Fighting terrorism won’t affect ethnic relations in China

Islam,Terrorism and Jihad

18 Aug 2008, NewAgeIslam.Com

Fighting terrorism won't affect ethnic relations in China

BEIJING—The Chinese government's effort to fight terrorism would not affect relations among various ethnic groups in China, said an official here on Saturday. "To crack down on those terrorist activities in accordance with laws is conducive to uniting the Chinese people and safeguarding national unification," Mao Gongning, director of the Policy and Law Department with the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, told a press conference on the development of human rights for minor ethnic groups in China. "Terrorism is a criminal activity of very few people. It is not a problem related to ethnicity or religion," he said. The terrorist activities violate the law, and are against the will and interest of all nationalities in China. Terrorism is contrary to the state interest and is abhorred by people of all ethnic groups, said Mao. As a result, to crack down on terrorism according to the law has the wide support of the people, would help rally the people of all nationalities in China and protect the unity of the country, he said. He also said the Chinese government has for decades extended many preferential policies to help regions with ethnic minorities achieve better and faster development. "Those regions in which ethnic minorities live have undergone tremendous changes over the years, and relations among various nationalities have been consolidated and developed," he said.Stay calm, don't touch it, move away quickly and send a text message to police, possibly with a photograph. That's how police want people to respond when they see something that looks like a bag with explosives. The advice is part of a new anti-terrorism manual the Ministry of Public Security has prepared in the run-up to the Beijing Olympic Games. It is the first government warning that addresses the public and tells it how to tackle a situation in case of a terrorist attack. People have welcomed the new manual, available on the Internet and at some police stations from last weekend. "It's really a timely book. It tells us when and where to be aware of danger, and how to protect ourselves," Zhang Jun, head of the security staff of the Chengwaicheng Furniture Mall, said yesterday after getting a few copies of the manual from Xiaohongmen police station. Liu Wancheng, head of a neighborhood committee in Beijing's Fengtai district, said he would write the manual's warning tips and how to handle a potential attack on a blackboard. "I think the public should know about them." The manual tells people how to react during 39 possible situations, including an explosion, shooting, hijacking, and chemical or nuclear attack. "The book is practical. If people follow its instructions, they can escape or even prevent a terrorist attack," the public security ministry has said on its website. Terrorism remains a real threat to the Games. Only last week, Ma Zhenchuan, director of the Beijing public security bureau, said the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, labeled as a terrorist organization by the UN in 2002, poses a "real threat" to the Olympics because investigations show it has been plotting attacks on Olympic venues. Li Wei, director of the anti-terrorism research center of China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, said yesterday that the manual would raise public awareness on counter-terrorism. "Compared with hardware such as advanced weapons, software like public awareness and emergency plans are more important in the fight against terrorism," said Wang Dawei, a professor with the Chinese People's Public Security University. Li, however, said the manual could have provided more information on how to deal with public panic after an attack. "The book focuses too much on actions to be taken but doesn't tell people how to face their fears," he said. The public should not get paranoid. "Instead, we should feel confident (to face any situation)," he said. "Terrorists can be identified and nabbed if the public is vigilant."   —The Daily Mail, China Daily news exchange item   Copyright © 2008 The Daily Mail.  All rights reserved   View Source article: http://dailymailnews.com/200808/17/news/dmchinawatch03.html