Shocking Cases of Violence Across China This Year

Shocking Cases of Violence Across China This Year
Aug 06, 2014 By Danielle Martin , eChinacities.com

2014 has seen what appears to be an alarming increase in violence across China with a spate of terror attacks being carried out across the country. Perhaps most notably were the incidents in Kunming and Xinjiang, which came on the back of the Tiananmen Square car crash in October 2013, also deemed a terror plot. These are the infamous ones, which have garnered notoriety in the press for their viciousness and victim count. However, there have been other high profile violent events this year too that have shocked and appalled citizens across the country. Here, we’ve taken a look at some of the most notorious events to hit the headlines this year.

Violence in China
Photo: tomscy2000

With a history of unrest and tension in the Xinjiang region, there appears to have been an escalation in recent months. According to Dr Michael Clarke, an expert on China's Xinjiang region examining the issue on the BBC, there are various factors behind the rising Xinjiang-linked violence.  He states that:

“There are two possibilities that suggest themselves. The first relates to the role of what Beijing likes to term ‘hostile external influences’ in Xinjiang. This has focused on the potential influence of radical Islamist groups that Beijing has blamed for recent attacks, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) and the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) … The second possibility concerns the relationship between Chinese policy in Xinjiang and the apparent trend toward escalating violence. Beijing's goal since the region was incorporated into the PRC in 1949 has been to politically, economically and culturally integrate Xinjiang and its non-Han populations into the "unitary and multi-ethnic" Chinese state. It has sought to achieve this through a three-pronged strategy of repression, restriction and investment.”

1) Kunming Railway Station Stabbings
On the evening of March 1, 2014, a group identified as Xinjiang separatists entered Kunming railway station and began attacking passengers with knives, stabbing and slashing at them. A total of 29 people were killed and 143 were injured. In addition, four of the perpetrators were killed in the ensuing shootout with police. A further assailant was injured in the melee and detained, with another three being arrested a few days afterwards, bringing the total number of suspects to eight. Although no group claimed responsibility for the attacks, the government and various media outlets were quick to pinpoint “Uighur Muslims” and “Xinjiang Militants” as being to blame for the atrocity, which was quickly described as a ‘massacre.’ Chinese netizens took to social media platforms in their thousands calling it ‘3-01’ and ‘China’s 9/11’ – a term coined by Beijing daily newspaper, the Global Times. As devastating and upsetting as these stabbings were, it is an exaggeration to liken the atrocity to the September 11 terror attacks. 

2) Urumqi Bomb Attack (1)
Another incident linked to Xinjiang separatists was that of the Urumqi railway station terrorist attack on the evening of April 30 which saw three people killed and a further 79 injured by an unknown number of suspects (some reports suggest two) armed with knives who also detonated explosives. The group purported to be responsible was the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) who are also knows as the Turkestan Islamic Party (TIP) and Turkestan Islamic Movement (TIM). 

3) Urumqi Bomb Attack (2)
Just three weeks after the first atrocity, Urumqi – the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region – was further rocked by another deadly attack this time on the morning of May 22 in a busy market street serving a mix of Chinese and Uyghur ethnic minority people from the neighbourhood. Here, a group of five individuals (later understood to be suicide bombers) drove two SUV’s into the center of the market and began to throw explosives from the windows before crashing into each other and exploding. This has been by far the deadliest of the conflicts this year, with 43 people killed and more than 90 injured. Four of the attackers were killed in the head-on collision with the survivor being arrested on sight.

4) Customer Attacked in McDonalds by Cult Gang
Moving away from the terrorist attacks, another deplorable incident which made international headlines around the world was that of the attack on an innocent customer in McDonald’s in Zhaoyuan, Shangdong Province on the night of 28 May when she refused to give a stranger – one Mr Zhang – her phone number.  Initially, it was believed that the victim had spurned the attackers advances, but it was quickly realised that she was in fact being harassed by members of a cult calling themselves the ’All Powerful Spirit’ or ‘Church of Almighty God’ (translated from ‘Quannengshen’) who were believed to be trying to recruit her. When she refused to give them her phone number, she was beaten to death by the gang. Video and CCTV footage of the attack quickly went viral, with explicit, graphic images available for all to see.

What makes this particular incident all the more harrowing is that nobody in the restaurant intervened to help and as a tragic consequence, a young woman never made it home that evening to her family.  The group of six, four of whom were related, were arrested and charged over the death of the young Miss Wu.

5) Bus Explosions
Unfortunately for normal folk going about their daily business, there are lunatics in this world who like to inflict mass pain, panic and hysteria by involving not only themselves in their quest for notoriety and infamy but also hundreds of people around them. Gaining in somewhat morbid popularity appears to be the objective of blowing up or setting alight packed commuter buses in the throes of rush hour.

