Terrorists are enemy to all
Everyone in the region should rally to oppose the East Turkistan Islamic Movement and other extremist and separatist groups
On Monday, a jeep crashed into the sidewalk on Chang’an Avenue in front of Tian’anmen Square and plowed through tourists and policemen before finally crashing into a guardrail on Jinshui Bridge, which crosses the moat in front of the Tian’anmen Rostrum. According to latest information, five people, including all three people in the jeep who set the vehicle on fire, were killed, while another 40 were injured, many of them seriously.
The police found gasoline, a gasoline container, and a flag with religious extremism content inside the jeep, and they have confirmed that the incident was a “well-planned, organized and premeditated terrorist attack”. Five other people have already been arrested for their involvement in the attack.
The Monday attack was the first terrorist attack in China in which foreign citizens became victims, one of the two tourists who died was a woman from the Philippines, and it showed that the security departments of China must improve their training and emergency handling skills to suit the changing situation.
The attack sends a clear message that terrorist attacks can happen any time and anywhere, victimizing any one of us. Terrorism is anti-human and uncivilized; it intentionally sacrifices the lives and blood of randomly chosen innocent civilians, and often of those who perpetrate the atrocities as well, to create a sense of panic intended to serve the narrow interests of a small, limited group.
All people in the world with a basic sense of goodness condemn terrorism; all responsible nations should crack down on it.
By selecting Tian’anmen Square for their attack, those who organized it have exposed their intention of attracting international attention. But while they got the attention they craved, their bid to rally international support was doomed to failure — no responsible country or organization will support terrorism, as it is an enemy to all.
China’s legal system protects the rights of its citizens, regardless of race, gender, color or ethnicity. That should include protection against terrorism, too, and a firm stance must be taken to oppose those who violate people’s rights and safety.
The Chinese authorities have expressed their firm resolve to fight terrorism, and a Defense Ministry spokesman said on Thursday that the military will fight various terrorist activities according to government instructions.
“Terrorism is an international enemy, and many nations’ armies have been tasked with the mission of anti-terrorism,” said spokesman Yang Yujun.
But to effectively curb terrorism, it is important to identify the leading force behind it. As more people have realized that terrorism is a common foe, some extremist groups that do not want to lose their influence and appeal have tried to connect their terrorist activities with certain religions and ethnic groups. The extremists think that by doing so they can dress their criminal activities in the cloaks of democracy and liberty.
Of these the most typical is East Turkistan Islamic Movement, which planned the Monday attack.
Their efforts are doomed to fail. After the attack, neighboring countries,
By selecting Tian’anmen Square for their attack, those who organized it have exposed their intention of attracting international attention. But while they got the attention they craved, their bid to rally international support was doomed to failure.
which also suffer from the violent acts of the same terrorist groups, offered China helping hands.
On Thursday, Meng Jianzhu, secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited the Executive Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Counterterrorism Structure in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He informed them about the attack and they offered the other SCO members’ support in fighting terrorism.
The terrorists failed to win any sympathy from Western countries as well. On Wednesday, French President Francois Hollande received Wang Yi, the visiting Chinese foreign minister. He condemned the attack and offered the French people’s condolences to the victims.
Terrorist attacks might cause certain losses but their intention of curbing China’s development will never be realized. On the contrary, the coming Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee will show the world a more confident China, ready to welcome further reform and better development.
China’s further development needs the cooperation of all its residents and will benefit all people in the country, whatever their ethnicity. Terrorist, separatist and extremist groups are not only a common foe to all peace-loving countries in the world, but also an enemy to their own ethnic groups, too. They should give up their folly.