Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 12:19, 2 March 2012

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) No issues specified. Please specify issues, or remove this template. (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Due to inconsistencies in the definitions and use of the term, terrorism in the People's Republic of China may be construed to encompass a variety of activities, including (though not limited to) violence committed in the name of nationalist or separatist movements in Xinjiang and Tibet, political campaigns by the Communist Party of China, and in some cases, non-violent acts of political or religious defiance. In contemporary China, violent acts of terrorism are comparatively rare. Many instances of terrorism by non-state actors involve the Uyghur ethnic group in Northwest China.

Etymology and use

There is neither an academic nor an international legal consensus regarding the proper definition of "terrorism". The term terrorism” traces its origins to the “Reign of Terror’’ during the French Revolution, and referred to the systematic use of terror by governments against their citizens. Beginning in the 1800s, the term took on new meaning. Terrorist tactics were embraced by Marxist and anarchist radicals as a means of fomenting revolution, and the term increasingly came to denote the use of terror by civilians, typically against the state or state policies. In the modern context, the term “terrorism” is used almost exclusively to refer to non-state actors.

International law differentiates between acts of terrorism—which are intended to deliberately harm or induce terror in innocent civilians—and acts of political opposition. Even the use of violence against a ruling regime as part of an anti-colonial or secessionist movement is not necessarily categorized as terrorism. However, sitting governments may classify these as terrorist acts for the purpose of legitimizing a crackdown on political opponents.

In the case of China, there is currently no clearly established definition for terrorism, though the National People's Congress is in the process of drafting legislation that would clarify the use of the term. Human rights groups charge that the term is frequently applied to non-violent dissidents in China.

Terrorism in contemporary China

Legal definition and use

Under China's criminal law, acts of terrorism can carry a prison sentence of up to ten years. Since 2001, over 7,000 Chinese citizens have been convicted on terrorism charges. However, the law does not clearly define what constitutes a terrorist organization or activity. In October 2011, Chinese authorities began crafting a bill that would more clearly define terrorism. According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency, the draft bill defines terrorist acts as those that are intended "induce public fear or to coerce state organs or international organisations by means of violence, sabotage, threats or other tactics...These acts cause or aim to cause severe harm to society by causing casualties, bringing about major economic losses, damaging public facilities or disturbing social order." Human rights and international law experts have raised concerns over the implications of the bills in light of the lack of judicial independence in the People's Republic of China. A representative of Human Rights Watch was reported as saying “strengthening law enforcement powers without appropriate judicial checks and balances is dangerous,” and further noted that it was unclear how and by whom organizations and individuals would be designated as terrorists.

Organizations designated as terrorists

The Ministry of Public Security issued a list of what it considers terrorist organizations on 15 December 2003. These include the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement, the East Turkestan Liberation Organization, the World Uyghur Youth Congress, and the East Turkistan Information Center. The Ministry further named eleven individuals as terrorists.

The World Uyghur Youth Congress and East Turkistan Information Center are both non-government organizations based in Germany which, according to Uyghur groups, mainly serve to report information. Chinese government sources say that The Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement has carried out over 200 terror operations since 1990, and allege the group has ties to al-Qaeda, though they have not produced evidence to support the claim. Chinese authorities have pressured other countries and multilateral organizations to ban the listed organizations as terrorist groups.

Chronology of major events

• On 5 February 1992, four bombs were set in public buildings in Urumqi, Xinjiang, China, the two on the buses of line 2 and line 30 exploded. The incidents led to at least 3 deaths, and 23 injured.

