Chinese Americans have expressed their indignation over the riot the erupted on Sunday in Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which left 156 dead and more than 1,000 others injured.

Fang Xiangcheng, vice chairman of the Council of Chinese-American Association (CCAA) based in New York, told Xinhua on Wednesday he felt "extremely angry" with "a handful of separatists" who killed innocent people, burned houses and looted properties.

CCAA honorary chairman Qiao Lihua said it was "shameful" for the separatists to term what they did as a "peaceful protest". He said a peaceful protest could not lead to so many deaths, injuries, and so much property damage.

"The separatists should be held fully responsible for the barbarous killing and looting," he said, "We overseas Chinese throw our full support behind the Chinese government in its handling of the riot," he said.

"I believe that no government in the world would dare take the risk of letting mobs kill innocent people, set fire to houses and loot property without any interference," Qiao said.

Steven Wong, chairman of the Lin Zexu Foundation, also condemned the ridiculous demand of the separatists seeking "Xinjiang independence".

"History has proved that Xinjiang has always been a part of Chinese territory," he said.

He also urged those who still preach the concept of "Xinjiang independence" to read "a number of history books" before expressing their support for the separatists.

(Xinhua News Agency July 9, 2009)