The first happened on July 5 in Hangzhou city, on a packed bus at 5pm that was carrying 80 people. A man deliberately poured a flammable liquid, thought to be banana oil, all over the floor and then set it alight right in the doorway, trapping everybody on the bus as the flames quickly engulfed the whole vehicle. An uploaded video from the security camera on board clearly shows the moment the man carried out the disturbing act. Thirty two people were injured, including the perpetrator himself, although miraculously nobody was killed.

The second incident happened just ten days later on the evening of July 15 in Guangzhou, where another man confessed to committing an arson attack on a bus that exploded, killing two people and injuring 32 more. 

These types of incidents do nothing to reassure the general public; most of whom, in this country of 1.4 billion souls, rely on public transport daily. Regrettably, these types of attacks are becoming a relatively regular occurrence in China and are commonly seen in media reports.  

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Keywords: Xinjiang violent events China violence across China

43 Comments

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Guest502498

Never understood why in China when one person or group of people does something really whacked out nowadays (not even counting the organized terror in Xinjiang Autonomous Region) there are always some copycats, usually soon afterward. This story actually seemed to forget to mention the worst of all the bus arsons -- the one in Fujian last year that killed almost 50 people (alongside a couple of others that year), but the copycats for those are even more frequent now. A few years ago the "popular" thing for lunatics to do was randomly stab people at elementary schools. Then all of a sudden they stopped doing that to make a "trend" of crowded bus burnings instead. So the whole thing is as bizarre as it is shocking. As for the "Church of Almighty God" killing, it was sadly no surprise to hear none of the onlookers even tried to help, as that's another trend of unfortunate noteriety in recent years. I'm not trying to broadly slam China here (as if others don't have unique problems), but these are disturbing and unusual "trends" indeed.

Aug 09, 2014 07:27 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Yes, they copy the Yanks...after a school shooting in the States, which is at least once a week, all the schools here in China is breathing fear from the loonies who aspire to the great 'merican culture called lunacy...

Mar 16, 2015 12:43 Report Abuse

Guest502498

There are two very obvious wild generalizations to your post: #1: There is an even higher amount of Hui Muslims in China (over 10 million, with different culture, language and ethnicity) than Uyghurs, but Uyghurs with the political troubles there did ALL of those terror attacks and Huis none of them. And of course, Huis read the Koran just as Uyghurs do. So by your own "logic" they should have done just as much of the violence and always should have been doing it (and likewise, by your logic Albania, Turkey, Kuwait etc. should all have higher murder rates than the US -- but the US still has the highest of all fully developed countries including Muslim ones.) #2 Do notice the full article. Those other murderers aren't Muslim (and the MacDonalds ones even claimed to be Christian) but are no less of murderers for it. "They've been doing it for long before any China expansions or the USA existed." So have Christians. And for even longer for existing much longer. Yes, they significantly "slowed down" (but certainly haven't stopped) more recently but only in about the last half-century. If you want to play blame-all-for-some, only Christians can "boast" of nearly exterminating the entire populations of two entire continents and permenantly seizing all of the land while claiming to be "civilising" or vanquishing heathens. "For whatever reasons I see Westerners here doing everything possible, turning any view, swirling, blind-eyes and faux-intellectual rationalizations" Yes, and for the reasons described above many of us Westerners (and ALL of us of influence) will continue rejecting your type's ignorance and generalizations. And so will the Chinese government, who actually discriminates more against Han Christians and Tibetan Buddhists due to troubled history than Hui Muslims or foreign Muslims the government continues welcoming here by the hundreds of thousands every year with no problem. Bye and have a nice day.

Aug 10, 2014 02:59 Report Abuse

Guest859906

Actually China doesnt care about muslims or christians or anyone else... They just dont like anyone claiming the right for anything against the government...if the buddhists would not leave their land...they would do the same...thats how China is.... it is not a democracy....its a dictatorship of a certain group of people with certain family back grounds and relations...

Aug 11, 2014 14:24 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

The Bible and the Xtians are still the worst...

Mar 12, 2015 22:12 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Xtians in general are just bad animals...real bad...

Mar 12, 2015 22:16 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Correct...I KNOW that...

Mar 15, 2015 03:15 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Xtians are the greatest sinners, robbers, rapists, torturers and evil doers in the history of mankind...a bunch of really bad animals...Islam was a step upwards...

Mar 16, 2015 12:41 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

The church doors are ALWAYS locked...and besides, the Devil hides behind the pulpit...stay FAR away from churches if you want to keep your sanity and safety...

Mar 16, 2015 12:46 Report Abuse

abhi123

we all need a safe place to live.By voilence we cant change the world.not for only us we have to give healthy place to our next generation. so many invention, pollution, global warming is already destroying our world slowly and voilence will destroy world even faster

Aug 08, 2014 17:11 Report Abuse

donnie3857

AMIVALENTMACE hit the nail right on. All of this is about money, resources, and political power. The degree of violence will get much worse. Even official governments of major powers are delivering advanced technololgy to fuel the horror. (Putin supplies the tech and weapon to murder almost 300 people)Of course some will argue America does the same. The average innocent person just isn't safe anymore.