• In 1996, there were a series of bombing incidents in Lhasa, capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Four major attacks were acknowledged, although unofficial sources reported more. The attacks generally targeted and successfully wounded people, while Tibetan bombs in 1995 targeted buildings, such as the obelisk on the Qinghai-Tibet highway. On 13 January, a Tibetan Buddhist monk exploded a homemade bomb at a shop owned by Han Chinese. Five days later on 18 January, the house of Sengchen Lobsang Gyaltsen, the head lama of the Panchen Lama's Tashilhunpo Monastery, was bombed. Gyaltsen had opposed the 14th Dalai Lama to ordain Gyaincain Norbu in the 11th Panchen Lama controversy. He was out of his house at the time of the explosion, but a person nearby was "seriously injured", according to the South China Morning Post. No group claimed responsibility for the bombings, but China blamed forces loyal to the Dalai Lama. On 18 March, a bomb exploded at the regional government and local Communist Party compound. The government temporarily shut down tourism in Tibet in response. China initially denied all of the blasts, but later attributed them to separatists. The final blast of the year was detonated by remote control at 1:30 am on Christmas day, in front of the central Lhasa municipal government offices. Five people were injured, including two night watchmen and three shopkeepers. The official Radio Tibet called the blast "an appalling act of terrorism", and the Chinese government offered a $120,000 reward for the perpetrator. Vice Chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region Gyamco called on residents to "heighten our alertness and strengthen preventive measures".

• The Urumqi bus bombings occurred 25 February 1997 when three bombs exploded in Urumqi, Xinjiang province. The bombs were set on the three buses (line 10, line 44, and line 2), and made the death of 9, (including the death of 3 children at least), and injury of 74.

• On 5 January 2007, Chinese police raided a suspected East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) training camp in Akto County in the Pamirs plateau near the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. A spokesperson for the Xinjiang Public Security Department said that 18 terror suspects were killed and 17 captured. The raid also resulted in the death of one Chinese police officer and the injury of another. The Public Security Bureau said they confiscated hand grenades, guns, and makeshift explosives from the site.(See Xinjiang raid)

• On 9 March 2008 Chinese officials told the state-run Xinhua News Agency that they had successfully thwarted a terrorist attack targeting the 2008 Summer Olympics by Muslim separatists from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. A China Southern Airlines plane was forced to land on 9 March 2008 because "some people were attempting to create an air disaster". The flight had taken off from Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The militants' aircraft hijacking attempt was foiled by the flight attendants.

• On 1 August 2008, the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) posted a video on the internet, named "Call to the Global Muslim Ummah", calling on Muslims to "choose your side", not travel with Chinese, and support the TIP. Some Chinese officials in Xinjiang downplayed the threat of terrorism.

• On 4 August, the 2008 Kashgar attack involved suspected ETIM militants who reportedly drove a truck into a group of approximately 70 jogging policemen. According to official Chinese media accounts, they then got out of the truck wielding machetes, and lobbed grenades at the officers, killing 16 people. Three tourists in the vicinity provided a different account of the event, however, saying that the attackers appeared to be uniformed paramilitary police officers attacking other officers with machetes.

• On 8 August 2008, another video was released showing "a masked man with a rifle" threatening further attacks and advising Uyghurs to "avoid public transport during the Olympics". On 10 August, Muslim separatist suicide pipe bombers made a dozen coordinated attacks on police stations, government offices, and businesses in Kuqa, Xinjiang, killing 11 people. The attacks began at 2:30 am when five assailants drove taxis into the local public security and industry and commerce buildings. The Communist Party chief in Xinjiang called the attack a "terrorist act" and suspected ETIM responsible.

• On 12 August 2008, Uyghur separatists killed three security officers in a stabbing in Yamanya, near Kashgar in Xinjiang. With the latest attack, the cumulative death toll during the Olympic Games was 31. On 13 August, public security authorities in Hubei foiled an attempted bus bombing. On 17 August 2008, a truck suddenly exploded and caught fire at the Baimiao Security Checkpoint in Beijing. 20 people were rushed to hospital and state media and officials have refused to comment, although possibility of a terrorist attack "has not been ruled out".

• On 29 August 2008, police investigating a violent crime were ambushed and stabbed in the corn fields of Jiashi, Xinjiang. Two police died and five were injured. One day later in the city of Harbin, a public bus suddenly exploded, wounding two people. Although officials confirmed the incident to BBC Monitoring, no Chinese media reported the story, leading the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy to accuse the Chinese government of suppressing information about terrorist incidents.

• On 19 August 2010, three people drove a three-wheeled vehicle into a crowd in the city of Aksu, Xinjiang, killing 8 and wounding 15. Officials categorized this attack as falling under the "three forces" of separatists, extremists and terrorists.

