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600 million yuan more for Xinjiang armed police

By Cui Jia

The Chinese central government has allocated another 600 million yuan for the armed police in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region [East Turkistan] in a bid to maintain social stability following last year’s deadly riot in Urumqi, the political commissar of the region’s armed police said on Friday.

“Months after the 5 July (2009) incident, Xinjiang still remains one of the hottest areas for the armed police’s anti-terrorism campaign, although the autonomous region appears to be very stable and under control,” General Yu Linxiang, political commissar of the country’s armed police force, told China Daily at the headquarters of the army’s delegation of the National People’s Congress.

The riot in the region’s capital left 197 dead and more than 1,700 injured. The Chinese government said the riot, which has seriously affected Xinjiang’s economic development, was instigated by “three forces” — separatists, extremists and terrorists — from overseas.

“The government has increased the budget for the expansion of the armed police force and to ensure the contingent is better equipped,” Hou Xiaoqin, commissar of Xinjiang’s armed police contingent said.

Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday pledged to strengthen the armed police by speeding up the force’s modernization in order to increase its ability to handle domestic unrest and terrorist activities.

Hou said that the armed police force plays a crucial and important role in bringing situations under control effectively.

The Xinjiang armed police set up a new detachment in Urumqi on 8 February. Though based in the region’s capital, the detachment force will carry out missions across Xinjiang.

The detachment will be fully functional by the end of March, he said.

Other new “quick response units” were also set up in Kashgar, Hotan and Aksu regions after the riots to maintain social stability around the region, Hou said.

“Our goal this year is to prevent violent and terror incidents from rebounding and we are confident we will achieve that,” he said.

“The current social situation is stable but we have to stay alert for any possible attacks,” Hou said. The armed police will improve its intelligence information gathering system this year “to act ahead of the three forces”.

He also pointed out that separatists in Xinjiang have become younger and more intelligent in recent years. The armed police must carry out missions keeping in mind these new characteristics, he added.

The armed police contingent in Xinjiang was elevated in status in November 2008 to highlight its greater role in the fight against terror and maintain social stability in the autonomous region.

The Central Military Commission’s decision to promote the level of the Xinjiang armed police contingent “from the deputy corps command to the full corps command” was intended to better safeguard national security and social stability.

Copyright © 2010 China Daily Information Co.

Published in China Daily