang are strongly opposed to the damaging activities led by the 'three forces'. We will carry out vehement struggle against them. The parties believe that the July 5 incident exposed the violent and horrible truth behind the three forces' mask of so-called human rights and democracy. We have an insight of their heinous motives through the incident."

Meanwhile, Kerimbay spoke highly of China's policies on ethnic affairs, saying they are "the best in the world".

Soundbite: Ashat Kerimbay, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of CPPCC "I have been to more than 30 countries. Many people speak highly of our policy of ethnic regional autonomy. Statistics showed that some 60 percent of local officials in Xinjiang are from minority ethnic groups. Take me myself for example. I am a Kazak, and I was born in a peasant family in Yining City in northern Xinjiang. Without such good policies, I would have never been a chairman of the regional CPPCC committee."

Soundbite: Ashat Kerimbay, chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee of CPPCC "The development of the region in the past 60 years has laid a sound foundation for Xinjiang's ethnic unity. We will stick to the established principle -- things that will harm ethnic unity should not be done and words that will harm ethnic unity should not be said."

At the end of the interview, Kerimbay said the July 5 incident will not shake the determination of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang to look forward to development and stability, stressing that the people in Xinjiang will be more united than ever.

(XHTV July 21, 2009)