China removes 'thoughts' from terror definition: Report, Thoughts will not be subject to prosecution under China's new definition of terrorism, state-run media said on Thursday (Feb 26).
A panel of China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), removed the word from a draft of the country's first-ever anti-terrorism law, the Beijing News reported.
The parliament opens its annual meeting in Beijing next week, with terrorism among the top agenda items following a series of deadly attacks that authorities have blamed on separatists from the far-western Xinjiang region, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.
Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the killing of 31 people in a knife rampage at a train station in the southwestern city of Kunming, dubbed "China's 9/11" by state media.
According to the Beijing News, an initial draft of the anti-terror law defined terrorism as "any thoughts, speech or activity that - through violence, sabotage or intimidation - aims to cause social panic, impact national decision-making, sow ethnic hatred, overthrow the state or split the country".
A revised version by the NPC's Law Committee omits the word "thoughts", it said. Under the new definition, terrorism will be defined as "any advocacy or activity that - through violence, sabotage or intimidation - causes social panic, threatens public security or seeks to coerce state organs or international organisations."More Read
A panel of China's legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), removed the word from a draft of the country's first-ever anti-terrorism law, the Beijing News reported.
The parliament opens its annual meeting in Beijing next week, with terrorism among the top agenda items following a series of deadly attacks that authorities have blamed on separatists from the far-western Xinjiang region, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority.
Next week marks the one-year anniversary of the killing of 31 people in a knife rampage at a train station in the southwestern city of Kunming, dubbed "China's 9/11" by state media.
According to the Beijing News, an initial draft of the anti-terror law defined terrorism as "any thoughts, speech or activity that - through violence, sabotage or intimidation - aims to cause social panic, impact national decision-making, sow ethnic hatred, overthrow the state or split the country".
A revised version by the NPC's Law Committee omits the word "thoughts", it said. Under the new definition, terrorism will be defined as "any advocacy or activity that - through violence, sabotage or intimidation - causes social panic, threatens public security or seeks to coerce state organs or international organisations."More Read
