China asks Xinjiang govt to toughen punishment for terrorists

Beijing: Stepping up security in restive Xinjiang province after a series of blasts in the provincial capital Urumqi, China has asked the local administration to severely punish the “terrorists” responsible for the attack. [caption id=“attachment_1538973” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Policemen inspect the bomb blast site. AFP[/caption] At least 31 people were killed and 90 others injured in the explosions in an open-air market in Urumqi, the bloodiest “terror” attack in recent years blamed on radical separatists. Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun called for doing utmost to treat the injured, and severely punishing those terrorists. Guo, also a state councillor and leader of the national anti-terrorism leadership group, went to Urumqi immediately after the attack yesterday. Evidence on the scene of the crime showed that it was a premeditated and organised terrorist attack, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. After checking the scene and learning the process of the crime, Guo held a meeting in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region’s publicity department, deploying the investigation of the case. He said the incident showed the terrorists’ nature of anti-human and anti-society, calling for making a thorough investigation of the case quickly, and severely punishing the terrorists in accordance with law. “The case warned us that we should keep a vigilant eye on anti-terrorist work, and take an iron-handed attitude to launch a special campaign against terrorism in Xinjiang,” Guo said. Guo visited the hospital where the injured were admitted and urged medical staff and related departments to spare no efforts to treat the injured people. Guo also called on local administration to make all out efforts to safeguard social stability, strengthen integrated prevention and control measures, and further screen potential dangers. He also called for strengthened armed patrol in crowded places, control of dangerous and explosive items, and severely punish all kinds of serious crimes. Guo urged the local authorities to rely on the people and the grassroots. Last night, Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China, held an emergency video conference to address the Xinjiang incident. Meng called for a more resolute attitude and more forceful measures to be taken to crack down on terrorists. PTI