Updating legislation

In his government work report to this year's NPC session on March 5, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said that the government will strengthen comprehensive maintenance of public order, crack down on violent terrorist crimes, safeguard China's national security, create public order and work together to ensure public security in the country.

"The fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism is not about ethnic issues, religion or cultural differences. They are enemies of people of all ethnic groups," said Saimati Muhammat, a Uygur major general and Deputy Commander of the Xinjiang Military Area Command, "The battle is complicated, harsh, fierce and cruel."

Violent terrorist attacks have been increasing since 2009 and have become the biggest security threat to Xinjiang.

Some 190 terrorist attacks were recorded in Xinjiang in 2012, increasing by a significant margin from 2011, according to the regional public security department.

The most violent terrorist attack that had caused most civilian deaths prior to the attack in Kunming happened in June 2013 in Lukqun Township, Turpan Prefecture in Xinjiang, when 24 people were killed and 23 others were injured by terrorists.

On October 28 last year, a jeep crashed at downtown Beijing's Tiananmen Square, causing five deaths and 40 injuries. Police found gasoline, two knives and steel sticks as well as a flag with extremist religious content in the jeep. The police later identified the deadly crash as a violent terrorist attack. The ETIM, listed by the United Nations Security Council as a terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The attack in Kunming has raised questions about why it would be chosen as a location for such an act.

"It is easier for the terrorists to go to Kunming from Xinjiang than to other major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. As a tourist destination, no terrorism had taken place in Kunming before, so security is not as intense as in other places," said Yin Zhuo, a retired Navy general. "We should launch a nationwide campaign against such terrorist activities and resolutely fight terrorism."

Yin calls for legislation against terrorism as soon as possible and many other experts have echoed his idea.

China already has a legal framework for the efforts against terrorism based on the Constitution, the Criminal Code and the Extradition Law, but much more needs to be done, according to Zhu Yilong, a CPPCC National Committee member. The NPC Standing Committee adopted a decision to improve anti-terrorism work in October 2011, but it was never made into a law.

"We advise the NPC to make special arrangements for anti-terrorism legislation," said Zhou Hanmin, a legal expert and CPPCC National Committee member.

Dilnar Abdulla, a Uygur NPC deputy, said that improving anti-terrorism legislation is definitely necessary, adding that she hopes people would realize terrorists' "ulterior secessionist motive and the destructive nature of their acts."

Nurlan Abdumankin, a CPPCC National Committee member from Xinjiang, also urged in-depth studies on the issue of religious extremism.

"The rise of religious extremist activities has instigated ethnic secessionist thought and terrorist acts. Such thought has been used to radicalize people to commit crimes of terror," said Nurlan Abdumankin.

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