China: Search for the Kunming bus bombers

Following the bus explosions in Kunming yesterday, a report from a local news website there on the armed police roadside ID checks has been made a feature story on Netease's news page, photos included:

While there isn't space for comments on the original Kunming-based Cailong China story, the number found on the Netease version is growing quickly:

网易内蒙古赤峰网友 ip:222.74.*.*:
2008-07-22 15:57:04 发表
抓住他们,杀无赦

Inner Mongolia:
Arrest them, kill them, pardon none

网易河北唐山网友 ip:121.20.*.*:
2008-07-22 15:58:03 发表
板凳?

Hebei:
No trial?

网易陕西西安网友 ip:125.76.*.*:
2008-07-22 16:08:25 发表
这些家伙太可恶了
一定要严查,解决打击这些社会败类
向遇难的同胞默哀!

Shaanxi:
These guys are too evil
They must carry out strict checks, and take care of these society-attacking scum
To my suffering compatriots, I salute you!

网易山东菏泽网友 ip:219.146.*.*:
2008-07-22 16:28:31 发表
不顾百姓安危搞恐怖事件的极端分子讲会受到全世界人民的惩罚。
支持的顶起

Extremists who disregard public safety and carry out terrorist activities will be punished by all the people of the world.
Click ‘Support’ if you agree.

Danwei and Shanghaiist have as usual been on top of the news. Shanghaiist links to a GoKunming post which looks at the possibility that there were actually three explosions yesterday; a commenter at Danwei puts forward a rumor that there as many as five. Also in the comments on Danwei's post is active China expat blog commenter Spelunker, who notes the wording of an SMS text message which Kunming police have already confirmed was sent out prior to the first blast:

Evidently somebody in Kunming sent the following text message warning around 5:30 am before the bombings:

“蝼蚁总动员……希望收到此短信的市民,不要在明天早上乘坐54、64、及84路工(公)交车……”
The Guardian translates it into English as:
“The general mobilisation of ants… (I) hope citizens receiving this message will not take bus lines 54, 64 and 84 tomorrow morning,”

Speculation so far on motive for the attack seems to have painted a group of disgruntled rubber farmers not far from Kunming as the top suspects, so how do…ants figure in? Ants??

11 comments

  • Spelunker

    Thank you for mentioning my Danwei comment. I’ll give Global Voices the latest scoop this time. It’s not easy to monitor breaking news in China, as seen in the Liaoning Yilishen ant farm story that you provided with the “Ants??” link.
    This Kunming case is particularly frustrating because one would assume that the “ant mobilization” text messages are saved on a number of Kunming citizens cell phones. I have yet to find actual photos of the message on any Chinese news or blog site, but I’m still searching.
    Kunming police chief Du Min (who is also the city’s vice mayor) is now denying the existence of any text message warning.
    This is currently being reported in Hong Kong newspapers as well, including “Ming Bao”.
    Du Min also says the Kunming bus explosions have no proven links to the Yunnan rubber farmers or to any anti-Olympics terrorism.
    Here are the relevant links:

    http://news.aol.com/story/_a/no-evidence-of-terrorist-link-in-china/n20080722054209990001?ecid=RSS0001

    http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2008-07/170095.html

    http://www.mpinews.com/htm/INews/20080722/ca22014c.htm

  • Spelunker

    Thank you for mentioning my comment on Danwei, but now it appears that the text message might be a rumor. Police chief Du Min, who is also Kunming’s vice mayor, denied the existence of the “ants” text message. Here are the related links from Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Boston:

    http://www.mpinews.com/htm/INews/20080722/ca22014c.htm

    http://www.shanghaidaily.com/article/?id=367846&type=National

    http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2008/07/22/chinese_find_no_links_between_bus_blasts_olympics/

    I am still trying to find a photograph of the original text message on Chinese news sites and blogs. It’s so difficult to monitor breaking news in China, as the story in your link (Ants??) to the Liaoning Yilishen ant farmers incident shows as well.

