Security cannot be challenged

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-07-08 07:43

Sunday's deadly riots in Urumqi claimed 156 innocent lives and left more than 1,000 injured, and shocked the world. The mayhem comes 16 months after the nightmarish Lhasa violence that is still fresh in many Chinese minds. "Not again," was how most of the people reacted on first getting the news of the Urumqi riots.

But when the rioters were killing innocent people with knives, batons, bricks and stones, torching vehicles, buildings and public facilities, many members of ethnic minority groups were helping some of the victims.

Love and humanity glittered amid the deadly violence. This is what human nature is all about. These brave people helped those who were attacked, and stopped passersby from going near violent spots.

The heroic deeds of these people, we hope, will remind the rioters and those who instigated them that they can only kill people but never achieve anything.

History has proven that social stability is a blessing and riots, a catastrophe. Innocent people always suffer the most when stability is broken, which often leads to social unrest and stagnates economic growth.

National unity and social stability are in the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, including the more than 21 million members of the ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Whoever is behind the riots, and whatever they intended to achieve by masterminding the bloodshed, they should know one thing: under no circumstances will killings and violence be tolerated, and national security challenged.

(China Daily 07/08/2009 page9)