After China gives police new guns, spate

suspicious shootings have followed

Chinas special police take part in anti-terrorist exercise in Shanghai on Aug. 21. China
has seen an alarming spate of police shootings, ever since the government removed a
decades-long ban on guns four months ago and began issuing rearms to police.
!China"oto#ress via $ett% &mages'
(% )illiam )an September 2* at +,1- #.
LUOKAN VILLAGE, China Invoking the threat of terrorism, Chinese police for
the first time in ears have starte! carring g"ns an!, #ith little training, "sing
them$
%he fatal effects have ripple! across the co"ntr, reaching even this tin mo"ntain
village$
China&s removal of a 'an on police g"ns came in response to a gr"esome attack on a
train station several h"n!re! miles from here, '"t it has given the police almost
'lanket a"thorit to shoot #henever the see fit$
(ore than a !eca!e into America&s #ar on terror, China is la"nching its o#n$ An!
e)perts #orr that the floo! of ne#l arme! police com'ine! #ith poor training
an! the government&s take*no*prisoners attit"!e co"l! 'ecome as fearf"l a
pro'lem as the terrorism it is inten!e! to com'at$
In the latest police*relate! violence, at least +, people !ie! -"n!a in China&s
restive .in/iang region, accor!ing to state*r"n ne#s me!ia, #hich attri'"te! the
inci!ent to terrorists an! i!entifie! the !ecease! as 0rioters1 shot ' police or kille!
in e)plosions$
2 contrast, the sleep village of L"okan is a'o"t as remote an! "nlikel a place for
terrorism as can 'e fo"n!$ 3et #hen police fatall shot a man recentl in the mi!!le
of a '"s market here, the !eclare! him a terrorist as #ell an! a'r"ptl close! the
case$
Police armed with guns, armored vehicles and suffocating security cordons at the Kunming train station have
become the new reality. (William Wan/The Washington Post)
2"t everone kno#s this is a lie,1 sai! one villager in a h"she! mi!night intervie#
insi!e his home$
%here are no terrorists here,1 sai! another 'esi!e him$ 0%he onl ones #e&re afrai!
of are the police$1
4hile police shootings are often vie#e! #ith s"spicion #orl!#i!e most nota'l
in the !eath last month of an "narme! 'lack teenager in 5erg"son, (o$ there are
fe# co"ntries #here local a"thorities have as m"ch po#er as the !o in China to
s"ppress all evi!ence after#ar!$
No one kno#s ho# man people !ie here from g"n violence each ear, m"ch less
from police shootings, 'eca"se of government secrec$
Among the killings p"'licl reporte! in the past five months, since the polic
change6 A man #ith a histor of mental illness shot ' police in -ich"an province$
An allege!l !r"nk officer in L"oping co"nt #ho 7"arrele! #ith one man an! then
kille! another #ho #as tring to intervene, accor!ing to reports 7"ickl taken !o#n
' censors$
An! at a g"n*safet !emonstration in front of kin!ergartners in 8enan province, an
officer fire! a loa!e! g"n, thinking it #as empt, an! sent a chil! an! several
parents to the hospital$
Ne#s of
s"ch
shootings
is often
!elete!$
9hsical
evi!ence
is sei:e!
an!
rarel
release!,
la#ers
sa$ An!
it is often
impossi'le to fin! #itnesses #illing to testif$
Ami! gro#ing fears among the p"'lic, officers sa the have trepi!ations of their
o#n 'eca"se man receive! their ne# g"ns #ith little to no training$
At a recent training session in -han!ong province, one !etective sai!, several
officers not a#are of the recoil force that comes #ith shooting grippe! their
g"ns improperl an! 'roke their th"m's$
-ome police officers have 'een iss"e! licenses #itho"t visiting the firing range,
'eca"se their !epartments are f"!ging paper#ork, accor!ing to officers #ho spoke
rmed !olice officers stand along the security
cordons at the Kunming train station. "any
#hinese have com!ared the Kunming attac$s to
merica%s &/''. (William Wan/The Washington
Post)
#hinese !olice investigators ins!ect the scene of
an attac$ in Kunming, where a deadly ram!age
by $nife(wielding assailants left )& dead.
(*P/+etty ,mages)
on the con!ition of anonmit$
(ost of "s haven&t shot a g"n in ears,1 sai! the !etective$ 0A lot of cops are afrai!
to even hol! one$1
L"okan is an isolate! village$ 4ith fe# /o's, most here get ' on lo#*paing #ork in
s"rro"n!ing co"nties$
%he closest airport is in the e7"all impoverishe! cit of ;haotong$ 5rom there, it
takes a si)*ho"r !rive thro"gh treachero"s mo"ntains follo#e! ' an ho"r*an!*a*
half hike "p a single*lane !irt roa! to get here$
%he roa! has 'een heavil monitore! of late ' local police, ever since the kille!
