World Bulletin / News Desk 

Han Chineses attacked on Uighur workers in a dormitory of a toy factory in China's southern Guangdong province after an ethnic bawl, killing two people and injuring 118, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

In a massive night brawl at the "Early Light" toy factory in Guangdong's Shaoguan city, a group of Han Chinese attack on Uighurs from East Turkistan, in northwest of China, who had been recently recruited to the factory, Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper reported.

The violence lasted until the early hours of Friday morning and at least 16 were seriously injured, the newspaper reported.

About 400 riot police had to be deployed to quell the unrest as the rival workers battled, some with knives and metal pipes.

Around 600 Uighur workers arrived the factory in May this year, the newspaper said.

"Some people carrying metal pipes entered a dormitory to attack Uighur workers. But the Uighurs fought back with knives, leading to a fierce brawl involving hundreds," the newspaper said.

Uighur idendity

The factory was reportedly owned by Hong Kong tycoon Francis Choi, one of the city's leading toy manufacturers.

Uighur population is a largely Muslim naton with a culture close to other Turkic parts of central Asia.

East Turkistan has 8 million Uighurs and historical records show that the Uyghurs have a history of more than 4000 years.

The Uyghurs entered Islam in 934, during the reign of Satuk Bughra Khan, the Kharahanid ruler.

East Turkistan was occupied by the communist China in 1949 and its name was changed in 1955. The communist China has been excersizing a colonial rule over the East Turkistan since then.

Many Uighurs resent Han Chinese rule, complaining they're marginalised economically and politically in their own land, while having to tolerate a rising influx of Han Chinese migrants.

Meanwhile, human rights groups accuse Beijing of using claims of "terrorism" as an excuse to crack down on peaceful pro-independence sentiment and expressions of Uighur identity.