Why terrorists attack Kunming?

It has been confirmed that the violent terror attack on March 1, which left at least 29 civilians dead and more than 130 others injured, was carried out by Uygur terrorists. Despite the wide coverage of the attack, many questions remain unanswered, and most importantly, why Kunming has been chosen as the target?

A scared Chinese passenger talks on her mobile phone at Kunming Railway Station after the violent terrorist attack in Kunming, Yunnan province, March 1, 2014. Provided to China Daily

Ying Zhuo, a military expert, said in an interview with China Youth Daily website, "It can be easily found and intercepted if terrorists fly from Xinjiang to an inland city, especially given the strict security check at the airport. But it is a different story if they travel by road and railway from Xinjiang to Kunming. Kunming is a popular destination for both Chinese and foreign tourists and anyone who travels on China's rail and bus systems knows the security check is extremely lax. So personally, I believe that's why terrorists chose Kunming as their target of attack."

Liu Jian, deputy head of People's Liberation Army Military Equipment Institute, said that Kunming is located in the southwestern region, where security is lax, which has made the city an easy target for the assailants. They take advantage of the security loophole to organize the attack to disrupt social safety order and put a spoke in the wheel of China's economic development.

Zhu Weiqun, director of the Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said the terrorist attack is in violation of the common interests of all the ethnic people. It is totally wrong if we blame the attack on some ethnic group or equate any ethnicity with terrorism, which will only serve the interest of those who attempt to separate China from within. Only by unifying all the Chinese people to combat terrorism can we thwart their attempt to split Xinjiang from China, he said.