Xinjiang on alert against overseas instigators

2014 two sessions

BEIJING - A top government official from far west China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region blamed the separatist activities in the ethnic area on overseas forces Thursday, saying that they will never achieve their purpose.

"We will be on high alert against those instigators. They are dreaming of splitting Xinjiang from our great motherland everyday, " Nur Bekri, chairman of the regional government, told reporters while attending the annual session of the country's top legislature in Beijing.

He vowed a resolute crackdown on separatism, terrorism and extremism in Xinjiang with an "iron fist."

"Terrorists do not stand for any ethnic group or any religion," he said, noting that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang strongly condemn any form of violence and terrorism.

Nur Bekri said that violent terrorist activities is becoming active in Xinjiang and the region enters a critical period in combating separatism.

His remarks came days after knife-wielding assailants killed 29 civilians and injured another 143 at a railway station in the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming. Evidences pointed the attack to terrorists from Xinjiang.

Nur Bekri also defended China's ethnic policy, calling it the best in the world.

"Some people are always pointing their fingers at China's ethnic policy. They must have ulterior motives," he said.