Xinjiang "syringe attackers" sentenced

Three Uighur have been sentenced in the wake of the recent mysterious syringe attacks in Xinjiang, but their jail terms have not eased the tension between the Uighur minority and the Han Chinese majority or addressed the controversy surrounding the case in the first place.

For one, roughly 500 people claim to have been attacked but only 100 show evidence of actually being struck. One woman didn't even notice being allegedly stabbed in the buttock until arriving back at her workplace. We're pretty sure we'd notice if someone stabbing something into our buttocks.

Also, none of the victims have shown any signs of illness and CCTV reports that no viral or toxic substances were found in blood samples. We hope the report sticks, but can't help but notice the dubious gap between official reports and public claims. It's hard to believe government reassurances that Urumqi life has returned back to normal when hundreds of alleged victims are still protesting the government's inability to handle major social unrest.

Meanwhile, at least one of the sentenced Uighurs, 19-year-old Yilipan Yilihamu, is planning to appeal the court's decision to give him 15 years, according to the Associated Press. His attempt at appeal brings into question the details surrounding his arrest and persecution, which are - unsurprisingly - sketchy. After all, he was the one who allegedly stabbed the woman who didn't notice being stabbed.