China Arrests 380 Terror Suspects in First Month of Crackdown
Bianca Ortega | | Jun 23, 2014 05:51 AM EDT |
(Photo : Reuters) Paramilitary policemen and police officers "arrest" a man acting as an attacker with a knife during an anti-terrorism drill in Rugao, Jiangsu province.
China has arrested around 380 suspects within the first month of its one-year crackdown on terrorism amidst the government's effort to reduce the number of violent attacks in the Xinjiang province.
The Chinese government had launched a campaign against terrorist after a deadly attack occurred on a market in Urumqi, Xingjiang. Since then, 32 "violent terrorist" gangs have been broken up, according to a China Central Television (CCTV) report cited by South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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Last month, attackers riding two vehicles left 39 people dead in one of the most high-profile attacks suspected to have been carried out by Xinjiang militants. In the last few months, these attacks have occurred outside of the western region with the targets shifting from government officials to ordinary citizens.
A day after the market attack in Urumqi, Beijing announced a crackdown and punishment for "terrorists and extremists" under a year-long campaign. This crackdown also targets manufacturers of guns and explosives and "terrorist training camps."
CCTV also reported the confiscation of 264 devices that could potentially detonate 3.15 tons of explosive.
Xinjiang is home to China's Muslim Uygur minority group, and the violent attacks in the region are largely due to ethnic tensions.
The report did not reveal the ethnicities of the arrested suspects.
Last week, 13 people were executed for "terrorist attacks" in the same region. Three other suspects were sentenced to death for a fiery car crash at the Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
In May, Xinjiang authorities conducted a mass trial for the sentencing of 55 people for various offenses including terrorism.
The most recent confirmed violent attack in the country occurred on Saturday when 13 people drove into a police establishment outside Hotan and caused an explosion. The suspects were shot dead by police.
According to exile groups, the main causes of tension are cultural oppression, intrusive security rules by the Chinese government, and immigration by the Han ethnic majority. The latter is said to have caused decades of discrimination and prejudice in economic status.
Beijing, on the other hand, says the Chinese government has helped uplift Xinjiang's living standards and its economy.
TagsAnti terror, Crackdown, arrests, suspects, Xinjiang attack
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