The Public Security Department in China's restive Xinjiang region Tuesday announced rewards of 50,000 to 100,000 Chinese Yuan ($8,155-$16,310) for information about 11 suspects that the department said were inciting the ongoing unrests in the region.
Out of the eleven suspects, Chinese state media China Daily said, three were accused of making "explosives in a case police broke in which a gang allegedly planned to attack government buildings and police on May 26."
The security department has called upon all people in the region to voluntarily give up any propaganda material, explosives or dangerous knives that they possess. People who surrender within a deadline of 10 days, will be exempted from punishment, the police said.
"Anyone with such weapons or materials after the ten days will face severe punishment," reported the news agency on Wednesday.
The reward announcement comes after a series of deadly unrests in the region that has claimed at least 36 lives.
Xinjiang is home to Muslim Uighurs who often complain of Beijing's policies in the region as "discriminative" and "repressive."
Deputy Director of the information office of Xinjiang police, Li Li, said that the reward is aimed at catching potential criminals with the help of the public.
"We hope more people will help us with information and leave terrorists no place to hide," said Li.
Issuing notices of rewards for information and promises of minimizing punishments are common in China but often such promises are nothing more than a trap, according to Chinese human rights activists.
In 2009, around 200 people were killed during a series of riots in the region.
