BEIJING, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China's Supreme People's Court on Monday held a forum on launching a judicial assistance program for the overburdened courts of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

"Courts in Xinjiang shoulder heavier burdens in cases concerning threats to national security. From 2003, the region's courts have received around 150 such cases a year," said Rozi Ismail, president of the Higher People's Court of Xinjiang.

Jiang Xingchang, vice president of the Supreme People's Court, said Xinjiang faced a more complicated situation than other areas with terrorist and separatist activities on the one hand and the slow economic development in the region making locals more eager to shake off poverty.

However, the judicial personnel and facilities of the region's courts failed to meet demand, especially in remote and backward areas, and funds for operating courts and staff were both inadequate, said Rozi Ismail.

The region has 154 courts and 4,552 judges. From 2003 to the first half of this year, they heard 1.09 million cases.

The Supreme People's Court agreed to launch an assistance program, in which judges from other provinces will be dispatched to Xinjiang, and judiciary staff from Xinjiang Courts will go to other provinces for training. More funds and judicial facilities will be given to the courts of Xinjiang, so as to improve local courts' capacity and maintain sustainable economic and social development.