The "East Turkistan" terrorist forces remain to be the great terrorist
threat to China at presentand in future, a Chinese anti-terrorist official said
here Monday.
"In the last decade, the terrorist threats that China
confronted with were mainly terrorist activities of 'East Turkistan' terrorist
forces inside and outside Chinese territory, international terrorist groups and
terrorists," said Zhao Yongchen, deputy director of the Anti-Terrorism Bureau
under the Ministry of Public Security.
Statistics showed, the three forces - terrorists, separatists and extremists
- in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region hatched more than 260 terrorist incidents
over the past 10 years, killing more than 160 Innocent people and injuring 440
others.
"The terrorist activities carried out by the three terrorist forces have not
only jeopardized China, but also posed a threat toregional security and
stability," Zhao said.
On March 27, 2003, the East Turkistan Liberation Organization hijacked a
passenger bus of a Xinjiang company, killed all the 21 passengers and the driver
and set the bus on fire with the bodies inside it.
"The three terrorist forces openly summon the extremists insideChina to carry
out terrorist activities aiming at kindergartens, schools and government, or
attack Chinese armed forces and government agencies, with means of explosives
and poison.
The forces, he said, have also become part of the internationalterrorist
forces. "They have close ties and even align with terrorist groups including the
Taliban, the Uzbekistan Islamic Liberation Movement and Al Qaeda."
According to Zhao, many members of the "East Turkistan" forces have received
military training in terrorist bases in central and south Asia and directly have
taken part in terrorist activities sponsored by owners of the bases.