Separatists are causing deadly havoc in China, and the violence is on the rise. On May 6th, man attacked a train station in Guangzhou, placing a bomb and killing three travelers with his knife. It was reported that the explosion originated from a pile of luggage that was left between the exit of the station and the bus stop. The attack took place just as President Xi Jinping was ending a four-day tour of the region. "The battle to combat violence and terrorism will not allow a moment of carelessness," Xi said, classifying this incident with other recent attacks as terrorist attacks.
Over the last three months, this has been the third incident of this type to take place. In March, an assault on the station of Kunming killed 29 people, while in early May there was another attack on a station in Urumqi, the western part of Xinjiang. Although the authorities have not provided an official motive for the attack, many suspect that, like the previous two attacks, it was carried out by religious extremists in Xinjiang with connections to terror groups abroad. Armed attacks not uncommon this area of west China, but lately they are becoming ever more erratic and violent, as well as spreading outside of Xinjiang and targeting civilian victims. Before, the main targets were security forces and policemen of the autonomous region.
Xinjiang is the home of the Uighurs, a Turkic Muslim ethnic minority which is usually blamed as the source of these tensions. The Uighurs say that the influx of Chinese immigration has violated their traditional culture. On the other hand, the government of the People's Republic of China believes that it is doing its best and has stated that it has invested a lot in the region to improve the level of life of its inhabitants.
The situation has never been ideal, but recent events have shown an alarming escalation of violence. In 2009 there were multiple riots that took place in Urumqi, leading to 200 casualties and a strict government crackdown. The increase in security measures, which have always been strict, has been extreme in both train stations as well as other transportation hubs.
While the Uighur have been blamed for this most recent attack, as well as the attacks in Urumqi and Kunming, nothing has been confirmed yet. Although the number of people involved in the attack remains unclear, a man was shot and detained by the. What experts find concerning is the change in target and tactics: policemen for civilians, farm tools for explosives. These are not the usual Uighur tactics.
Many Chinese have reacted to these changes with fear and uncertainty, feeling estranged by the violent reality of Xinjiang and the fact the attacks are happening in new locations.
a global affairs media network
Video Wednesday: Separatist Violence on the Rise in China
May 14, 2014
Separatists are causing deadly havoc in China, and the violence is on the rise. On May 6th, man attacked a train station in Guangzhou, placing a bomb and killing three travelers with his knife. It was reported that the explosion originated from a pile of luggage that was left between the exit of the station and the bus stop. The attack took place just as President Xi Jinping was ending a four-day tour of the region. "The battle to combat violence and terrorism will not allow a moment of carelessness," Xi said, classifying this incident with other recent attacks as terrorist attacks.
Over the last three months, this has been the third incident of this type to take place. In March, an assault on the station of Kunming killed 29 people, while in early May there was another attack on a station in Urumqi, the western part of Xinjiang. Although the authorities have not provided an official motive for the attack, many suspect that, like the previous two attacks, it was carried out by religious extremists in Xinjiang with connections to terror groups abroad. Armed attacks not uncommon this area of west China, but lately they are becoming ever more erratic and violent, as well as spreading outside of Xinjiang and targeting civilian victims. Before, the main targets were security forces and policemen of the autonomous region.
Xinjiang is the home of the Uighurs, a Turkic Muslim ethnic minority which is usually blamed as the source of these tensions. The Uighurs say that the influx of Chinese immigration has violated their traditional culture. On the other hand, the government of the People's Republic of China believes that it is doing its best and has stated that it has invested a lot in the region to improve the level of life of its inhabitants.
The situation has never been ideal, but recent events have shown an alarming escalation of violence. In 2009 there were multiple riots that took place in Urumqi, leading to 200 casualties and a strict government crackdown. The increase in security measures, which have always been strict, has been extreme in both train stations as well as other transportation hubs.
While the Uighur have been blamed for this most recent attack, as well as the attacks in Urumqi and Kunming, nothing has been confirmed yet. Although the number of people involved in the attack remains unclear, a man was shot and detained by the. What experts find concerning is the change in target and tactics: policemen for civilians, farm tools for explosives. These are not the usual Uighur tactics.
Many Chinese have reacted to these changes with fear and uncertainty, feeling estranged by the violent reality of Xinjiang and the fact the attacks are happening in new locations.
