Editor's Note:

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is experiencing a high frequency of violent terrorist incidents. The Kunming knife terrorist attack early this month highlighted the eastward spreading of terrorism from Xinjiang. How should Xinjiang cooperate with other regions in striking terrorism? What specific measures should Xinjiang take to boost the law's authority? Global Times (GT) reporter Chen Chenchen talked to Naim Yasin (Naim), president of the Higher People's Court of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and a deputy to the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), on these issues.

Naim Yasin Photo: Chen Chenchen/GT

GT: Given the tendency of terrorist activities spreading toward eastern China, what specific measures is Xinjiang taking to cooperate with other regions of the nation to combat terrorists?

Naim: Terrorists, no matter which ethnic group they belong to or what religion they believe in, are public enemies. I totally agree that when we mention terrorists, we directly say "terrorists," rather than "terrorists from Xinjiang." There is no necessity to give them ethnic labels. Terrorists throughout the world have the same nature, and they deserve to be fought relentlessly.

There are discussions that terrorist activities are spreading toward eastern China. But the standard of law remains the same wherever the terrorist forces go. Throughout China, political and judiciary authorities at various levels treat them with a unified standard of law.

During the jeep crash at Tiananmen Square in October, three in the jeep died on the spot, and the rest five suspects who escaped were soon caught, thanks to cooperation between Xinjiang police and police from eastern China. The case is now on trial in Xinjiang, and the suspects will be judged in Xinjiang.

As to the knife attack in Kunming early this month, Xinjiang's Public Security Department collaborated with their counterparts in Yunnan in tracking down the criminal case. The case was then transferred to procuratorial authorities, which lodged an appeal to our court system. We will give a verdict according to the law.

GT: What's the biggest challenge of fighting with violent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang?

Naim: We find some new characteristics of terrorist activities in Xinjiang when dealing with specific cases. They come up with clearer political goals of seeking Xinjiang's "independence," their organization is becoming more secretive, the background of their members is increasingly complex, and they target a wider range of people. In such circumstances, society is exposed to bigger perils.

In order to combat those violent terrorist crimes, in recent years, Xinjiang authorities have issued several documents concerning the regulation of criminal cases involving the three vicious forces of separatism, extremism and terrorism, as well as the examination, judgment and use of evidence, and the penalties. We also issued a document to guide local authorities' reporting mechanisms to higher authorities on these cases.

Nonetheless, all these were issued by political and judicial authorities at the autonomous region's level. They can only provide references in practice, but cannot be cited as judicial interpretations in legal documents.

This is the focus of my proposal to the NPC this year: Specific laws against separatism and terrorism should be considered. And in the Criminal Law, specific clauses on violent terrorist attacks should be added, clearly stipulating the charges and the penalties, so that we have a unified standard in law enforcement in dealing with violent terrorist cases in the future.

GT: There have been more terrorist attacks in southern Xinjiang. Is this related to unbalances in local development?

Naim: Southern Xinjiang has harsh natural conditions, undeveloped transportation, and relatively low level of economic development. But since the central government's meeting on boosting Xinjiang's development in May 2010, greater input has been launched to improve civil livelihood in southern regions like the Kashi, Hotan and Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture.

GT: Despite this, there is an argument that further social development may cause wider gaps between people who happen to belong to different ethnic groups. For instance, those lacking Putonghua skills may be further marginalized in job-hunting.

Naim: The projects I just mentioned also include bilingual education. In Xinjiang, kids from ethnic minority groups learn Putonghua through kindergarten to high school, while learning the languages of their own ethnic group at the same time. And since 2010, basic education through elementary to higher education in Kashi, Hotan and Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture became completely free, thanks to robust support from the central government.

Each year, thousands of middle school graduates in southern Xinjiang continue their studies in high schools in eastern regions of the country such as Beijing, Shanghai, as well as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

If you go to kindergartens or elementary schools in southern Xinjiang, you'll find the kids speak better Putonghua than me.

Bilingual education does not just mean ethnic minority groups learning Putonghua. Han officials, especially those at the grass-roots level, also learn Uyghur, Kazakh, and other ethnic minority languages. It's a process of mutual learning and mutual respect.

GT: What specific measures have you taken to promote the authority of law in Xinjiang?

Naim: On December 19, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping gave a landmark speech on a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, providing strategic guidance for Xinjiang's future development.

In the next three years, 200,000 Xinjiang officials will go to the grass-roots units, and live together with villagers. This year, 70,000 officials have been sent into the villages, mainly in Hotan, Kashi, Kizilsu Kirghiz and Aksu regions, staying for one year. And another 70,000 will be there next year. They will focus on understanding public appeals, facilitating civil livelihood and consolidating cohesion in the next three years.

GT: Xinjiang authorities responded very quickly after several terrorist cases last year, and provided information to the public in a timely manner. Will this tendency continue?

Naim: This is in accordance with the core spirit of the transparency of judicial work. Since May 28, 2013, we have required intermediate people's courts in different autonomous regions improve information transparency. So far, judicial verdicts by intermediate people's courts in 15 autonomous prefectures have all become available online.

There is a technical problem. Verdicts can go online simultaneously in Chinese, but due to software limitations, their Uyghur and Kazakh versions are still being implemented. But this will be solved soon. In the future, the whole process of a case will be open. And verdicts can be checked conveniently online.