• On 18 July 2011, 18 people died when 18 young Uyghur men stormed a police station in the city of Hotan and killed two security guards by stabbing and lobbing molotov cocktails. They occupied the police station, took eight hostages, and smashed and set fire to the police station. Shouting slogans and unfurling banners with Jihadi writing, they refused to peacefully negotiate and engaged in a firefight with police. The attack ended within 90 minutes when police shot 14 attackers dead. Authorities detained four attackers and rescued six hostages, but were unable to save two. A regional spokesperson called the incident "a long-planned, unprovoked, terrorist attack" by "religious extremists". Authorities have discovered the membership of two of the 18 men in an ETIM-led group and the ETIM later claimed responsibility for the attack.

• On 30 and 31 July 2011, 23 people died in additional terrorist attacks in the city of Kashgar. On the first day, two Uyghur men hijacked a truck, ran it into a crowded street, and started stabbing people, killing nine, until they were overpowered by the crowd, who killed one attacker. On the second day, the premature explosion of two car bombs intended for a dapanji restaurant killed four people. The 12 would-be car-bombers abandoned their original plan and instead stormed the restaurant with knives, killing 13 people. A firefight ensued with police capturing the group and killing seven attackers. ETIM later claimed responsibility for the attack, confirming that one of the suspects who escaped (but was later shot by police) had received training in ETIM camps in Pakistan.

International cooperation

Kyrgyzstan

The Chinese and Kyrgyz governments increased security along their borders with each other and Tajikistan on 11 January 2007 after Chinese government officials expressed concern that "international terrorists" were traveling through Xinjiang and Central Asia to carry out attacks. The warning followed a high-profile raid on a training camp in Akto County, Xinjiang run by East Turkestan Islamic Movement members. General Sadyrbek Dubanayev, deputy chief of Kyrgyzstan's border guards, said, "After the announcement of the special operation by the Chinese side, we briefed everyone and then Kyrgyzstan and China decided to increase security along the border."

Afghanistan

Chinese Communist Party leader Jia Qinglin said on 22 January 2007, "China appreciates Afghanistan's valuable support on such issues concerning China's core interests as Taiwan, human rights and fighting 'East Turkestan' terrorists." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao said, "There should not be double standards in counterterrorism. At the same time, no country wants to see another Al Qaeda in China."

Kazakhstan

The Government of Kazakhstan has consistently extradited Uyghur terrorist suspects to China and in 2006 participated in a large-scale, joint counter-terrorism drill.

Chinese President Hu Jintao led a 150-person delegation to Kazakhstan on 2 July 2005 after visiting Moscow, Russia for four days. The Chinese Government issued a press release saying the Chinese-Kazakh energy and security "relationship deepens constantly." Upon arriving Hu met with President Nazarbayev in an official ceremony. They discussed anti-terrorism, energy, and transportation.

The Governments of China and Kazakhstan held an anti-terror drill, known as the "Tian-Shan-1-2006" drill, from 24–26 August 2006, starting in Almaty, Kazakhstan and ending in Xinjiang, China through the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The drill is the first time China and Kazakhstan have held anti-terrorism maneuvers. The Collective Security Treaty Organization held exercises in the Caspian Sea simultaneously.

The simulation lasted for three days and involved Kazakh forces from border patrol, the Interior Ministry, and the Emergency Situations Ministry, and Chinese law enforcement forces and security services. 700 police officials used armed helicopters and anti-riot vehicles to force the 'enemy' into a narrow valley along the border of Kazakhstan and Xinjiang, China after rescuing 'hostages'. About 100 observers from other SCO nation-members attended the exercises. The first day of exercises began in Almaty and ended in Yining, a city in Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. When officials of Radio Free Europe contacted the Foreign and Defense Ministries of both nations, inquiring about the exercises, Islam Dosmailuly, a spokesman for Kazakhstan's National Security Committee, told them he did not "know if will or not. I'm waiting for information. If gets here, we'll certainly comment on it. But, for now, I have no information." Xinhua reported that the policemen practiced freeing hostages.