Aug 07, 2014 00:40 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

USA is murdering people by the millions...starting with their own...as always...

Mar 12, 2015 22:12 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Then how many?

Mar 15, 2015 03:15 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Why are the Yanks murdering their own? I mean they have a wide choice and already murder at will abroad right? Weirdos...or just sadists...same as Nazis...one has to keep in shape I suppose...

Mar 15, 2015 11:50 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Why don't you start with the reports of many humanitarian or NGO's on US activities of torture and extermination abroad?? Or you that dumb or is it plain old yankee ignorance??? As for murdering their own inside the States, you can also add the fast food, tobacco and health industries...slaughtering Yanks by the millions...apparently 5 million Iraqi kids were murdered by Uncle Sam, then we have incessant drone attacks...and what about all these not-so-secret black jails and torture centres dotted around the world?? A family was abducted from HK even, poor mom was 7 months pregnant and severely tortured by the CIA...the case magically made it to a UK court where it was tossed out by a judge on the grounds that the UK government has zero control over their barbarian brothers across the Atlantic...people like you are worse than ignorant...you are the forerunners of something really ugly, mean and murderous...think of the Xtian women torturers and the Nazi ubervolk...keep simmering in your ignorance...and you will never be human...

Mar 15, 2015 13:12 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

MADISON, Wisc., March 14 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday for the funeral of a 19-year-old man killed by a police officer in Wisconsin's capital on March 6, a shooting that prompted protests over law enforcement's treatment of minorities. Tony Robinson Jr., a biracial young man, was unarmed during a confrontation with a white police officer in Madison, and his death was the latest in a string of shootings of unarmed black and Latino men that has sparked a national debate over race and police tactics that has reached President Barack Obama.

Mar 15, 2015 14:57 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

So how many children did the Yanks murder in Iraq then? Give the correct figure please?

Mar 16, 2015 02:17 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

If u not a Yank, u certainly share the same illogical liar complex...However, USA is leader of the West, and as GW Bush warned...if you not for the US then you against them...and you may be picked up by the roving bands of Cia marauders...better watch your back...UK is only the smallest province in the States...

Mar 16, 2015 02:20 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

There is only ONE kind...YANK...also a 4-letter word. I see you share another big trait with your Western brethren, intellectual dishonesty or is it intellectual paucity perhaps? I am not implying you are dumb, but in a battle of wits you are defence-less...on the other hand, most Western people are compulsive liars, after all, how else will they keep sane? So why you evading the question on Iraq? In fact, let's us widen the scope somewhat, how many women and children did the Yanks murder, raped and maimed in Iraq, Afganistan, Libya, Vietnam, Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America??? The truth is out there, so why you in denial? De Nyle is full of crocodiles...and you are being eaten alive...

Mar 16, 2015 12:34 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

The civilization I come from is way above your head, like humans trying to climb a ladder to the moon...just give up on the mere thought of it...you are not worthy...It reminds of me the story: What did the great Prez GW Bush do after retirement from the White House? He took the US Mountaineering team up Everest...just a pity they had to turn around halfway...out of ladders...

Mar 16, 2015 12:39 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

So why you evading the question on Iraq? In fact, let's us widen the scope somewhat, how many women and children did the Yanks murder, raped and maimed in Iraq, Afganistan, Libya, Vietnam, Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America??? I see you share another big trait with your Western brethren, intellectual dishonesty or is it intellectual paucity perhaps? I am not implying you are dumb, but in a battle of wits you are defence-less...on the other hand, most Western people are compulsive liars, after all, how else will they keep sane? So why you evading the question on Iraq?

Mar 16, 2015 13:24 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

If you feel overwhelmed by the urge to expand on the truth, you are allowed to ruminate on the contribution of OZ, UK, NZ and Canada on the miseries inflicted on said innocent women and children??? Don't let sentimentality get in your way here...clear your chest, you may even feel human afterwards...

Mar 16, 2015 13:28 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

So no words on the indiscriminate bombings, rapes, pillaging, murders and tortures?? See, u are even more of an intellectual liar than I suspected...then again, if you were born anywhere in the West, what else to expect?? BTW, the Iraqi people and those of Libya had excellent resources, schools, high standards of living and happiness BEFORE you and your family started to plunder and murder...these are things that are all gone now...and yes, ISIS, yet another monster of the West, fully stocked and staffed by the young bright peoples of UK, EU and USA, OZ et al...what an achievement huh! Yet another feather in your cap!! U have any relatives in ISIS too? Not much difference between them and the Western forces really...of course CIA still remains top terror organize worldwide...so I guess you are not all sickos then again, how to be sure...

Mar 16, 2015 17:14 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

Have you ever read the history of Xtianity, moron??? Islam is VERY peaceful by comparison...I bet you have never read the bible...

Mar 17, 2015 00:58 Report Abuse

kaitangsou

If ISIS is so bad why are tens of thousands of Westerners lining up to join them, including plenty of girls???

Mar 17, 2015 04:53 Report Abuse