5ang <i"sh" on (a =>$
%he shooting occ"rre! in the to#n s7"are in front of h"n!re!s of #itnesses on the
'"siest market !a of the #eek, accor!ing to villagers$ 3et fe# to!a are #illing to
even sa 5ang&s name in p"'lic$
-everal L"okan resi!ents approache! ' a foreign /o"rnalist #ho ha! sn"ck into
their village "n!er the cover of night a fe# #eeks after the shooting ref"se! to
talk$ 5ang&s frien!s an! relatives #ere similarl rel"ctant, 'elieving their phones to
'e tappe! an! their ho"ses #atche! ' informants$
-ince 5ang&s !eath, the sai!, government officials have visite! man homes,
#arning all not to talk to o"tsi!ers$
2"t over the co"rse of a night in secret intervie#s insi!e their homes, more than a
!o:en villagers gave their acco"nt of the shooting$
An! their testimonies, co"ple! #ith cellphone pict"res the provi!e! of the
shooting, contra!ict man aspects of the government acco"nt$
%hose #ho kne# 5ang, +>, scoffe! at the police characteri:ation of the lifelong
villager an! father of t#o as a 0terrorist$1 2efore the (arch = attack on the K"nming
train station that sparke! China&s ne# g"ns, the sai!, the #or! #as sel!om hear!
in their village$
5ang #ho earne! a living ha"ling goo!s in his tr"ck rarel got into fights, sai!
his a"nt 3ang ?a)i", @A, '"t he !i! have a temper$ 0If he felt #ronge!, he #as never
sh a'o"t stan!ing "p for himself,1 she sai!$
*ang -iushu%s wife and two children a!!eared along with a large crowd of villagers gathered outside the
government office a few hours after he was shot and $illed. (William Wan/The Washington Post)
Last ear, a state*o#ne! po#er compan ha! sei:e! part of 5ang&s propert to '"il!
a transmission to#er, she an! others sai!$ -"ch lan! !isp"tes are often the so"rce
of government corr"ption in China an! have ignite! m"ch anger among r"ral
resi!ents$
5or months, 5ang ha! complaine!, to no avail$ After he proteste! in front of the
village&s government offices, local lea!ers thre# him in /ail for several !as,
relatives sai!$
On the !a he #as shot, 5ang ha! tol! a frien!, 04hat I #ant is /"stice$1
-o that morning, 5ang covere! his tr"ck #ith angr han!#ritten 'anners an!
parke! it in front of the same government offices, 'locking all traffic, accor!ing to
a"thorities an! #itnesses$
5or five ho"rs he negotiate! #ith local lea!ers over compensation for his lan!$
At B p$m$, arme! officers s"!!enl arrive! o"tsi!e the '"il!ing, accor!ing to an
acco"nt corro'orate! ' more than a !o:en #itnesses$
9lainclothes police s"rro"n!e! 5ang&s tr"ck, /oine! ' several "niforme! -4A%
officers, #ho ha! 'een s"mmone! from a large co"nt police !epartment C,
min"tes a#a$
5ang came o"t of the government '"il!ing, having apparentl agree! to take !o#n
his 'anners$ 2"t #hile he #as removing them, officers p"t 5ang&s 'rother in
han!c"ffs$ -eeing that, 5ang scram'le! to get in his tr"ck$
4hen officers trie! to stop 5ang, he sho#e! them a knife insi!e the tr"ck,
accor!ing to police$ A fe# #itnesses, #ho kne# 5ang an! sa# the knife, sai! he
often kept it in his tr"ck on long ha"ls as ins"rance against 'an!its$
%he shooting 'egan once 5ang close! the !oor an! starte! the engine, #itnesses
sai! at least == shots total, in 7"ick s"ccession$
It #as the first time in !eca!es, resi!ents sai!, that the crack of g"nfire rang o"t in
their village$
-ince the !iscover of g"npo#!er more than =,,,, ears ago, Chinese a"thorities
have ha! a complicate! histor #ith #eapons$
9olitical po#er gro#s o"t of the 'arrel of a g"n,1 sai! China&s Comm"nist fo"n!er,
(ao ;e!ong$ 9erhaps for that reason, China has long ha! one of the #orl!&s
strictest g"n policies$ 9ossession of firearms is for'i!!en to nearl everone e)cept
the part*controlle! militar$
-ince B,,C, most police have 'een 'arre! from carring g"ns D e)cept for special
-4A% personnel an! teams on !angero"s operations s"ch as the arrest of arme!
gangs$
Police ta$e !art in an anti(terrorism e.ercise in /hanghai. (0euters via #hina /tringer 1etwor$)
%hen came the attack in K"nming ' knife*#iel!ing ("slim e)tremists, #ho tore
thro"gh the train station killing BE an! in/"ring more than =C,, accor!ing to the
government$
4hat shocke! man #asn&t /"st the attack&s 'r"talit '"t its location !eep in the
so"th, far from China&s "s"al pockets of "nrest in #estern .in/iang an! %i'et$
E)actl #hat happene! insi!e the train station isn&t clearF the government
imme!iatel 'anne! all !omestic reports, e)cept for a fe# !etails from the state*
r"n ne#s agenc$
2"t accor!ing to #itnesses an! e)perts #ho #ork closel #ith K"nming police, the
initial response from rank*an!*file officers #as alarmingl #eak$ One police e)pert
in K"nming sai! the lea! officer on the scene one of the onl ones #ith a g"n
7"ickl ran o"t of '"llets$ Others sai! the assailants& rampage contin"e! "na'ate!