Some analysts said the simulation practiced securing the Atasu-Alashankou pipeline, which sends petroleum from Kazakhstan to refineries in Xinjiang. Kazakhstan sends about 3.5 million tons through the pipeline annually and wants to increase output to 20 million tons.

Konstantin Syroyezhkin, a senior analyst at Kazakhstan's Strategic Studies and Research Institute, said "there are many common threats and these are already. There is drug trafficking, immigration, and religious extremism and political extremism. There are a number of threats. And these are counter-terrorism exercises, international terrorism. Why should they not hold them? Look, there's a mess in Afghanistan; there must be some mutual cooperation in that matter. And anyway, it is not the first time they have held such exercises. Last year, or before last year, it was organized as a planned maneuver, there is nothing suspicious about that." Kazakhstan has held joint counter-terrorism exercises with NATO under the Partnership for Peace program and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Meng Hongwei, Chinese Vice-Minister of Public Security and commander of the Chinese troops for the drill, warned that the "three evil forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism and increasing cross-border drug trafficking were affecting the region. Vice-Minister Hongwei said, "the exercise will help establish the SCO's active role in maintaining regional security and stability." SCO nation-members plan to hold another another series of anti-terrorism exercises in Russia in 2007. Vladimir Boshko, first vice-chairman of the Committee of the National Security of Kazakhstan, said the drill would improve anti-terror cooperation among SCO nation-members.

India

The Delhi summit on security took place on 14 February 2007 with the foreign ministers of China, India, and Russia meeting in Hyderabad House, Delhi, India to discuss terrorism, drug trafficking, reform of the United Nations, and the security situations in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and North Korea.

The Indian Foreign Ministry released a statement on behalf of all three governments saying, "We shared our thoughts on the political, economic and security aspects of the global situation, the present world order and recent developments in various areas of mutual concern. We agreed that co-operation rather than confrontation should govern approaches to regional and global affairs. There was coincidence of views against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and on the need to address financing of terrorism and its linkages with narco-trafficking."

See also

• Terrorism in Central Asia
• Terrorism in Russia
• 5 February 1992 Urumqi Bombings
• Crime in the People's Republic of China

