China Blames “Xinjiang Terrorists” for Deadly Attack in Kunming  · Global Voices
Abby Liu

China’s officials have blamed militants from the western region of Xinjiang for the killings at a railway station in China’s Southwestern Kunming city. The attack on March 1, 2014, has left 29 dead and more than 130 injured according to state news agency Xinhua.
The attack coincides with the arrival of deputies from around the country to Beijing for the second session of the 12th NPC (National People’s Congress), the annual meeting of parliament, which opens on March 5.
The Kunming government says “evidence at the crime scene showed that the Kunming Railway Station terrorist attack was carried out by Xinjiang separatist forces.” State news agency Xinjiang described the incident as “an organized, premeditated violent terrorist attack”.
The Kunming attack has left 29 dead. (Photo from Sina Weibo)
It’s not the first time state media and local officials have defined violent incidents as Xinjiang terrorist activity. This official definition has turned random individual criminal acts into the collective responsibility of an ethnic minority and resulted in the labeling of its members as terrorist suspects. In October 2013, Chinese authorities called an ethnic Muslim Uyghur who plowed his car into a crowded part of Tiananmen Square a deadly terrorist act. After the Tiananmen crash, China has stepped up security in Xinjiang.
On Sina Weibo, the Kunming mass stabbing became the most discussed topic on March 2, 2014. Some witnesses described details of what happened, though many of the posts were quickly deleted.
While the government’s label of “Xinjiang terrorists” has triggered another round of irrational hatred for Xinjiang people among netizens, some intellectuals have warned not to put terrorist labels on Xinjiang people.
Outspoken journalist Li Chengpeng wrote[zh]:
无论是谁，无论出于何种目的，无论什么种族，选择火车站这种人流密集场所，目标对准无辜的平民，这等邪恶，这种不择手段制造影响，其心必诛，必下地狱
No matter who, for whatever reason, or of what race, chose somewhere so crowded as a train station, and made innocent people their target – they are evil and they should go to hell.
A native Xinjiang netizen “vicki” wrote:
从昨晚开始在各种网络媒体都看到昆明事件，为此感到非常难过，但是做为新疆人不得不声讨个别媒体同胞，恐怖分子是被世界所排斥的，不能够代表新疆一个地域！请大家别把屎盆子扣在自己同胞头上！新疆为昆明死难者默哀！
From last night we can see the Kunming incident on a variety of network and media, I feel very sad, but as someone from Xinjiang, I have to say something.  Terrorists are being rejected by the world, it cannot be representative of the whole Xinjiang region! Please do not put this label on your fellows! A moment of silence for the victims of Kunming from Xinjiang!
Media research expert “Du Zijian” wrote:
我不支持新闻媒体在报道中添加的“新疆”两个字。恐怖分子就是恐怖分子，是全人类的人渣；跟民族和地域都毫无关联。这个标签不对，这样的标签是一种地域撕裂甚至是民族撕裂。我反对！
I do not support the word “Xinjiang” in the news report. Terrorists are terrorists, the scum of humanity; it shouldn’t be related to a nation or a region. This tag is not right, such a label tears the whole nation apart. I object!
Online personality “Jiazhuang zap niuyue” wrote:
请不要把对恐怖分子的愤怒，扭曲成对一个民族的恐惧和隔膜，那正是他们想要的效果。请不要把对暴力的还击，扭曲成对一个民族的歧视和敌意，那正是他们想要的效果。
Please do not twist your outrage for the terrorist into the fear and segregation of a whole nation, that is what they want. Please do not twist your fight against the violence into discrimination and hostility of a nation, that is what they want.
Alternative blog Qiwenlv commented:
面对恐怖袭击，我们不应将此迁怒于新疆人或维吾尔族，而应该去审视造成这一切悲剧背后的根源。没有人希望看到无辜民众被恐怖分子屠杀，但是抛开事情的原因而仅仅追究结果，是找不到出路的。
In the face of terrorist attacks, we should not vent anger at Xinjiang people or Uighurs, but rather to examine the root cause behind this tragedy. No one wants to see innocent people being massacred by terrorists, but putting aside the reasons to pursue the result cannot find a way out.