At least 10 men wielding long knives began indiscriminately attacking pedestrians in the waiting hall of Kunming Railway Station yesterday around 9:20 pm. The initial death and injury count vary, but the latest from Xinhua places the number at 29 dead and more than 130 injured. (Others put the number as high as 33.) Official reports say Xinjiang separatist forces are responsible for this “3-1 terrorist attack.”
Police reportedly shot dead five attackers at the scene and are searching for the others. Chinese president Xi Jinping put out a statement calling for an all-out effort to find and “punish the terrorists in accordance with the law.”
The attack coincides with the arrival of deputies from around the country to Beijing for the second session of the 12th NPC, which opens on March 5.
Some graphic photos have been collected on Liveleak.
UPDATE, 3/2, 3:42 pm: Since more than a few people have brought this up, let me address this above the comment section: the quote marks around “terrorists” are not meant to imply the attack somehow doesn’t fit the literal definition of terrorism. It plainly does. But if the marks are guilty of making any implication, it’s that there’s a conversation to be had, at the appropriate time, about the word itself — how we use it, how governments use it, how the media uses it. Of course, many other issues are at play. Kaiser Kuo has begun a compelling conversation on Facebook, which you can join here.
Muslims really know how to make friends world wide.
I hope the western media do not paint this as justifiable because if they do they should take a long look at them selves.
The western media had a meeting. They decided they weren’t going to do that.
Was that before or after Muslims had a meeting about their friend- making strategy?
I think it was after, actually. But it was a little bit before Chinese People had their meeting to agree that the CCP is doing a jolly good job and should continue unopposed for the next 5000 years. But it was before the meeting where the whole world agreed that any negative comments about the Chinese government were unanimously decreed to be “China Bashing”and should be treated with disdain. I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s meeting where we declare “Foreign” to be a country and everyone not from China to be of that nationality.
I just farted and some poo came out.
Folks, people are dead. Can we keep the dick-waving down, please?
Why would “terrorist attack” be between quotation marks? What ever purpose or what ever reason these guys had, this is obviously a entirely random stabbing of people aimed to create fear, right? The fact that the CPC hasn’t been nice to these folks doesn’t change that, does it?
Why would “terrorist attack” be between quotation marks?
From a tendency by the CCP to immediately categorise political unrest by ethnic groups as “terrorist attacks”. A bunch of ethnic Xinjiang youth go and beat the crap out of police with sticks = Terrorist attack. A Tibetan monk sets himself on fire = Terrorism. A middle aged Han goes on a shooting spree with a hunting rifle = Not Terrorist. A large group of Han go absolutely mental at the Japanese embassy = Not terrorism.
As this was clearly a premeditated, organised and mass incident with the intent to cause terror and widespread loss of life, this is clearly a terrorist attack and should not have quotation marks.
Agree with your final comment. The use of quotes wasn’t to imply it wasn’t (i.e. a heinous premeditated targeting of innocent civilians to provoke terror), but to highlight that official media was officially labeling it that.
The eighurs have been trampled on, just like the Tibetans, over the years by the CPC, including denial of religious & cultural practises, discrimination in the work place, and a not so subtle genocide, particularly Tibet. One should therefore understand the frustration and anger effected. However, slashing to bloody death completely innocent lower strata citizens – the richer ones travel through airports, is absolutely unforgivable and brings nothing but disdain on their “cause”, no matter how its labeled. Support and sympathies evaporated by this singular act of lunacy. It almost looks as if its scripted by the CPC to completely turn public opinion against the “cause”.
I am suspicious of who these people are/were…I think we can all agree that the government is going to label them quickly and without much thought.
Yet oddly we don’t see the same level of violence from either the Hui or the other Turkic Islamic groups in Xinjiang. One of he repeated grievances raised is that under Chinese law people can’t be inducted into a religion until they’re legally adult; another is that they’re prevented from taking funds from abroad, particularly our old friends in Saudi.
To Brido. Could be one of the 2 reasons why the Hui & other Muslims are not reacting as violently :- 1.) The eighurs are traditionally more aggressive than the others, 2.) The eighurs have been trampled & suppressed more by the hans. I think 1.) is the more compelling reasons.
Bunch of Han Chinese get into a brawl on an airplane sitting on the tarmac because they’re getting agitated by the wait and scaring the rest of the passengers.
“Terrorism” or just “assholism”??
BOTH