10 | Friday, January 15, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY VIEWS US duplicity on terrorism condemnable

Editor's Note: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that the East Turkestan Islamic Movement will be delisted as a terrorist organization even though the terrorist and separatist outfit remains a big threat to China and the rest of the world. Some experts share their views on the issue with China Daily. Excerpts follow:

Double standard harms also global governance. ETIM and one of its senior leaders have a growing sense of gain, happi­ rorism has made some encouraging The Xinjiang issue is fight against terrorism The US has drawn up an “anti­ as targets. And on Nov 17, the UN ness and security. progress, but there is still a long way Mike Pompeo, according to an terrorism blacklist” in total disre­ Security Council updated its list, Therefore, it is time for the US to to go before complete victory can be not about human official announcement on the US gard of basic facts and the continuing to treat the ETIM as a abandon double standard on terror­ achieved. In fact, some countries rights, or ethnic or reli­ State Department website, decided international consensus to decide terrorist outfit. ism and stop supporting the ETIM, and regions have even seen the to delist the East Turkestan Islamic which outfits should be labeled “ter­ China has made remarkable otherwise it would also get burned expansion of terrorist organiza­ gious freedom. It is Movement as a terrorist organiza­ rorist organizations” and which achievements in combating terror­ by the fire it has been fanning. tions. about combating ter­ tion in October 2020, citing the lack countries blamed for sponsoring ism — for almost four years, there Contrary to popular belief, terror­ of conclusive evidence in this terrorism based on its own political has been no violent terrorist inci­ A research team on anti­terror­ ist attacks increased, not decreased, rorism and violence, regard. But contrary to Pompeo’s and economic interests. Worse, it dent in China — while Xinjiang has ism studies in 2020 despite the outbreak of the defeating separatist claim, the ETIM has become more uses such tags and accusations to made unprecedented achievements COVID­19 pandemic. The world active in recent years, expanding its interfere, many a time blatantly, in on the economic and social fronts, Washington must change experienced at least 2,000 attacks forces, and de­radical­ activities in many regions including other countries’ internal affairs, so and greatly improved people’s liveli­ stance to prevent disaster by the end of November last year, izing indoctrinated South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast as to maintain its global hegemony. hoods there. Moreover, people of all Since the beginning of the 21st much more than those in the whole Asia and the Middle East and thus Terrorism is the common enemy ethnic groups in Xinjiang today century, the global fight against ter­ of 2019. youth. poses a growing security threat to of all humans, and terrorists have An important reason for this is China and the world. caused great harm to all countries that some countries, led by the US, The ETIM is recognized as a ter­ and people around the world. So, all have adopted double standard on the nine­year compulsory educa­ rorist organization by the interna­ countries should treat terrorism and terrorism and, by politicizing the tion system, establishing educa­ tional community and is banned by terrorists as potent threats. fight against terrorism, made the tion and training centers, and many countries and organizations. However, Washington often counter­terrorism operations more vigorously combating poverty, so The US has turned a blind eye to reacts fiercely to ter­ complex. as to maintain social stability and these facts, confusing right with rorist attacks in the US In fact, the US’ deci­ prosperity in the region. wrong and using double standard or in its ally countries, sion to delist the ETIM It is a pity that the US, which on terrorism. But its ploy to use ter­ and stands united with as a terrorist organiza­ experienced the devastating Sept 11, rorist outfits to derail China’s devel­ them. Yet when terrorists tion is a result of its uni­ 2001, terrorist attacks has not only opment and destabilize the country launch attacks in coun­ lateral policies and Cold turned a blind eye to Xinjiang’s eco­ will never succeed. tries which the US sees as War mentality, which nomic growth, social stability, and Since its establishment, the ETIM rivals or competitors, it shows the US is not really religious harmony, but is also delib­ has committed innumerable remains indifferent combating terrorism, but erately misinterpreting the meas­ crimes, causing heavy loss of lives and even tries to seeking political gains ures to “protect of human rights” and properties and posing the most use so­called eth­ under the pretext and guarantee “religious freedom” direct and realistic terrorist threat nic and/or of fighting in Xinjiang to tarnish China’s coun­ to China. Since the late 1990s, the religious prob­ terrorism. ter­terrorism efforts and support ETIM has set up bases in Pakistan, lems in these As China’s the ETIM. The US is also using Afghanistan and other countries countries to dilute key battleground long­arm jurisdiction by sanction­ and regions, trained and sent its the issue or give it a in the fight against ing Chinese companies and officials members to “infiltrate” China’s Xin­ political twist. terrorism, separatism to interfere in China’s internal jiang Uygur autonomous region, The delisting of the ETIM and religious extrem­ affairs. and planned, incited and carried by the US will not change the ism, Xinjiang is at the The Xinjiang issue is not about out a series of terrorist acts. fact that it is a terrorist forefront of the inter­ human rights, or ethnic or religious Since 2008, the ETIM has extend­ organization, nor will it national fight against freedom. It is about combating ter­ ed its tentacles to, and organized erase the security threat terrorism. Drawing rorism and violence, defeating sepa­ attacks in, other provinces and the outfit poses to the on the experiences ratist forces, and de­radicalizing regions of China. In 2012 alone, it international communi­ of the internation­ indoctrinated youth. The US claims organized more than 190 violent ty. China condemns the al community, it is trying to “safeguard” the and terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, US’ unscrupulous China attaches human rights and freedom of eth­ the vast majority of them in south­ move, and the interna­ equal importance nic minorities in Xinjiang, but by ern Xinjiang. tional community will to fighting and supporting the ETIM, it is actually Over the past 20 years or so, the not agree with the US preventing terror­ seriously threatening the safety of ETIM members, seeking refuge in on the issue. ism. more than 20 million people of all many countries, have developed For example, the offi­ That’s why while ethnic groups in the region. close links with al­Qaida and other cial US State Department cracking down on terror­ The US has become the biggest dreaded terrorist organizations, website uploaded Pompeo’s ists and terrorism­related disrupting force in the global fight and become a notorious part of the announcement on Nov 5, crimes, China has also tak­ against terrorism by supporting, global network of terrorists, posing yet the Comprehensive en strict measures to better conniving with and using terrorist a serious threat to not only China’s Financial Sanctions List protect the human rights outfits to fulfill its own narrow national security but also global the European Union of the people in Xinji­ gains. The threat posed by terror­ peace and stability. released on Nov 12 con­ ang by strengthening ism and extremism remains grave, The international community is tinued to include the and the global fight against terror­ worried about the atrocities com­ ism requires all countries to reach a mitted by the ETIM and has taken a consensus on counter­terrorism, series of measures to prevent it from enhance mutual trust, promote carrying out terrorist attacks, and exchanges and cooperation, and many countries have added it to consolidate counter­terrorism their lists of terrorist organizations. efforts. So by fabricating a lie that there is By taking a duplicitous a lack of evidence to prove the ETIM stance on terrorism, the is still active and revoking its US has undermined glob­ terrorist tag, the United al counter­terrorism States has once again efforts. And it will only exposed its duplicity on bring disaster to the world, terrorism — it will and itself, if it does not change its respect counter­terror­ biased and politically motivated ism efforts if they are stance on terrorism. beneficial to it, and if not, abandon, even violate them. Guo Fankong, an expert on By resorting to double stan­ anti­terrorism studies dard vis­à­vis terrorism, the US has caused great damage to not only the The views don’t necessarily repre­ global fight against terrorism but LI MIN / CHINA DAILY sent those of China Daily. Scandalous hypocrisy, double standard laid bare

