Chinese see Uighur hand in Malaysian plane mystery

NEW DELHI: Amid global speculation on what exactly caused Malaysia Airlines flight MH 370 to jump radar contact and disappear, an ugly suspicion has taken roots in China that it could be the handiwork of Uighur terrorists. If this turns out to be correct, it would be the biggest attack by Uighurs on Chinese interests. Over two-thirds of the passengers in the missing plane were Chinese. As yet there is little to suggest that it could be an act of terror since it's not yet clear where or how the plane went down. While stolen passports initially hinted at a possible terror angle, the holders are believed to be Iranian asylum seekers rather than terrorists. But China, just recovering from a savage attack by Uighurs at a train station in Kunming, is more ready to buy the Uighur terror theory, despite lack of evidence. A group of attackers armed with knives went on a rampage in Kunming station on March 1, killing at least 29 people and injuring more than 100. Chinese authorities and its state media were quick to describe it as a terror attack by Uighurs in their "jihad". Interestingly, India too described the Kunming attack as a terrorist one, using its official response to draw Chinese attention to "all forms of terrorism". Uighur terrorists are regularly trained and funded by Pakistan, one of China's closest allies. China has in the past taken an ambivalent attitude to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India.   TOI