Counter terror(3)

CORDONED OFF: Police officers block a road leading to the scene of explosions set off by terrorists near a market in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on May 22 (CAO ZHIHENG)

According to figures released by the Xinjiang police force on May 25, 23 terrorist and religious extremist groups were taken down in the Hotan, Kashgar and Aksu prefectures earlier this month in a bust where more than 200 suspects were caught and more than 200 explosive devices were seized.

"The raids have been a deterrent to terrorists, and were also a concerted action to pressure others involved in terror activities to turn themselves in," said Xu Jianying, a research fellow with the Research Center for Chinese Borderland History and Geography at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Xu made the comments in response to an official statement issued on May 24 that called on those involved in terrorist activities to surrender to the authorities.

The statement stated that those involved in terror-related activities would be given mitigated punishments if they turn themselves in within 30 days. It also encouraged the public to notify the authorities of any information that they are able to provide.

Xu believes tip-offs and voluntary surrenders will lead to an intelligence boost for the authorities. "We can expect that these raids will last at least one or two more months," he said.

According to Xu, sometimes, local authorities only deal with terrorist attacks in a case-by-case manner. Xu commented that this method is incapable of rooting out the entire terrorist network.

The Xinjiang police force said that "uncompromising and innovative tactics" will be used in the ongoing anti-terror campaign. Some key figures related to terrorism and religious extremism will be put under control, and key villages and towns will be monitored and brought back under control, they added.

Yang Shu, Director of the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University in northwest China's Gansu Province, said that the move is aimed at rooting out religious extremism, the deep-rooted cause of Xinjiang's terrorist activity. "Ring leaders may be able to identify those who have already participated in the spreading of religious extremism or those who are likely to be approached, such as unemployed youngsters," Yang said.

Li Wei, an anti-terrorism expert at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, shared similar sentiments, adding that some villages where illegal preaching activities are prevalent will also be targeted.

"However, despite the emphasis of the uncompromising crackdown, the campaign will still be carried out within the framework of law," Li said, regarding it as a strengthening of existing measures.