A senior procurator of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said on Friday the regional procuratorate had nearly finished the work of tracing the suspects in the July 5 Urumqi riot, and the first suspects will be arrested "soon".

Kasim Mamut, head of the region's procuratorate, said it had invited hundreds of Uygur prosecutors from six prefectures and cities such as Hotan and Kashi, to help conduct the investigation.

"The investigation will be carried out in strict accordance with the law," he said.

But the prosecutor did not reveal the date for the arrest.

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2009)