Stopping the Terror

By+Li+Li

The Chinese Government has decided to intensify efforts to maintain social stability in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region after terrorist attacks carried out by extremists have begun to escalate in brutality and spread further outside the northwestern region.

On April 30， two people carried out a suicide bombing in front of a train station in Urumqi， capital of Xinjiang. The bombers and one innocent bystander were killed in the blast and 79 others were injured.

Knife-wielding assailants attacked people and set off explosives that day at the exit of the Urumqi South Railway Station. The attack took place just after a train had pulled into the station and as passengers were streaming out onto the plaza in front of the station.

On May 1， the police identified two suspects with a history of religious extremism， including Sedirdin Sawut， a 39-year-old man from Xayar County， Aksu Prefecture in south Xinjiang.

The attack has drawn condemnation worldwide.

“The United States condemns the horrific and despicable acts of violence against innocent civilians at the train station in Urumqi，”Marie Harf， a U.S. State Department spokeswoman， told reporters on May 1. “We offer our condolences and sympathies to the victims， their families and all those affected by this tragedy.”

Singapore “strongly condemns” the bomb blast at Urumqi South Railway Station， the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on May 2， adding that “such dastardly acts of violence against innocent members of the public cannot be justified under any circumstances.”

It was the third high-profile attack in China in seven months where extremists have targeted civilians. The two earlier attacks also occurred outside Xinjiang， marking a departure from the previous pattern of primarily targeting local people.

In a deadly jeep crash at Beijings Tiananmen Square on October 28， 2013， two pedestrians were killed and another 40 injured. All three attackers in the jeep died after they lit gasoline stored in containers inside the vehicle on fire. Later， the East Turkistan Islamic Movement， a UN-listed terrorist group， claimed responsibility for the attack and warned of future attacks.

On March 1， knife-wielding attackers slashed frantically at crowds at a railway station in Kunming， capital of southwest Chinas Yunnan Province， killing 29 people and injuring 143. Police shot dead four of the perpetrators and captured another one at the scene. The remaining three attackers were arrested two days after the horrific slaughter.endprint

During this years annual full session of the National Peoples Congress （NPC）， Chinas top legislature， several lawmakers submitted motions on drafting an antiterrorism law. The NPC Standing Committee passed a decision to reinforce the countrys antiterrorism work back in October 2011， but it was never made part of law.

In an interview with 21st Century Business Herald， a business paper based in Guangzhou， south Chinas Guangdong Province， Li Wei， an anti-terrorism expert with the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations， said that the antiterrorism law is very likely to be worked out within this year， which he believes will make the fight against terrorism more comprehensive and effective.

Determination

The Urumqi attack occurred just as Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up his four-day inspection tour of Xinjiang.

Xi had vowed to deploy a “strike first”strategy against terrorism to “deter enemies and inspire the people” during the tour， Xinhua News Agency reported.

The long-term stability of Xinjiang is vital to the countrys unity， ethnic harmony and national security as well as to the great revival of the Chinese nation， Xi said when meeting with local officials.

With a land area of 1.66 million square km， Xinjiang accounts for one sixth of Chinas territory. It has a population of 22.6 million， with about 60 percent of them belonging to ethnic minority groups.

Pan Zhiping， an anti-terrorism expert at Xinjiang University， said that Xis visit came at a crucial time for stability in Xinjiang and is a sign of the Central Governments firm determination to fight terrorist forces in the region.

During his visit， Xi said that maintaining social stability and peace is the primary focus of the governments work in Xinjiang at the present time.

Xis tour focused on south Xinjiang， an area mainly inhabited by Muslim Uygur people and frequently attacked by terrorists and extremists.

Xi emphasized that development is the key to addressing all issues in Xinjiang. He said that development should benefit the people， the local area and ethnic unity. Promoting employment of minorities is vital to peoples livelihood and stability.

Xinjiang has long been known for its abundant natural resources， such as oil， coal， and natural gas. However， exploitation of resources has enriched large enterprises and entrepreneurs rather than benefiting the local economy and people.endprint

Experts say that Xis remarks suggest that the central and local governments will focus more on developing labor-intensive industries， agriculture industrialization and other traditional local industries. They believe as long as locals have businesses and jobs， they can make a living and have a promising future， instead of turning to terrorism.

Not in our name

Following the Urumqi bombing on April 30， a letter signed by 11 young Uygur people condemning the deadly terror attack quickly attracted attention online.

In the letter， the youths， including five college graduates and six college students， spoke of their grief， their anger and their resolution to denounce terrorism.

“Silence is a kind of acquiescence to the terrorists，” said Merdan Weli， a Xinjiang University postgraduate student who raised the idea of the letter among his Uygur friends.

Merdan was at a restaurant two blocks away from the train station when the explosion occurred. Merdan said terrorists were damaging the reputation of the Xinjiang people. “We had to do something，” he said.

Merdan discussed contents of the letter with friends on WeChat， a popular mobile instant messaging service.

Kurbanjan Weli， a North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power graduate now teaching Chinese in Urumqi， was the chief writer of the letter.

In the letter， Kurbanjan wrote，“Murderers， what do you want？ You said you want respect and rights， but cant you see the mosque beside the bombing site？ It is a place for serenity and peace. Have you got the slightest faith in religion？ You tried to kill innocent people， regardless male or female， young or old—why the hatred toward them？”

The letter continued， “What have you got？ Ending others lives and getting blood on your hands？ Its a sin！”

The end of the letter said， “Our enemies want to break our unity and solidarity because they are afraid of our unity. No more silence， lets stand together and crush them.”

Many Internet users， some of whom have been debating whether it is still safe to travel and do business in Xinjiang， changed their perceptions after reading the letter.

“The letter reflects the true voice of the Uygur people， most of whom are kind and generous like the rest of us. A small handful of evil doers do not represent the whole group，”Beijing resident Dong Jianxun wrote on Weibo， Chinas Twitter-like microblogging service.

Another netizen using the name“Bailongma” said that terrorists have “hijacked the Uygur ethnic identity as well as bringing shame and humiliation to people of all ethnic groups living in Xinjiang.”

Ma Dazheng， a researcher with the Research Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences， said that it was rare for young people from Xinjiang to express what they felt about terrorism.

“They are realizing that a widening rift between people in Xinjiang and other regions needs to be contained， because a harmonious relationship between different ethnic groups is in the interests of the Uygur people，” Ma said.

The researcher added that it was essential for China to draw on the strength of the people to win the fight against terrorism， especially with the support of the Uygur people.endprint