for as long as +, min"tes, "ntil the arrival of special -4A% police #ho fatall shot
several attackers$
China 'egan arming police soon after$ In -hanghai, more than =,,,, patrol officers
'egan carring revolversF in G"ang:ho", more than +,,,,$ In 2ei/ing, a"thorities
statione! ne#l arme! police at ma/or s"'#a stations an! !o"'le! the
amm"nition carrie! ' -4A% teams$
Along #ith the g"ns, Chinese lea!ers iss"e! this ne# r"le6 4hen !ealing #ith those
!eeme! to 'e terrorists, officers sho"l! shoot instantl, #itho"t #arning or
hesitation$
%he pro'lem #ith the ne# or!er is that a"thorities can "se it to /"stif an
shooting, sai! 9eking Universit la# professor ;hang Gianfan$
%here&s no nee! for this e)tra r"le,1 ;hang sai!$ 09olice #ith g"ns sho"l! han!le
terrorists the same #a the !o an kin! of violent attacker$1
In intervie#s, half a !o:en c"rrent an! retire! officers, speaking on the con!ition of
anonmit, critici:e! the government for thr"sting police into life*an!*!eath
!ecisions that the are ill*prepare! to make$
Giving g"ns to #oef"ll "ntraine! officers is "seless an! reckless, sai! one g"n
instr"ctor for the 2ei/ing police$ 0It #o"l! pro'a'l 'e m"ch safer for everone if
the #ere given knives or some other #eapon$1
4ithin three ho"rs of 5ang&s !eath in L"okan village, police ha! cleare! the officers
of #rong!oing an! iss"e! a statement on the inci!ent$
%he police shot 5ang, the 'rief statement sai!, to prevent him from plo#ing into
villagers #ith his tr"ck$
2"t #itnesses sai! that no 'stan!ers appeare! to 'e in imme!iate !anger an! that
even after police starte! shooting, the tr"ck #as onl inching along$
It #as moving slo#er than a person #alks,1 sai! one village el!er$
Local police !ecline! to ans#er 7"estions a'o"t the inci!ent$ %#o police
representatives "pon hearing 5ang&s name in separate calls imme!iatel
claime! the phone signal ha! gro#n #eak an! h"ng "p$ 2efore also hanging "p, a
thir! police representative sai! 'riefl that even if 5ang #asn&t a terrorist, he clearl
inten!e! to h"rt others$
In their 'rief (a => statement, a"thorities also sai! three villagers #ere in/"re! '
5ang$
2"t one of them, tracke! !o#n #eeks later, sai! he receive! his minor in/"ries onl
after police shot 5ang an! ca"se! him to lose control of the tr"ck, #hich sli! into
his motorccle$
Accor!ing to that man 4ang Ancai, +> a government official visite! him #hile
he #as in the hospital an! offere! him H=@, a ear&s #ages for man villagers
as 0compensation for 'eing in/"re! ' a terrorist$1
I !on&t think it #as an act of terrorism,1 4ang sai!, '"t he took the mone #itho"t
7"estion$
After 5ang&s !eath, his #ife, along #ith their E*ear*ol! son an! ==*ear*ol!
!a"ghter, move! 'ack to her home village, a'an!oning the propert he !ie! tring
to preserve$
Iecentl, his relatives han!e! over all recor!s an! testimon from the shooting to a
#oman name! 3" <iaci, #ho claime! to represent a nonprofit organi:ation #anting
to help$
2"t there are signs that 3" ma have 'een sent ' a"thorities in their latest effort to
ac7"ire all lingering evi!ence of the shooting$ Online recor!s sho# the nonprofit
#as forme! /"st !as after the shooting$ An! #hen contacte! ' a foreign
ne#spaper, 3" sent a fl"rr of threatening te)ts$
-imilarl, a"thorities have manage! to s"ppress the 'iggest piece of evi!ence of all6
5ang&s 'o!$
On the !a he !ie!, after the shooting stoppe!, 5ang fell o"t of the tr"ck into a
'loo! heap on the gro"n!$ 4itnesses sai! it #as har! to tell #hether he #as
alrea! !ea! 'eca"se officers imme!iatel picke! "p his limp 'o!, slappe! on
han!c"ffs an! st"ffe! him into the 'ack of a police car$
%o this !a, no one, incl"!ing his famil, has seen him again$
." <ing contri'"te! to this report$
)illiam )an is /he #osts China correspondent based
in (ei0ing. 1e served previousl% as a religion reporter
and diplomatic correspondent.