Major news coverage in China and elsewhere is naturally devoted to the Games themselves. Two Chinese weightlifters and the Chinese men’s synchronized divers won gold medals today. Yesterday’s news of 17 synchronized attacks with homemade explosives in the western region of Xinjiang received little coverage in or out of China.
The exception once again was Caijing, a financial news magazine that has competed strongly against both the central government’s Xinhua News Agency and international news outlets. The magazine’s Web site followed three articles yesterday with second-day coverage from the scene that gave added details on the deaths of an injured security guard and a Uighur civilian in the attacks, news of an official press conference, and a description of a restaurant that was destroyed in an attack:
A small restaurant hit by an explosion was a complete mess, the ceiling was hanging down, liquor and drinks on top of the cabinet, melon seeds and fruit exploded in all directions. Two ice cabinets were transformed by the explosion.
Mr. Mao does not believe the attack was directed toward him in particular. “This time a lot of stores were hit. It is absolutely terrorist destruction. Normally, our relationship with Uighur brothers is very good. They often come to my restaurant to eat and drink, and some of them have become friends.”
Online Chinese comments on the news–the ones I’ve seen at least–sound a lot like this chilling one from China.com:
A blood debt calls for repayment in blood. Destroy separatists until not one is left.