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Putting The China Bus Blast Into Context

July 22, 2008 7:53 AM

By Jo Ling Kent, ABC News Beijing

With three short weeks remaining until the Beijing Olympics kick off, security and tension in China are at rare levels. When two buses exploded in downtown Kunming on Monday morning, the rumor mill started turning. Was it a traffic accident? Disgruntled farmers? Terrorism?

Before the Kunming blasts are chalked up to terrorism or pre-Olympic protests, it's important to note three recent developments in China.

First, bus explosions do occur throughout China from time to time. In May, days prior to the Sichuan earthquake, a self-detonated bus bomb killed three people in Shanghai. Often, blasts like these go unreported. Such attacks are typically carried out by angry workers or farmers airing their grievances over corruption, wages or poverty. The Kunming incident, while tragic, is not something new.

Second, with the Olympics around the corner, the Chinese government has been clamping down on activity that could be considered suspect and publicizing it more than usual. Officials want to address the unrest at a local or provincial level in order to reduce the likelihood that potential activists and terrorists will come knocking on Beijing's door next month. Without the world's watchful eyes on Beijing and the Olympics, this bus explosion could have gone unreported altogether.

Third, the Kunming bus explosions happened during a highly sensitive period for China.  A lot of unrest has been bubbling to the surface over the past few months and especially in recent weeks. Just two days ago, Yunnan police opened fire and killed two rubber farmers in the province's Menglian County. Forty-one police officers were injured during that incident, which was reportedly caused by a dispute between farmers and a private rubber company, Xinhua stated. The Kunming and Menglian incidents are most likely unrelated. The government has sent a group to investigate.

Less than two weeks ago, 82 suspects in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region were detained. According to Chen Zhuangwei, head of the Public Security Bureau of Urumqi, the individuals were arrested for allegedly plotting sabotage activities against the Beijing Olympics.

Thousands of protesters in Guizhou and Guangdong provinces have also rioted in the past month, grabbing headlines and making their case.

With the Games just around the corner, the atmosphere in China is certainly far from normal.

As for the Kunming blasts themselves, various reports are in the air about who is behind the blast. The state-run Xinhua news agency blamed the explosions on "sabotage."

The Southwest Metropolis Daily, a Chinese newspaper, reported that several residents received cryptic text messages early Monday.

"The general mobilization of ants... [I] hope citizens receiving this message will not take bus lines 54, 64 and 84 tomorrow morning," the newspaper quoted the message as saying.

In an effort to squash rumors, the Ministry of Public Security immediately dispatched an investigative team to Kunming yesterday and tightened security to prevent potential suspects from escaping.

Roadside checkpoints have been instituted in the city as well.

Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is 1,500 miles southwest of Beijing. Though far away, the blasts managed to aggravate the capital. In reaction to the incidents, the police voiced growing concern that domestic terrorism is on the rise and may disrupt the Olympics.

Beijing is also doing its very best to prevent any unwanted interruptions during the Olympics by instituting safety measures from all angles. In June, police began searching and scanning bags at subway entrances. Vehicles entering Beijing city limits are now subject to police inspection, which has caused a great deal of congestion and inconvenience.

According to Xinhua, the city has organized an anti-terror force of 100,000, as well as nearly 300,000 volunteers and 150,000 security guards to help maintain order during the games. Last week, the Ministry of Public Security published a safety handbook for citizens that explains how to identify suspicious behavior during the Olympics.

Whether these tightened security measures will allow Beijing to maintain a "harmonious society" during the Olympics remains to be seen. As China inches closer to the Olympics, Beijing is on high alert.

July 22, 2008 in Jo Ling Kent | Permalink | User Comments (0)

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