References

1. Chung Chien-peng. "Confronting Terrorism and Other Evils in China: All Quiet on the Western Front?. In China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, Volume 4 Issue 2, pp 75–87. Accessed 2 January 2010.
2. Gus Martin, "Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues," (Sage Publications: 2003), ISBN 978-0761926160.
3. ^ Ogden, Suzanne. "Inoculation against Terrorism in China" in William J. Crotty ed. Democratic development and political terrorism: the global perspective. Northeaster, 2005.
4. Williamson, Myra (2009). Terrorism, war and international law: the legality of the use of force against Afghanistan in 2001. Ashgate Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 9780754674030.
5. Schmid, Alex P. (2011). "The Definition of Terrorism". The Routledge Handbook of Terrorism Research. Routledge. p. 39. ISBN 0-203-82873-9.
6. Martha Crenshaw, “Terrorism in context,” (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995), ISBN-10: 0271010150.
7. Williamson, Myra (2009). Terrorism, war and international law: the legality of the use of force against Afghanistan in 2001. Ashgate Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 9780754674030.
8. Amnesty International, "People’s Republic Of China: Uighurs Fleeing Persecution As China Wages Its ‘War On Terror’", 7 July 2004.
9. ^ Ananth Krishnan, Concern as China mulls over anti-terror laws, The Hindu, 26 October 2011.
10. ^ BBC News, China draft bill defines terrorism amid 'real threat', 25 October 2011.
11. "China identifies Eastern Turkistan terrorist organizations, terrorists". GlobalSecurity.org. 16 December 2003. Retrieved 2 January 2010. BEIJING, 15 Dec. (Xinhuanet) – China's Ministry of Public Security Monday issued a list of the first batch of identified "Eastern Turkistan" terrorist organizations and 11 members of the groups. This is the first time China issued a list of terrorist organizations and terrorists.
12. ^ British Broadcasting Corporation, "China issues 'terrorist' list", 15 December 2003.
13. ^ "Tibetan Newspaper Sabotaged; Lama's House Bombed". TibetInfoNet. 28 January 1996. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
14. ^ "Bomb at Government Offices Wounds 5 in Tibetan Capital". The New York Times. 30 December 1996. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
15. ^ Hilton, Isabel (2001). The Search for the Panchen Lama. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 295.
16. "Bomb Explodes outside Lhasa Party Headquarters". Tibet Information Network. 22 March 1996. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
17. Buckley, Michael (2006). Tibet. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 133.
18. Poole, Teresa (30 December 1996). "Tibetan activists set off Lhasa bomb". The Independent. UK. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
19. ^ British Broadcasting Service, China 'anti-terror' raid kills 18, 8 January 2007.
20. Report: China thwarts two terrorist attacks CNN
21. Nagpal, Sahil (8 August 2008). "Terrorists issue new Olympic threat, US analysts say". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
22. Edward Wong, "Doubt arises in account of an attack in China", New York Times, 29 September 2008.
23. ^ Moore, Malcolm (10 August 2008). "China beefs up security in Kuqa after new terror attack". The Daily Telegraph. Urumqi. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
24. Parry, Richard Lloyd (11 August 2008). "China's Uighur rebels switch to suicide bombs". The Sunday Times. UK. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
25. "Blasts, gunfire kill at least eight in China's far west (2nd roundup)". Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 10 August 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
26. "Three dead as unrest flares in Xinjiang". Daily Times. 13 August 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
27. "Truck explosion injures 20 at Beijing security checkpoint 17 Aug". BBC Monitoring. Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
28. "Two policemen killed in Xinjiang attack". Sina.com. 29 August 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
29. "Hong Kong rights group reports bus blast in China's Harbin 30 August". BBC Monitoring. Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. 1 September 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
30. "Xinjiang continues to face threats of terrorism". China Daily. Urumqi. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 5 November 2010.
31. Olesen, Alexa (19 July 2011). "China says 14 extremists killed in Xinjiang attack". Associated Press. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
32. Shao, Wei (21 July 2011). "Attack on police station was 'long-planned". China Daily. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
33. Rajan, D.S.; Tiku, Ashok (29 July 2011). "Understanding the Hotan (Xinjiang) Riot in China". Chennai: Sri Lanka Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
34. ^ "Islamic militant group 'behind Xinjiang attacks'". BBC News. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
35. Cheng, Yongsun; Yu, Xiaodong (2011). "The Bloody Weekend". News China: 23–25. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
36. Zenn, Jacob (2 September 2011). "Catch-22 of Xinjiang as a gateway". Kashgar: Asia Times. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
37. China: Border security tightened amid 'terrorist infiltration' warning RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
38. Terrorism a 'core' issue for China New Kerala
39. Kazakhstan exacerbates "religious threat" by maneuvering between Beijing and Washington Jamestown Foundation
40. ^ Kazakstan Joins China on Counter-Terror Exercise Uyghur American Association
41. China's Hu Arrives In Kazakhstan To Talk Terrorism Space War
42. ^ China/Kazakhstan: Forces Hold First-Ever Joint Terrorism Exercises Uyghur American Association
43. China and Kazakhstan hold war games Global Research Center for Research on Globalization
44. China, Kazakhstan hold anti-terrorism drill The Boston Globe
45. ^ Anti-terror drill targets '3 evil forces' Uygur American Association
46. ^ 'Big three' hold key Delhi talks BBC News
47. Foreign Ministers of India, China, Russia meet to take forward strategic ties New Kerala

External links

• NAPSNet Daily Report Northeast Asia Peace and Security Network
• Senior Chinese official issues Bush rebuke
• China's terror list and its implications
• Explosions in Xinjiang
• Pakistan hands over Muslim separatist leader-China
• Al-Qaeda's China problem
• China's Post 9/11 Terrorism Strategy
• Five Lessons from China's War on Terror
• Violent Separatism in Xinjiang

• Use dmy dates from March 2012
• Terrorism in China
• Foreign relations of the People's Republic of China
• Terrorism by country