BEIJING defended an alleged clampdown on Ramadan fasting today, saying that notices advising against it in the largely Muslim Xinjiang region were for students’ wellbeing.

The Communist Party said its members should not fast, while schools and universities warned staff not to “coerce students into religious activities.”

Advice on the Muslim holy month varied in different local authorities, with the Yili Kazakh autonomous prefecture merely saying young schoolchildren should eat regularly, while in Zhaosu party members held a public meeting at which they pledged not to fast as an example.

The declaration raised eyebrows in a country where government efforts have recently focused on persuading officials to consume less.

Although polls regularly show that a large number of Chinese Communist Party members are religious believers, the party remains officially atheist and discourages religious observance.

The advice rolled out by Xinjiang authorities has been attacked by Muslim leaders, who say it will increase tensions in a region already plagued by separatist terrorism.