  • Spelunker

    Here’s the latest scoop: this photo of the text message just appeared on Shanghai’s Oriental Morning Post and Sina.com from 2 Oriental Morning Post reporters based in Kunming (Zhou Wen Tian and Zhao Jing):

    http://www.dfdaily.com/node2/node1430/userobject1ai104308.shtml

    http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2008-07-23/062814204038s.shtml

    I knew this was probably going to happen; how can anybody deny a text message exists and not understand basic cell phone technology?

  • Knights

    I do NOT think they are farmers. I’d like to link the bus explosion incidents to tibetan youth congress, dalai, bush, brown, sakozy, and merkel et al. If the west did not support dalai in the first place, do you think we would see bomb explosions recently?

  • The Bishop

    I would like to link the Wenchuan earthquake to Sichuan people who boycotted French goods. There’s an ordinary young girl in Liaoning who agrees with me: 你知道这个地震呢到底怎么回事儿呢? 我分析吧, 就是说人吧,做事儿呢不能太过分。
    你知道吧, 象你们四川吧, 前一阵儿不都抵制法国货吗。。。

    Why are you talking about western support for the Dalai Lama when everybody knows that the Lhasa riots in March were started by Bjork? By the way, June 4 Tiananmen Square’s tragedy was linked to Mikhail Gorbachev and the Kunming bus explosions are linked to a 普洱茶 tea salesman.

  • Knights

    biship/bullshit, welcome to the dalai clique

  • Knights

    conversation between bush, pelosi, and dalai about the bus bombings

    Dalai: I instructed the rioters to kill in the March Lhasa riot, and I regret it so much. One day back in April, Budha came to my dream and told me what I did was against humanity. Please no more killings. I veto bus bombings. I should NOT have listened to you two.

    Bush: Dude, relax, come on I legally killed one million of those muslim scums. The Americans still support me and like me. I feel great for being a Bush, because I can preach human rights violation and bully China about it. On the other hand I can kill legally and get away with it.
    I thought I was just dreaming, but those European nutheads actually followed my lead on bullying the 2008 olympics. Ha, a bunch of ginea pigs!

    So what’s it gonna cost bombing two bus-loads of brainless chinks???? It’s less than 1 millionth of a penny compared with the Iraq war.

    Pelosi: [giggles] I like the choice of words.

    Dalai: Hey that’s NOT nice. I am not Han, but I still have yellow skin and dark hair and dark brown eyes. Should I remind you that I am oriental/Asian race.

    Pelosi: Well, you do not want to be Han, and neither are you Indian. You are in between. Hm, let’s call you Sand-Nigger Chinks for half Indian and half Han.

    Bush: Of all the botox-injected-face mistresses I have, you are my favorite. Come here for hug bitch!

    Dalai: you are so racists.

    Bush and Pelosi: [laughing at the same] (Nance’s face hardly moves becaues of too much botox) what do you expect? We are the God-send superior race. It’s our job to watch you low-life monkeys.

    Dalai: I thought I teach you both that Budha believes all beings are created equal.

    Bush: [cracking up]

    Pelosi: [rolles her eyes] You actually think we buy that? Come on Dalai, we only used you to tick off China for our sakes. You naive sand-nigger chinky monk.

    Bush: getting back to bus bombings. Do not back out now. Without me and my financial supports, do you think you can be famous?

    Dalai: [hesitates] you are putting me on the spotlight again. Dam you Anglo! Alright, but promise me this is the last time that we kill people.

    Bush: [rolled his eyes] No, if killing can bring usa benefits, I will do it. My ancestors and predecessors have killed and killed to claim this land. We will not stop bloodshed in the name of making the world the white men’s world. And that’s my forthfathers’, mine, and our future presidents’ duty to kill in order to sustain the wealth of this country.

    Dalai: [sighs] Buddha, when will humanity sufferring end????

  • Knights, you know the rules. Mocking names is not cool.

  • Cam

    Hmm, Yunnan separatists?

  • the use of 蝼蚁 (louyi – ‘mule crickets and ants’) in the alleged text message was translated as “ants”, but it could also be translated as “nobodies”, ie “the general mobilization of nobodies”. for me, this makes more sense within the context of the bus bombings.

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