China asks Xinjiang govt to toughen punishment for terrorists

Beijing: Stepping up security in restiveXinjiang province after a series of blasts in the provincialcapital Urumqi, China has asked the local administration toseverely 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 inthe 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 doingutmost to treat the injured, and severely punishing thoseterrorists.Guo, also a state councillor and leader of the nationalanti-terrorism leadership group, went to Urumqi immediatelyafter the attack yesterday.Evidence on the scene of the crime showed that it was apremeditated and organised terrorist attack, state-run Xinhuanews agency reported.After checking the scene and learning the process of thecrime, Guo held a meeting in Xinjiang Uygur AutonomousRegion's publicity department, deploying the investigation ofthe case.He said the incident showed the terrorists' nature ofanti-human and anti-society, calling for making a thoroughinvestigation of the case quickly, and severely punishing theterrorists in accordance with law."The case warned us that we should keep a vigilant eye onanti-terrorist work, and take an iron-handed attitude tolaunch a special campaign against terrorism in Xinjiang," Guosaid.Guo visited the hospital where the injured were admittedand urged medical staff and related departments to spare noefforts to treat the injured people.Guo also called on local administration to make all outefforts to safeguard social stability, strengthen integratedprevention and control measures, and further screen potentialdangers.He also called for strengthened armed patrol in crowdedplaces, control of dangerous and explosive items, and severelypunish all kinds of serious crimes.Guo urged the local authorities to rely on the people andthe grassroots.Last night, Meng Jianzhu, head of the Commission forPolitical and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China,held an emergency video conference to address the Xinjiangincident.Meng called for a more resolute attitude and moreforceful measures to be taken to crack down on terrorists.PTI