The Dark Shadow Shrine

embrace the darkness; that you may see the light nestled within it......

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Terrorism in Kunming -- roots in Xinjiang separatist movement

Note:
- shifting narrative in reports, esp those concerning statistics on body count.... This can contribute to media reports being unreliable, at least in the first few days, before the facts are verified and clarified....(Compare with the killing of Osama...see Article 2a and 2b at THIS link.

-how prejudice and discrimination is a root cause of terrorism (see last article below)

-how violence/terrorism is often used as a to achieve political aims (as opposed to say dialogue, etc).....the similar separatist movement here (Xinjiang trying to extricate itself from China) echoes those of Tibet from China, IRA's bid to gain Northern Ireland's independence from Britain, Tamil Tigers to do likewise for Sri Lanka from India.......

-a tenacious clinging to one's traditional/racial/cultural identity (when it is at odds with/different from those of the country/majority) will impede integration or social/national cohesion...see HERE.
In contrast, a strong national identity (i.e. u identity with your nation first, ur first loyalty is towards ur nation) can help to heal rifts created by different cultural groups within a society.

Sample Qns:
1. Should a love of one's country still be encouraged? (Cam. 2009)
2. Is nationalism/national identity/patriotism still relevant today?
3. Is violence ever justifiable? (Cam. 2012)
4. Can terrorism ever be eradicated? (RJC Prelim 200?)
5. Can prejudice ever be eliminated? (Cam. 2011)
6. Can the media ever be relied upon to convey the truth? (Cam. 2003)
7. How important is it for people in your society to retain a sense of tradition? (Cam. 2010)