China’s state media calls for strong action on Tiananmen attack

Chinese state media demanded severe punishment on Thursday for those behind what China has said is a holy war aimed at Beijing, which it has blamed on Islamist militants from the restive Xinjiang region.

The exiled leader of Xinjiang’s Muslim Uygur minority called for an independent probe into a crash on Monday when an SUV burst into flames after being driven into a crowd in Tiananmen Square, one of China’s most closely guarded areas. The three occupants of the vehicle and two bystanders were killed, and dozens were injured.

US-based Rebiya Kadeer said she did not believe any kind of organised extremist Islamic movement was operating in Xinjiang, a view shared by rights groups and some experts.

“It is almost impossible for Uygurs to organise because of China’s stringent controls and attacks,” she said in an interview.

But police said Monday’s incident was a carefully planned and organised “terrorist attack” carried out by people from Xinjiang. They announced they had apprehended five accomplices in Beijing who they said were Islamist militants planning a holy war. Their names suggest they are Uygurs.

Such an attack is a crime against humanity, the city’s official said in a commentary. The government should spare no effort to ensure Beijing’s safety, it added.