Editorial: Respect the law, keep faith in justice

• Source: Global Times
• [00:57 July 09 2009]
• Comments

Unrest in Urumqi, capital city of Xinjiang, and other cities in the region is gradually calming down. The government is taking pains to restore order and confidence among citizens concerned about their security.

Assaults were still occurring sporadically as of yesterday. Vehicles used by the press corps of People’s Daily, the Global Times’ parent publication, were surrounded and attacked by a bunch of thugs during the wee hours yesterday morning in Urumqi, though the passengers clearly identified themselves as reporters.

Protecting citizens is the foremost task of any government. With 156 innocent people murdered, the authorities could not sit still and watch mobs commit more atrocities.

The unrest didn’t start as a peaceful demonstration as claimed by Rebiya Kadeer, the exiled leader of the World Uyghur Congress. Over the course of a few hours on Sunday evening, thousands of armed thugs swarmed into downtown Urumqi to assault, stab, and kill innocent people, vandalize vehicles, and set shops on fire. The riots and violence necessitated a strong police presence.

Maintaining ethnic and racial harmony is a tough task for any government. A minor incident can flare up into large-scale unrest, meaning governments can’t be shy about using force to suppress riots that threaten large swaths of the population with violence.

During the six-day Los Angeles Riots of 1992, the largest race riots of the century in the US, the National Guard was deployed to control the situation, and evetually the US Marines and US Army were ordered to the city to quell the disorder.

Four years ago, when a series of racially-motivated mob confrontations occurred in Sydney, a heavy presence of police was arranged to put down the turbulence.

The same year, civil unrest in Paris spurred the then-French President Jacques Chirac to announce a national state of emergency.

The riots in Xinjiang have subsided, leaving the pressing task of bringing to justice the criminals – of whatever ethnicity – who instigated and perpetuated them. Restoring order and preventing a wave of backlash violence and unrest are the top priorities, as is delivering the justice the public is entitled to.

Violent confrontations can often incite retaliatory attacks aimed at gaining vengeance. But this kind of retribution won’t solve anything; justice needs to be delivered by the law. The government must deliver this justice, and convince the people that it can protect them. A thorough investigation of the riots must be undertaken, and the results made public.

It’s the sad truth that the latest riots could scar ethnic harmony in Xinjiang. Healing the wounds inflicted this week will take time and requires everyone to act with rationality, patience and tolerance.