No let-up in fight against 'forces of terror'
By Xing Zhigang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-03-08 09:04

Xinjiang's top political and military leaders have pledged a further crackdown against East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) terrorists in a bid to safeguard the security and prosperity of the region.

Two armed policemen arrest a "terrorist" during a joint anti-terrorism exercise involving China and Kazakhstan in Yining, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. [China Daily]

Nur Bekri, the newly elected chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, said on Friday that the forces of terror, separatism and extremism had recently become more active in planning violent activities.

"Although we have achieved some initial success, we will never slacken in our fight against these evil forces," he told China Daily.

"We should stay on high alert all the time to crush any attempt to damage Xinjiang's development and stability."

Bekri, a deputy to the 11th NPC, made the remarks on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the top legislature.

He acknowledged that terrorism, separatism and extremism remain the greatest threats to the region's development.

"But we have the capability and confidence to safeguard our country's territorial integrity and ethnic unity," he said.

Xinjiang, with a population of more than 20 million, including 12 million people from ethnic minorities, accounts for about one-sixth of China's territory and is three times the size of France.

The region, which borders central Asia, has been suffering frequent sabotage from separatist forces.

Hou Xiaoqin, political commissar of the Xinjiang Armed Police Regiment, said the major threat comes from ETIM, which was listed as a terrorist group by the United Nations and the United States in 2002.

"As the country's front line in battling terrorism and separatism, Xinjiang's anti-terrorism fight is of crucial importance to the stability of the whole country," the senior officer said.

ETIM has been responsible for more than 200 violent incidents, including explosions, assassinations, arson, poisonings and assaults in Xinjiang and other areas between 1990 and 2001, killing 162 people and injuring 440.

The Ministry of Public Security placed ETIM, which is pursuing an independent "Eastern Turkistan", on a list of "East Turkistan" terrorist organizations in 2003.

Mamat Hasan, deputy political commissar of Xinjiang Military Command, said ETIM, which has links with foreign terrorist groups, is "manipulated and controlled by some foreign forces hostile to China".

Early last year, Xinjiang police raided an ETIM terrorist training camp, killing 18 terrorists and arresting 17 others. The camp was located on the Pamir Plateau in Xinjiang, near the borders of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan.

A large amount of evidence, including items seized in that raid, showed that the ETIM is connected with international terrorist forces, the Ministry of Public Security later said.

Hou said his troops have boosted their anti-terror capabilities by staging more anti-terror and anti-hijacking drills, and installing more advanced anti-terror equipment.

He warned that any terrorist activities aimed at sabotaging Xinjiang's stability will be dealt "a deadly blow".