Many have been arrested includ­ lawyers and law students by Tues­ ture building in the Hong Kong ing Richard Barnett, seen sitting in day night. Special Administrative Region was the office of House Speaker Nancy Businesses have also taken a much more violent, not to mention Pelosi in videos and photographs, stand. Germany’s Deutsche Bank the petro­bomb­throwing and van­ and Jake Angeli (legal name is and New York­based Signature dalism elsewhere in the city, media Jacob Chansley), seen donning a fur Bank said they will either stop lend­ outlets such as BBC and CNN Chen Weihua hat with horns and US­flag inspired ing to Trump’s family business or refrained from calling the rioters The author is chief of China Daily face paint, whose images have close its accounts. And PGA Ameri­ even “mobs”, and instead referred EU Bureau based in Brussels. become the public faces of the riot. ca announced that its 2022 champi­ to them as “protesters”. The New [email protected] Senate Democratic leader Chuck onship will not be held at Trump York Times called them a “group of Schumer said on Tuesday that the National Golf Club in New Jersey. activists” in its report on that day. “insurrectionists” should be put on The nationwide crackdown after While Pelosi described the year­ he storming of the US the no­flight list. Some of the rioters the riot has been swift and hard, long protests in Hong Kong often Capitol in Washington on have already found themselves on although it has raised the eyebrows marked by violence “beautiful sight”, Jan 6 by a group of Donald the list at airports. of some people like German Chan­ US lawmakers such as Cruz, Hawley, Trump supporters has In response to the riot, Twitter cellor Angela Merkel who called the Tom Cotton and Marco Rubio Tbeen condemned in the United permanently suspended Trump’s suspension of Trump’s Twitter ecstatically fanned the flames. And States and globally. US president­ account, which had more than 88 account “problematic”. instead of condemning the mayhem elect Joe Biden has called the group million followers. It also closed SHI YU / CHINA DAILY The reaction this time by the US unleashed by the rioters, they “a riotous mob, insurrectionists, more than 70,000 accounts linked and indeed most of the Western seemed to derive a fiendish pleasure domestic terrorists”. Similar terms to the right­wing conspiracy theo­ media outlets and politicians, has out of the violence and lawlessness, including “extremists, thugs” have ry movement QAnon. Other social became the latest online platform ing him with “incitement of insur­ been in stark contrast to the one and condemned the Hong Kong been used by other politicians and media platforms have followed to suspend Trump’s account for at rection”. they displayed after the storming of SAR authorities for taking legal media outlets to describe them. suit, with Apple, Google and least a week, citing “the ongoing Besides, US lawmakers such as the Hong Kong Legislative Council actions against those responsible. And a CNN headline read: Ameri­ Amazon booting Parler out of potential for violence”. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley, who on July 1, 2019, by hundreds of riot­ The storming of the Capitol Hill cans watched the Capitol riot in their platforms after it was After failing to convince Vice­ challenged the 2020 election result, ers who broke the glass doors, tore is condemnable and those responsi­ “horror” and “disgust”. accused of spreading violent con­ President Mike Pence to invoke the are also in the eye of the post­riot down a metal wall, spray­painted ble should be punished. But the The FBI said on Tuesday that it tent. Parler is an alternative social 25th Amendment to remove Trump storm, and facing calls to be graffiti on the walls, ransacked cab­ attack on the US parliament has has opened 160 case files and US act­ media platform favored by US from office, the House of Repre­ expelled, censored and disbarred — inets and defaced official portraits once again laid bare the hypocrisy ing attorney Michael Sherwin said conservatives. sentatives impeached Trump for a a petition to this effect had already with rocks and paint. and double standard of the Western 70 cases have already been filed. And on Wednesday, YouTube second time on Wednesday, charg­ been signed by more than 10,000 While the storming of the legisla­ media and politicians.